[Info-vax] Layered products, the HP view !?!

[johnwallace4 at yahoo.co.uk]

On Wednesday, 17 June 2015 21:22:21 UTC+1, Jan-Erik Soderholm  wrote:
> Robert A. Brooks skrev den 2015-06-17 21:27:
> > On 6/17/2015 3:02 PM, JF Mezei wrote:
> >> On 15-06-17 14:19, Robert A. Brooks wrote:
> >>
> >>> As stated earlier, any existing HP product installed on HP VMS V8.4 will
> >>> continue to run
> >>> following an upgrade to VSI VMS V8.4-1H1, although it's unsupported by
> >>> HP and VSI.
> >>
> >> But if, after a problem, the customer tries to re-install HP-C over the
> >> existing HP-C (same version), PCSI will refuse because the platform is
> >> now VSI VMS , right ?
> >
> > That is correct, but this isn't Windows.  In over 30 years, I don't think
> > I've ever
> > tried to solve a VMS layered product problem by reinstalling the same version.
> > In any event, see my comments below.
> >
> >> So in essence, the customers who do not "upgrade" products are running
> >> on hope because they wouldn't be able to rebuild their systems or
> >> re-install older products.
> >
> > The simple solution is to not run an unsupported configuration.
> >
> > Either don't upgrade to V8.4-1H1, or upgrade and acquire supported software.
> >
> 
> Maybe this isn't a major issue... If you actualy need that extra
> performance the i4 servers gives you, you can probably also found
> the cost to "upgrade" to 8.41H1 and "VSI" branded LP's.
> 
> If you do not need that extra i4 performance today, you might just
> as well stay for the time beeing on what you currently have.
> That is 8.4 and "HP" branded LP's.
> 
> The roadmap says "Two releases are planned between V8.4-1H1 and V9.0".
> Those two would also be Itanium releases. If any of them happens to
> contain anything else besides of new hardware support (that is, some
> new real functionality in the OS or LPs), then one can re-evaluate
> what one is running. It might even be worthwhile to upgrade to 8.41Hn
> even if you are not running newer (i4) hardware, just becuse of the new
> functionality offered in OS and LPs.
> 
> I might have missed something, but right now with the current 8.41H1,
> if you are *not* on i4 hardware, I see little reason to not stay on
> current 8.4. What will running 8.41H1 in i2 servers give you?
> 
> Now, if VSI would like customers to switch there support contracts ASAP,
> even if *not* on i4 hardware, there is some "marketing" to do... :-)
> 
> Jan-Erik.

That would seem like an excellent starting point.

And yet... earlier today in this very thread, Paul Anderson wrote this:
"Some VSI versions of layered products (CMS for example) also include
fixes made by HP since the last product release, but not made available
in a released version until now."

Nothing i4-related in there, is there???? 

Now I realise that CMS may not be a business critical issue for
most folk, but (if correctly reported, and representative of
current policy) I'm thinking it sets an odd precedent. Or maybe
I'm just confused, hence...

Also earlier today I posted an appeal for clarity at some stage, and
in a helpfully intended response from Clair G was a link to a page
containing the dread words "contact your HP representative":
http://www8.hp.com/us/en/products/servers/openvms/what.html#!&pd1=1

It's early days. It'll hopefully get better.