Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!uunet!beartrk!clp
From: clp@beartrk.beartrack.com (Charlie Pilzer)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.encore
Subject: Re: is there interest ... NP/1
Summary: Real Time vs Unix
Message-ID: <392@beartrk.beartrack.com>
Date: 1 Dec 89 04:41:59 GMT
References: <8911291654.aa28195@CC2.PICA.ARMY.MIL> <43596@bu-cs.BU.EDU>
Organization: Bear Track Computer Co., Takoma Park, MD.
Lines: 72

In article <8911291654.aa28195@CC2.PICA.ARMY.MIL> mchinni@PICA.ARMY.MIL ("Michael J. Chinni, SMCAR-CCS-E") writes:
>>[...]
>>What makes you think that Gould was in trouble and was "brought down", and that
>>the NP line was loosing a lot of money. ...

I think the issue is more complicated than just killing off a machine.  CPL
machines 6xxx and 9xxx machines will continue to exist.  The only trick is
that the emphasis for these machines are real time as in "MPX". MPX is 
Gould's (Encore's) real time O/S.  Most of the programming used to be done
in FORTRAN, now C and its a real memory system, no virtual stuff for MPX.
It runs in simulators, high speed data channels (telemetry) and other
areas where fast, consistent response is required.

As I understand it, the goal is to migrate all existing Unix customers from
PowerNodes to Multimaxes.  I can't say that I blame Encore.  Currently, they
have to support:

	UMAX 4.2 - BSD style UMAX
	UMAX V - System V style UMAX
    UMAX Mach or whatever - UMAX based on MACH

    Gould/CSD UTX 2.1 - Gould's BSD/ATT unix on PowerNodes
    UTC 3.0 - Gould's BSD/ATT Unix on NP/1

On top of this are various other packages (Database, Languages, Comm, O/A)
that Encore and Gould both supported.  Its too much!  To port Sys V 4.0,
for example, requires (3) separate ports (Multimax, PowerNode & NP/1).
Considering that NP/2 and NP/1 were not compatible (directly anyway), its
no wonder it got cancelled.

As for existing PowerNode (and I guess NP/1) installations, getting rev locked
isn't all that terrible if you are a commercial/production client.  In the
case of research or education institutions, it could be a problem.  The
machines themselves will be supported for a number of years.  There are
existing contracts that must be fulfilled (some of them are government).
There may be no hardware upgrades but current equipment will be maintained.
I think the same goes for software.  No new releases but there will be bug fixes.

I support a number of PowerNode installations and I've worked with UTX since
Version 1.1.  There were a lot of really good things about UTX.  The
PowerNodes had really good price/performance in their time (1984-1987). There
were some problems in getting the new hardware (NPL) out the door but from
what I've heard they are solid, dependable beasts.

THe saddest part of the Gould story wasn't the buyout.  That's pretty positive.
No, it was watching a company fall apart.  Many of the best people in Gould
operations were laid off or got nervous and left.  Morale became terrible as
the survivors just waited for another axe to fall.  Development teams and
projects were dismantled.  And this happened before Encore bought the remnants
of Gould.

I don't know what's going to happen now.  Encore has been loosing money since
acquiring Gould/CSD. It must turn around or there will be no support for any
of the machines.  Hard business decisions were made and the costs were not
negligable.  People were laid off and years of work were terminated.  There
are more costs ahead, both for Encore and for Encore's customers.  At some
point, the Gould Unix customer base will be moved off of the PowerNodes.
Whether the customers move to a Multimax remains to be seen.  Once you
are moving to a different hardware platform, the reasons to stay with
a given vendor decrease.  Encore may wind up loosing customers as the
customers decommission their PowerNodes.

I would hope that this group takes up the cause of the PowerNodes and NP/1
(Ever notice that NP is PN backwards :-) as well as continued discussion of
Multimax.  There is no longer any "Gould/CSD", its all Encore.

Please note that I do not speak for Encore or Gould.  I work with their
equipment on behalf of my clients.  Part of the above is observation, part
is speculation.

Charlie Pilzer
clp@beartrk.beartrack.com