Mixed-Version Support in an OpenVMS Cluster Environment

HP provides two levels of support for mixed-version and mixed-architecture OpenVMS Cluster systems: warranted support and migration support.

Warranted support means that HP has fully qualified two specified versions coexisting in an OpenVMS Cluster and will address all problems identified by customers using these configurations.

Migration support means that HP has qualified the versions for use together in configurations that are migrating in a staged fashion to a newer version of OpenVMS. Problem reports submitted against these configurations will be answered by HP. However, in exceptional cases, HP may request that you move to a warranted configuration as part of the solution. Migration support helps customers move to warranted OpenVMS Cluster pairs.

Warranted cluster support is provided for the combinations shown in Table 5-2.

	NOTE: Only two architectures are supported in the same OpenVMS Cluster: OpenVMS I64 and OpenVMS Alpha, or OpenVMS Alpha and OpenVMS VAX, but not OpenVMS I64 and OpenVMS VAX. System disks are architecture specific and can be shared only by systems of the same architecture. An Alpha and I64 system, or an Alpha and VAX system, cannot boot from the same system disk. However, cross-architecture satellite booting is supported between an Alpha and VAX system. When you configure an OpenVMS Cluster to take advantage of cross-architecture booting, make sure that at least one system from each architecture is configured with a disk that can be used for installations and upgrades. For more information, see the Guidelines for OpenVMS Cluster Configurations and HP OpenVMS Cluster Systems manuals.

Table 5-3 shows the supported migration pairings.

For information about valid upgrade paths, see Section .

For more information, see the OpenVMS Technical Software Support Service website at:

http://www.hp.com/go/openvms/support

In addition, see the following website for the OpenVMS Operating System Support Chart at:

http://www.hp.com/go/openvms/supportchart

Before introducing an OpenVMS Version 8.3-1H1 system into an existing OpenVMS Cluster, you might need to install certain patch kits (also known as remedial kits) on cluster members running earlier versions of OpenVMS. In a mixed-architecture cluster, you need to install an LMF patch on any OpenVMS Version 7.3-2 Alpha members. For a complete list of required patch kits, see the HP OpenVMS Version 8.3-1H1 for Integrity Servers New Features and Release Notes and the HP OpenVMS Version 8.3 Release Notes.

For information about supporting the Performance Data Collector base software (TDC_RT) in OpenVMS Clusters, see Section .