Hot skills: In the SSL/CW list of top skills, HP-UX is
number 107.
What is it?
HP-UX is Hewlett-Packard's version of the Unix operating
system.
Where did it originate?
In the heyday of the minicomputer during the 1970s and 1980s, who
could have imagined that Data General would be swallowed by a
storage supplier, or that the mighty Digital Equipment Corporation
could be taken over by a company that entered the market selling
sewing machine-sized portable PCs?
Compaq, which acquired DEC in 1998, was taken over by
Hewlett-Packard last year. HP now offers the Digital OpenVMS
operating system alongside HP-UX. HP released HP-UX in 1986 at a
time when mid-range system suppliers were moving away from
proprietary systems towards Unix, although not necessarily
compatible versions.
DEC also introduced Unix, but carried on putting resources into its
proprietary VMS.
VMS was released in 1978 along with the VAX minicomputer. DEC
claims this was the first time a computer and its operating system
were designed together, rather than as two separate projects.
From the outset, VMS was intended to run from the smallest to the
largest mainframe-equivalent machine. In the 1990s VMS was ported
from Vax to the reduced instruction set Alpha chip, and was
transformed from a proprietary operating system to an open one,
OpenVMS.
What is it for?
Both DEC and HP began as scientific and technical computer
manufacturers. Both operating systems are now available in
technical and commercial versions.
What makes it special?
Coming from companies with high-quality engineering backgrounds,
both operating systems are exceptionally reliable. VMS led the way
with 32-bit and 64-bit support and had clustering 15 years before
some other operating systems.
How difficult is it?
VMS was designed to be easy to use and manage. Anyone from a Unix
background should need no more than a brief introduction to get to
grips with HP-UX. Both operating systems are now surrounded by
tools making administration, application development and porting
applications from other environments straightforward.
Where is it used?
HP-UX is available in enterprise, mission-critical and technical
versions. Each version is adapted to a particular mix of workloads,
for example, heavy database use or intensive workstation
support.
Understandably, OpenVMS customers might be apprehensive after a
second change of ownership in five years, but HP said its
"millions" of Alpha users are staying loyal.
Don't confuse...
The Alpha chip with the Alpha course for Christian neophytes,
although you might need religious dedication to stick with the DEC
processor.
Also be aware that Packard Bell home PCs come from NEC, not HP,
although Graham Bell, regarded as the father of the Vax, designed
minicomputers for Packard Bell in its early years.
What does it run on?
HP-UX runs on HP's PA-Risc machines and Intel's Itanium; OpenVMS
runs on Alpha workstations and servers.
Not many people know that...
At the launch of VAX and VMS, a Scrabble game was played between
the new system and a human opponent. The Vax won, with a 50-point
bonus for using all seven letters in the word "sensibly".
What is coming up?
A new version of OpenVMS running on Itanium.
Training
Training is available from Hewlett-Packard and its authorised
partners, including Azlan, QA, Spring, etc.
www.compaq.co.uk/training
Rates of pay
Administrators can receive from £23,000 on HP-UX. ITNet was
recently seeking a senior Unix consultant (HP-UX, AIX or Solaris)
for £39,000. OpenVMS jobs are more rare and often require Unix.
