OpenVMS Software Installation and Upgrade Release Notes
1.1 HP Software Technical Support Policy
• New Feature Releases for OpenVMS contain new features, enhancements,
and maintenance updates. The version number increases to the next decimal
number (for example, from 8.2 to 8.3).
Application impact: The release has not retired any published application
programming interfaces (APIs). However, OpenVMS internal interfaces
may have been modified with the addition of significant new functionality
or implementation of performance improvements. It is unlikely that a new
application kit will be required for 95 percent of all applications that use
documented APIs. Device driver and kernel-level applications (that is, those
that use nonstandard or undocumented APIs) may need qualification testing.
• Enhancement Releases for OpenVMS contain enhancements to existing
features and maintenance updates. The version number increases to show a
revision by using a dash (for example, OpenVMS Version 8.2-1).
Application impact: The release may contain new hardware support,
software enhancements, and maintenance, but the changes are isolated and
have no impact on applications that use published APIs. There is no need for
ISVs to test on the new release or to produce a new application kit.
• Hardware Releases provide current version-level support until 12 months
after a subsequent release containing that particular hardware support.
Hardware releases are shipped with new hardware sales only and are not
distributed to existing service customers.
The following OpenVMS core products are supported at the same level (Standard
Support or Prior Version Support) and duration as the operating system version
on which they ship:
• HP Advanced Server for OpenVMS
• HP DECnet (Phase IV)
• HP DECnet-Plus for OpenVMS
• HP OpenVMS Cluster Client Software
• HP OpenVMS Cluster Software for OpenVMS
• HP PathWorks or HP PATHWORKS for OpenVMS
• HP RMS Journaling for OpenVMS
• HP TCP/IP Services for OpenVMS
• HP Volume Shadowing for OpenVMS
• HP DECram for OpenVMS
These products require their own individual support contracts and are not
included in the operating system support contract.
1.2 General Application Compatibility Statement
OpenVMS has consistently held the policy that published APIs are supported on
all subsequent releases. It is unlikely, applications that use published APIs will
require changes to support a new release of OpenVMS. APIs may be "retired",
and thus removed from the documentation; however, the API will continue to be
available on OpenVMS as an undocumented interface.
1–2 OpenVMS Software Installation and Upgrade Release Notes
