IA-64, HP-UX, 11 & 64-Bit Computing 

IT Managers are concerned with three primary issues when it comes to the consideration of 64-Bit computing:

• Performance increase and greater scalability

• Investment Protection

• Standards Conformance

IA-64 is the most significant processor architecture advancement since the Intel 80386. HP joined with Intel in 1994 to develop EPIC (Explicit Parallel Instruction Computing) –an architecture technology analogous to CISC & RISC. HP & Intel co-invented the IA-64. In brief, EPIC breaks through the sequential nature of processing and allows the software to communicate explicitly with the processor when operations can be performed in parallel.. Consequently, this allows the compiler greater freedom to schedule instructions, which results in increased parallel execution. As the IT world prepares for the impact of IA-64, HP’s UX 11 continues to be the most robust and flexible UNIX operating system available. Hewlett-Packard’s HP-UX 11.0 has remained true to HP’s commitment to be the leading vendor in the Open Systems UNIX Server Market. HPUX 11.0 provides the benefits of 64-Bit computing while preserving the customer’s investment in 32-Bit applications. The Major DB vendors have introduced Very Large Memory (VLM) products that take advantage of 64bit architecture scalability to achieve increases in performance, especially for large decision support and OLTP applications. As Corporation’s computing needs increase, so will their demand for 64-bit computing. 

Examples of other applications that will take advantage of 64-bit computing will be large Web Servers, Multimedia applications, and Technical Applications. Although Memory Addressing is one of the key elements in 64-Bit computing, it is not the only one. 64-Bit computing extends to the processor, disk, and memory in hardware, and in Software it extends to large files, files systems, large physical memory, large virtual memory and large addressing.

Hewlett-Packard is committed to meeting customers’ expectations for 64-Bit Computing through HP-UX 11.0. We are proud to be a part of the Solution Delivery of an Operating System that provides broad performance gains without and end user needing to recompile their applications, investment protection through allowing 32-Bit applications to run unmodified in the 64-Bit environment, an open & Flexible platform that embraces the UNIX standards, and a wide range of features that address performance, resilience, integration, security, and manageability.