Cover Letter for OpenVMS Version 7.3

This document is a Compaq cover letter from May 2001 announcing the release of Compaq OpenVMS Alpha and OpenVMS VAX Version 7.3.

Key points from the letter include:

• New Features: Version 7.3 enhances scalability, reliability, security, and performance. It also expands the OpenVMS license to include various e-Business technologies for Alpha systems.
• Licensing: Users must have an appropriate license, and those without a service contract including "right to use new versions" (RTNV) will need to purchase an Update License.
• Media Retirement: OpenVMS VAX Version 7.3 is the last release to be distributed on TK50 and magnetic tape media. Future OpenVMS VAX releases will be CD-ROM only.
• Included Software: The distribution kit includes OpenVMS Freeware Version 5.0 (provided "as is" without warranty) and OpenVMS Source Listing Kits (requiring a separate license and agreement).
• Documentation: Available on a CD-ROM in HTML, PDF, PostScript, and ASCII text formats. Users are advised to read specific installation manuals before proceeding.
• Critical Upgrade Warning (Supplemental Release Notes): For users upgrading OpenVMS Alpha from Version 7.2-1 or 7.2-1H1 who have specific remedial kits installed, there is a critical bug. Failure to address this could lead to newly installed system files being deleted, rendering the system unbootable. Users must manually edit the SYS$COMMON:[SYSUPD]VMS$REMEDIAL_OLD_FILES.TXT file before installation to correct specific file entries as detailed in the document. A remedial kit for this workaround is also available online.
• Documentation Correction: The letter also corrects inaccurate warranted and migration support information for mixed-version and mixed-architecture OpenVMS Cluster systems found in existing manuals.