900 Series Migration

• Object code compatibility: a simple store/restore procedure allows you to move MPE V/E applications and data to the 900 Series. You can back up applications and databases on a tape and restore them on a 900 Series system without modification. The applications and databases run on the 900 Series in CM.

• Source code compatibility: you can recompile applications for maximum performance by using Native Mode (NM) optimizing compilers, which improve performance. You can achieve maximum database performance by using software utilities to transform databases into NM.

• Migration flexibility: upgrading to the 900 Series is extremely flexible because applications and databases can access and communicate with each other when they are in different modes (in other words, when one is in CM and the other is in NM).

• Operational flexibility: MPE/iX is a functional superset of MPE V/E. They are nearly identical in terms of user interface, system management, accounting, and security.

• Peripheral compatibility: Because of common I/O mechanisms, the 900 Series supports many of the same peripherals and workstations as other HP 3000 systems do.

• Cross-family development: CM allows you to develop applications on the 900 Series that can also be run on MPE V/E-based systems.

Object Code Translator

MPE/iX provides an Object Code Translator (OCT) that can be used to translate MPE V/E object code into native instructions for the 900 Series. This improves performance over that of the MPE V/E object code.

Native Mode Compilers

To take full advantage of 900 Series performance capabilities, you can recompile MPE V/E based applications using Native Mode (NM) compilers for the 900 Series. They provide source code compatibility with the rest of the HP 3000 family of computers. Usually, applications require little or no code modification. The NM compilers available on MPE/iX include:

Data Base Manipulations

For improved performance of database manipulations, you can move to ALLBASE/SQL, the Native Mode Database Management System for the 900 Series. Utilities are available for converting to ALLBASE/SQL from TurboIMAGE/XL.

Migration Restrictions

Minor restrictions may apply to migrating MPE V/E-based applications to a 900 Series system. An application may require modification if it uses:

Applications written in SPL/V, the systems programming language for MPE V/E-based systems, can run in Compatibility Mode (CM) on a 900 Series system, but cannot migrate to Native Mode (NM) because SPL/V has a high dependence on the MPE V/E-based HP 3000 architecture. However, you can improve the performance of an SPL/V application running in CM by using the MPE V/E Object Code Translator.

If you require NM performance, these applications should be rewritten in HP C/iX or HP Pascal/iX, which are systems programming languages for MPE/iX. If an application written in a high-level language calls SPL/V procedures, you can recompile it in NM. It runs in NM and uses a user-supplied mode switching procedure to switch to CM to call SPL procedures.

For information on less frequently encountered exceptions, refer to the Migration Series of manuals. For information on switching, refer to Switch Programming Guide (32650-90014).

Cross-family Application Development

You can develop applications on a 900 Series system for use on HP 3000 systems that use HP Precision Architecture (HP-PA) by using a 900 Series for centralized development. You can compile the source code for programs written to run on a Native Mode compiler on the 900 Series system and compile it to run on MPE V/E-based systems.

Similarly, you can compile source code written to run in Compatibility Mode on the 900 Series and compile it to run on MPE V/E-based systems. The MPE V Segmenter is supplied with MPE/iX to facilitate cross-family development in these languages.