<font size=-1>THE 989KS/x50: A NEW SERIES OF HP 3000 SERVERS AND MORE .....</font>
HP announced a new series of mid-range HP 3000 servers, support for the Apache Web server, a new autoRAID disk array, improved OpenView manageability support for Sun's Java Database Connectivity (JDBC) and Netscape's Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) and several other enhancements.
HP 3000 989KS/x50
The 989KS/x50 HP 3000 servers (now available) uses a 240MHz PA-RISC 8200 CPU. HP expects a 25% performance increase over existing HP 3000 98kKS platforms and 15% over HP 3000's 997/800 system. Users must have MPE/iX 5.5 with Power Patch 6.or MPE/iX 6.0. Pricing for minimally configured systems is as follows: 989KS/150 -- $102,900; 989KS/250 -- $125,900; 989KS/450 -- $171,900; 989KS/650 -- $217,900.
Support for Apache Web Server (1.3.4), JDBC and LDAPAfter two failed attempts to support third-party (OpenMarket and Netscape) Web server software on the HP 3000, the open source Apache Web Server is being ported to the HP 3000.
Support for the open source Apache Web Server will be included in MPE/iX 6.0 Express 2 Release (expected this fall). Currently, Apache can be downloaded from HP's jazz server at
www.jazz.external.hp.com.The Java Database Connectivity (JDBC) API (version 1.1.7) will be supported in MPE/iX 6.0 Express 1 Release. JDBC will allow access to data in Image (HP 3000) and Allbase (HP 9000) databases. "We are updating our Java releases based on Sun's release schedule," says Ozturk.
Netscape's Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) client services will be supported on the HP 3000 (also expected this fall). LDAP allows application's x.500 libraries or x.509 directories to be stored on other platforms.
.HP Secure Web Console
Already supported on the HP 9000, the Secure Web Console ($590) provides secure access to multiple HP 3000 server consoles via the Web.
AutoRAID Model 12HThe new Model 12H (already supported on the HP 9000) stores up to 1.3TB in a two meter rack and is now supported on the HP 3000.
HP 3000-specific scripts included with HP OpenView IT/O
HP's OpenView IT/Operations (IT/O) 5.0 (available as a patch by the end of May) will come bundled with 20 ready-to-manage HP 3000 scripts that are directly tailored to the key processes and functionality in managing a HP 3000 server - like database and volume management and backup.
Data Warehousing, Memory Subsystems, Backup & Fibre Channel EnhancementsAccording to Darren Connor, product manager for system management and high availability, HP's CSY Division is coming up with a solution (involving Omnidex) that, "Allows you to populate a data warehouse out of an Image database then use various desktop access products to slice and dice the data. In the past, we only had a beta version, now we have a full solution."
In the first half of the year 2000, HP 3000 99x servers (now limited to 3.75GB maximum) will benefit from increased performance and lower cost per MB when memory subsystems capacities are expanded. Connor speculates that anywhere from 16GB to 32GB is possible. "We're waiting to decide to see where the exact limit will be." And TurboStore/iX, in conjunction with the Legato Storage Node product, will support DLT-7000 tape arrays. And a "distance solution" using an outside-the-cabinet SCSI-to-FibreChannel bridge is in the works. "It's a bridging solution that we are getting from an outside vendor," says Connor. "It's a setup for native mode FibreChannel support."