HP OpenVMS Version 8.3 Cover Letter

This document is a cover letter from Hewlett-Packard announcing the release of OpenVMS Version 8.3 in July 2006 for both Integrity server and AlphaServer platforms. HP emphasizes its commitment to providing advanced functionality and high-quality products, with this release focusing on enhancements to system availability, I/O performance, and security.

Key new features and enhancements span general user functions, system management, programming, and associated products. Highlights include:

• Support for new dual-core Intel Itanium 2 processors and Hyper-Threading.
• Increased batch queue maximums and new CD/DVD record utility.
• HP Instant Capacity (iCAP) and Pay per use (PPU).
• Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) support, backup save-set encryption, and secure delivery for digitally-signed kits.
• Dynamic lock remastering and dynamic volume expansion (DVE).
• Network cluster improvements (data compression, multi-gigabit scaling) and Virtual LAN (VLAN) support.
• Updates to various programming libraries (e.g., C Run-Time Library, CDSA, Kerberos, SSL, MACRO Compiler, RMS) and associated products (e.g., Distributed NetBeans, Secure Web Browser/Server, TCP/IP Services, Web Services Integration Toolkit).

The release includes OpenVMS Freeware Version 8.0 CDs, comprehensive online documentation in HTML and PDF formats, and information on accessing service support tools and Software Product Descriptions (SPDs). Details for obtaining software layered product updates and OpenVMS Source Listings Kits (for both Alpha and Integrity servers) are also provided. The document also mentions a consolidated kit for OpenVMS VAX Version 7.3 and OpenVMS Alpha Version 8.3, including relevant documentation for both.

Customers are strongly advised to read the Release Notes prior to installation, as they contain critical information, known issues, and changes in behavior. Examples include unsupported InfoServer utility boot configurations, new DCL command qualifiers, specific system service behaviors, and installation considerations for various components like CDSA and the C++ compiler.