As part of Stratus Computer Inc’s agreement that it will license the HP-UX implementation of Unix and put it up on the Continuum family of Precision Architecture RISC-based fault-tolerant computers (CI No 2,922), the Marlborough, Massachusetts company will provide some of the fault-toleranet components of its own FTX Unix System V.4 implementation, such as hot-plugging and maintenance as add-ons to the HP-UX it will sell and support. It claims its decision will enable customers to take advantage of HP-UX’s broad base of commercial applications. Stratus will also resell a range of key HP-UX layered software products on Continuum, including Distributed Computing Environment, transaction processing and network management. The company asserts that it has no plans to halt development of FTX, which is used predominantly by its telephone company customers, but admits that the biggest drawback to the expansion of its Unix business has been FTX’s lack of application and middleware support. It will position FTX for users writing their own applications and HP-UX for general purpose use. It will not implement the HP-UX applications or middleware for FTX, neither are the fault-tolerant pieces it attaches to HP-UX to be passed back to Hewl ett-Packard, at least not yet anyway. With Stratus already committed to using the next-generation Hewlett-Intel Corp Merced processor, vice-president Steve Kiely admits that there are a wide range of potential synergies down the road, but denies that there have been any discussions just yet. Although it previously said that it will use Santa Cruz Operation Inc’s 3DA Summit kernel OEM offering as the basis of future FTX Unix requirements (CI No 2,874), last week it wasn’t at all sure what will fill that spot. Stratus plans to release HP-UX on the Continuum Series 400 at the end of the year, with availability on other Continuum models from next year.
