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OpenServer Release 6 Frequently Asked Questions
Why did Xinuos release a new version of OpenServer?
OpenServer has become the standard for excellence on commodity hardware. OpenServer 6 is being released at this time to meet the ever-changing needs of our customers for new hardware support, higher performance, and a lower total cost of ownership.
What does Openserver 6 provide that I can't already get in OpenServer 5.0.7?
We have prepared a feature comparison showing OpenServer 6 compared to OpenServer 5.0.7. See www.sco.com/products/openserver6/comparison/.
Why should I consider Xinuos's UNIX sytems, given the popularity of Linux and Windows Server products?
Reliability continues to be the most important OpenServer 6 differentiator. OpenServer is known for its phenomenal stability and quality. A recent IDC survey of 1000 IT professionals found UNIX to be superior to Linux in multiprocessing, integration, security, and skills availability. Overall UNIX was more likely to meet expectations for features, overall performance and manageability. Additional competitive advantages include low TCO, established reseller relationships, and a profitable reseller business model.
With this revived interest in OpenServer, what will happen to UnixWare?
UnixWare is positioned to provide Enterprise-level capacity, where OpenServer 6 is best used in the small- to medium-sized business environment and with branch or franchise locations.
What new features will OpenServer 6 provide developers?
Several new features in OpenServer 6 will make the work of application developers easier, including the following:
- New and Improved Development System and Environment
- Modern C/C++ compilers based on SVR5 technology
- Standard compliant, 64-bit data types
- High performance
- Two modes: Native and OSR5
- Use native mode for threads, LFS, and single certification between OpenServer 6 and UnixWare 7
- Use OSR5 mode for compatibility with existing OSR5 binary libraries
- Java 1.5, Java Communication API (javax.com)
- Latest PHP and Perl
- PostgreSQL and MySQL
- Application Compatibility
- OpenServer 6 provides excellent breadth of application compatibility
- Xenix binaries just work
- OpenServer 5 (and SCO UNIX and Open Desktop) binaries just work
- UnixWare binaries just work
Who is the customer for OpenServer 6? Xinuos's primary market opportunity with OpenServer 6 is with small businesses with 5-99 employees. Xinuos's channel has successfully reached this market for more than 25 years; competitors still face the barrier of building an appropriate channel to reach the market. The small business opportunity continues to be attractive because the market is not saturated.
There are over 20 million small businesses worldwide, compared to only 183,000 medium businesses. According to IDC, the majority of small businesses do not have servers today. IDC states that small businesses are buying their first servers for shared internet access, shared printing, file sharing, storage and remote access. These companies adopt technology to improve efficiency and productivity, save money, or increase competitive advantage.
Small businesses want proven technologies with mainstream status, accompanying price declines, and customized solutions for their vertical markets. Gartner research indicates that small businesses continue to rely on solution providers and don't care about buying leading brands.
How does OpenServer 6 compare with OpenServer 5.0.7?
Prelminary benchmark tests indicate that OpenServer 6 is as much as 200% faster than OpenServer 5.0.7.
My development team is comfortable with the existing look of OpenServer 5.0.7. Will there be much of a "learning curve" for them to get comfortable with OpenServer 6?
Even with the many improvements in OpenServer 6, has been able to maintain backward compatibility with previous versions -- all the way back to Xenix on a 386-class box. OpenServer 6 does provide the K Desktop Environment (KDE) for users who wish a graphical user interface (GUI), but the system will be very familiar to users.
Can I upgrade my system from OpenServer 5 to Openserver 6?
For most applications, where they do not circumvent previous versions of OpenServer or UnixWare, they will just run. Some applications may require a recompilation on OpenServer 6. An upgrade guide is available HERE that provides more details.
Where can I learn more about OpenServer 6?
Xinuos has provided several online resources to learn more about this product:
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