Cover Letter for HP OpenVMS Version 8.3-1H1 for Integrity Servers

This document is a cover letter introducing HP OpenVMS Version 8.3–1H1 for Integrity servers, released in October 2007 as the 30th-anniversary edition of the operating system. HP highlights its dedication to providing advanced functionality and quality with this release.

Key new features include:

• Hardware Support: Introduction of the HP Integrity BL860c Server Blade (part of the revamped HP BladeSystem c-Class) and support for the latest Intel Itanium® dual-core processors across various HP Integrity servers (rx2660, rx3600, rx6600, rx7640, rx8640, Superdome SD64B).
• System Management: Enhanced provisioning capabilities (allowing quick installation/upgrade of OpenVMS on multiple servers via HP SIM and network services or single servers via vMedia), and a comprehensive Web-Based Enterprise Management (WBEM) infrastructure (based on OpenPegasus 2.6.1) with various providers covering OS, hardware components, and management.
• Performance & Usability: Support for USB 2.0 HIGH Speed (significantly faster data transfer from DVDs on supported systems, though early boot stages remain at USB 1.1 speeds due to firmware), virtual media (vMedia) for remote or built-in-DVD-less installations, and the ability to boot HP Integrity systems using a Graphics console (with some limitations like no XDELTA or Conversational boot in this release).

The document also details:

• OpenVMS Freeware Version 8.0: Included in the media kit, providing free software tools and utilities, but offered "as is" without HP warranty or support. Users must check individual package restrictions.
• Documentation: Specifies new and updated manuals for installation and features, plus availability of online resources.
• Source Listings Kit: Available separately and requires a license.

Crucial Release Notes advise on specific installation and usage points:

• The CSWS Java kit is a self-extracting executable, not in .PCSI format as some documentation might state.
• Distributed NetBeans installation requires Java 1.4.2 to be installed beforehand; users encountering errors should terminate the installation, install Java, then restart.
• Management Agents (MGMTAGENTS) cannot be installed while booted from the OpenVMS V8.3-1H1 DVD and has specific steps for installation/patching, especially during upgrades.
• The latest version of GNV (GNU-based UNIX-style environment for OpenVMS) is available online.