HP-UX 11i v2 Compatibility

HP understands the need for investment protection. HP provides complete compatibility for the most comprehensive investment protection in the industry. HP provides:

Hewlett-Packard provides forward binary compatibility for “well-behaved” applications between the versions of HP-UX 11i on the same architecture.

A “well-behaved” application is an application that adheres to the following characteristics:

Within the “well-behaved” application context, the following is true:

	NOTE: Applications that are kernel intrusive or depend on internal proprietary data structures of HP-UX 11i version 1 may NOT be binary compatible.

	NOTE: HP-UX 11i v2 September 2004 returns “B.11.23” as the release identifier in the uname command. The C compiler standard C89 is supported on the HP 9000 (PA-RISC) while the C compiler standard C99 is supported on Integrity servers. This means that while C code developed on PA-RISC is forward compatible to Integrity, the reverse is not necessarily true. HP-UX 11.0 applications that have been certified or proven to run correctly on HP-UX 11i v1 can also be considered to be compatible with HP-UX 11i v2 for the HP 9000. Compatibility details are fully documented in the Release Notes. Additionally, there is complete data compatibility between the Architectures.

Compatibility features between the two architectures (PA-RISC and Integrity) include the following:

HP Integrity Virtual Machines (VM) are engineered to provide application binary compatibility between HP-UX 11i v2 Integrity server native applications and the same applications running in virtual machines. This binary compatibility applies to applications with no specific device dependencies and to applications that depend only on devices currently virtualized by Integrity VM. Most applications do not have specific device dependencies. However, if your application has specific device dependencies, please refer to the “HP Integrity Virtual Machines QuickSpec” at http://docs.hp.com for details.

With the source, data, and binary compatibility that HP provides from the PA-RISC architecture to the Integrity server architecture, it is expected that the vast majority of independent software vendors (ISVs) that support applications on PA-RISC will be able to readily transition these applications to HP-UX 11i on Integrity servers. This means that not only will HP-UX 11i and its layered system management, security, and high availability products have a common “look and feel” on the two architectures, it also means that application products will have a common “look and feel” across the two architectures, thus eliminating the need to retrain users for new applications.

In nearly all cases PA-RISC applications can execute under the Aries dynamic code translator which is included as an integrated component in every copy of HP-UX 11i for Integrity servers. The following list documents the exceptions to binary compatibility.

HP's Aries dynamic code translator does not support the following:

In nearly all cases, 32-bit PA-RISC applications can be recompiled for native execution on Integrity servers without source code modifications. This is true because the HP compilers for Integrity servers support both 32-bit and 64-bit data models. 32-bit applications use a data model known as ILP32 in which integers, long integers, and pointers are all 32 bits. 64-bit applications use a data model known as LP64 in which integers are 32 bits but long integers and pointers are 64 bits. HP compilers for Integrity servers support both data models.

In the case of a 32-bit PA-RISC application that is being recompiled for native execution on Integrity servers, the compiler will emit instructions that cause the application to behave as though it is a 32-bit application executing on a 32-bit architecture even though the underlying architecture is 64 bits. This is transparent to the application; it has no awareness that it is actually executing on a 64-bit architecture. It is this feature of the HP compilers for Integrity servers that allow the vast majority of 32-bit PA-RISC applications to be recompiled without source code modification for native execution on the Integrity server architecture.

Independent Software Vendors (ISVs):

whose HP-UX 11i v1 application meets the criteria for binary compatibility (i.e., not kernel intrusive, etc.) and fails to function on HP-UX 11i v2 for PA-RISC as it functions on HP-UX v1

or

whose HP-UX 11i v2 Integrity server native application is limited to the devices currently virtualized by Integrity VM and fails to function in a virtual machine as it functions outside of the virtual machine can contact HP through a special support line (for North America) at 1-800-249-3294 and use option 2, and then option 1. Help is also available alternatively by sending an e-mail to spp@cup.hp.com. When calling this number or sending an e-mail, identify the problem as a “compatibility failure” and the support staff will help you with the situation.

HP maintains application binary compatibility across all hardware platforms of the same family which are supported by the same version of HP-UX. This binary compatibility requires that application software uses only externally documented and supported software interfaces. In other words, binary compatibility across the members of a hardware family (such as PA-RISC) is provided if the following conditions apply:

HP has an excellent record of introducing new processors that provide complete software binary compatibility with previous processors, thus protecting customer and partner investments and allowing support for new processors with a minimum of risk and investment. HP has always recognized that software binary compatibility with new processors is an important partner and customer requirement.

Applications and software developed for systems with the earlier generation PA 8x00 processors will run correctly and without modification on the PA-8800 and PA-8900 processors. These new processors differ from previous ones by providing two cores within a single processor (dual-core).