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UNIX®: HP-UX 11i vs. Solaris—mission-critical functionality compared

Advantage: HP-UX 11i
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For the second year in a row, HP-UX 11i climbed in UNIX user preference and topped AIX and Solaris in a number of critical mission-critical UNIX survey topics.
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For the second year in a row, HP-UX 11i ascended in UNIX user preference, and Solaris has declined, trailing HP-UX 11i by more than 25%. That’s the average of all scores in every survey category, according to the results from the Gabriel Consulting Group 2008/09 Unix Vendor Preference Survey. The survey period covered 12/08–03/09 with 266 survey respondents representing small, medium, and large enterprise data centers.

HP-UX 11i surpasses Solaris in ways that provide advantages to IT managers striving to meet goals of business continuity, risk avoidance, efficiency and cost reduction. The specific technical advantages translate into a more agile, available UNIX operating environment that is simpler to manage—with comprehensive integrated security and winning performance.

Below is a breakdown of HP-UX 11i big-ticket advantages—backed up by the technical differences between HP-UX 11i and Solaris on SPARC servers that may explain why HP-UX 11i is preferred by UNIX users.

Running Oracle Database, SAP, AMDOCS, Java, IBM DB2,[i] or similar applications?

Integrated mission-critical UNIX®: advantage HP-UX 11i

At the “product brochure level”, it’s practically impossible to distinguish between HP-UX 11i and Solaris mission-critical functionality. To compare Solaris and HP-UX 11i, we have to dig into functionality, coverage, and ease-of-use. This comparison necessarily becomes technical immediately. We know not everyone lives and breathes UNIX technology. What we are offering is a logical argument, backed by sufficient detail for those who want the full story.

We observe that Sun’s business model and recent Solaris development Non-HP site resemble those of Linux distributions. HP invests in HP-UX 11i v3 to deliver mission-critical UNIX functionality, and in Linux as appropriate for our Linux customers. HP also invests to benefit customers running both HP-UX 11i and Linux, delivering, for example, multi-OS system management efficiency gains.

Big-ticket HP-UX 11i mission-critical advantages over Solaris on SPARC servers are:

  • Integrated virtualization management—versus disjointed tools with Solaris—and unique, powerful virtualization functionality.
    • HP-UX 11i delivers where Solaris does not: higher utilization and throughput with the industry’s only goal-based workload manager; smarter, quicker planning decisions with the capacity planning tool; and more adaptive utility pricing and integration. It all works together seamlessly.
    Advanced virtualization functionality and integrated virtualization management HP-UX 11i v3 Solaris 10
    Advantage Disadvantage
  • Simplified single-pane-of-glass system management, contrasted with multiple separate tools on Solaris. HP-UX 11i v3 delivers more management automation for more aspects of the system.
    • Simplified single-pane-of-glass management; more management automation HP-UX 11i v3 Solaris 10
    Advantage Disadvantage
  • Integrated high availability software that delivers less downtime and simpler deployment—with no need for potentially expensive custom services
    • Integrated high availability, disaster tolerance and virtualization HP-UX 11i v3 Solaris 10
    Advantage Disadvantage
  • Integration: the power of HP-UX 11i mission-critical virtualization integrated-by-design—from engineering to testing to packaging, installation and updates, and functionality—all within an HP-UX 11i v3 OE. It just works.
    • Integrated by design benefits: a UNIX stack that all just works HP-UX 11i v3 Solaris 10
    Advantage Disadvantage
The analysts agree that compared to Solaris 10, HP-UX 11i holds demonstrable, cost-saving technology advantages that offer real relief in lowered TCO, without compromising security, availability, or performance.

HP has the right solution for Solaris users. Consolidate for cost savings

If it’s only the SPARC systems you want to replace, you can re-host your Solaris environment to x86-based HP ProLiant servers or blades and preserve your Solaris skills, software and assets.

Ask your local HP or channel partner rep for the going value on SPARC systems taken in trade for new HP servers!

If you’re considering a move from Solaris to Linux, you can trust HP. Leading the Linux market for over a decade, HP currently ships a Linux system to a valued customer about every minute!

Built-in UNIX functionality—versus third-party add-ons—and consolidated support contracts are two obvious ways to simplify, enabling higher IT efficiency. Both reduce your time spent acquiring and using the software functionality and increase the support contract value.

UNIX security is a clear differentiator between HP-UX 11i and Solaris. Solaris requires third-party products to provide mission-critical security functionality that HP-UX 11i delivers in every shipment. Third parties—necessary at the solution level in an enterprise UNIX deployment—nonetheless increase contract management and problem escalation complexity. Why introduce it at the UNIX operating environment level?

Critical security protection included in HP-UX 11i, but is third-party for Solaris HP-UX 11i v3 with Update 5 Solaris 10 5/08
Advantage Disadvantage
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View the security functionality delivered with HP-UX 11i that requires a third party product on Solaris

What do you think?

The comparisons represented here are accurate to the best of HP’s knowledge, the result of extensive research including tests conducted by HP engineering and review of publicly available information posted by Sun.

In the spirit of accuracy and transparency, we invite you to share your perspectives in the blog established for this purpose.

To the extent possible, we’ll resolve any differences there to the satisfaction of that community. If a correction is merited on these pages, we’ll make it, and if the challenger wishes, credit him or her with the correction.

Move from Solaris to HP-UX 11i―with assistance available from HP

While you’re evaluating a move from Solaris to HP-UX 11i, consider this additional assistance available from HP:

When you’ve made the decision to move from Solaris to HP-UX 11i, support is available to accelerate your return to optimal system management productivity, plus the new controls and automation available with HP-UX 11i v3:

Get trade-in credit toward HP-UX 11i licenses and HP Integrity servers, in return for your SPARC systems. Ask your HP or HP channel partner sales representative about current local offers!

Explore how EDS, an HP Company, can offload some work with services to help you re-host your environment on HP-UX 11i as quickly, efficiently and productively as possible. Let EDS, an HP company!

UNIX is a registered trademark of The Open Group.

Results from Gabriel Consulting Group 2008/09 Unix Vendor Preference Survey. Survey period covered 12/08-03/09 with 266 survey respondents representing small, medium and large enterprise data centers. For more information see www.gabrielconsultinggroup.com Non-HP site

[i] The following are registered trademarks:
Oracle Database® of Oracle Corporation
SAP™ of SAP, Inc
SAP™ of SAP, Inc
Java® of Sun Microsystems, Inc.
IBM™ DB2® of IBM Corporation