Hewlett-Packard Co. demonstrated applications running on a simulated IA-64 server at last month’s HP World show in San Francisco.
IA-64 is the forthcoming 64-bit chip architecture being jointly developed by Intel Corp. and HP. Systems based on the architecture promise to run both Unix and x86 applications equally well. The first IA-64 chip — code-named Merced — is expected to start shipping by early 2000, and the first Merced servers shortly thereafter.
HP’s IA-64 simulators at HP World ran database, multimedia and Internet applications.
HP also announced that it expects to start shipping its first Merced servers by mid-2000. The systems will complement HP’s PA-RISC-based Unix servers. Users will be able to run their current HP-UX and Intel applications unchanged on IA-64 servers, according to a HP release.
HP will set up integration teams and services to help companies move and optimize their applications for IA-64.
In a separate but related development, Samsung Electronics and Computer Associates International Inc. announced support for the Monterey Unix version for Merced being developed by IBM and SCO. Monterey combines IBM’s AIX operating system with subsidiary Sequent Computer Systems Inc.’s Dynix PTX and SCO’s UnixWare operating systems.
— IDG News Service
