HP-UX
In the early 1980s, Hewlett-Packard decided to venture into the UNIX world. The market was buzzing with activity, with manufacturers vying to offer their own variant of the system. In 1984, HP released the first version of HP-UX, a reworked UNIX System V that ran exclusively on HP 9000 servers in the 200, 300, and 400 series. These machines featured the Motorola 68000 processor, already proven in other contexts.
HP did more than simply adapt UNIX. The engineers immediately introduced access control lists, a more refined approach than the traditional UNIX permissions system. A logical volume manager was also part of the basic equipment, simplifying life for administrators facing storage challenges. These additions were no gimmicks: they addressed the concrete needs of professional users.
The evolution followed the pace of HP hardware. Version 5.0 from 1985 extended to the Integral PC, then to the 200/300 and 500 series. HP began unifying its approach, seeking consistency across its different product lines. This strategy paid off when the PA-RISC architecture arrived toward the end of the decade.
PA-RISC, these RISC processors developed internally by HP, would guide the system's technical evolution for years to come. In 1988, HP juggled two development lines: versions 3.x for the 600/800 series and 6.x for the 300 series. This situation reflected the delicate transition between the old architectures and the new PA-RISC generation.
Unification became concrete in 1990 with HP-UX 7.x, which covered the 300/400 and 600/700/800 series. Users gained in simplicity, administrators in consistency. A year later, version 8.x brought shared libraries, significantly improving performance and memory usage. Version 9.x from 1992 enriched the arsenal with the System Administration Manager and Logical Volume Manager, two tools that modernized system administration.
HP-UX 10.0 came out in 1995. This version unified the 700 and 800 series while adopting the SVR4 directory structure, aligning with the UNIX standards of the time. The following year, HP-UX 10.20 crossed into 64-bit territory with PA-RISC 2.0 processors. A technical feat that opened new horizons.
HP-UX 11.00 achieved a remarkable accomplishment in 1997: supporting 64-bit addressing without abandoning 32-bit applications. This backward compatibility spared companies the abrupt disruption of a migration. Three years later, HP-UX 11i v1 (11.11) introduced operating environments, customizing the system according to the specific needs of each type of usage.
The architecture underwent a new upheaval in 2001 with HP-UX 11i v1.5 (11.20), which integrated Intel Itanium support. This strategic decision accompanied the gradual transition from PA-RISC to Intel processors. HP-UX 11i v2 (11.23) from 2003 strengthened virtualization, while version 11i v3 (11.31) from 2007 added native multipathing and further refined virtual capabilities.
Over successive versions, HP-UX earned a solid reputation in IT services, software publishing, and finance. The VxFS file system and LVM manager became essential references. System administrators appreciated their flexibility and efficiency in managing storage, especially in complex environments.
As a consistent strength, HP progressively integrated security and intrusion detection directly into the kernel, developed secure partitioning, and implemented role-based access control. These elements elevated HP-UX among the most secure UNIX systems on the market, a decisive advantage for sensitive applications.
Virtualization occupied an increasingly important place in the system's evolution. nPartitions arrived first, followed by vPars (Virtual Partitions), and finally Integrity Virtual Machines. These technologies allowed companies to optimize their hardware resources and consolidate their servers. The transition from PA-RISC to Itanium required considerable technical effort, but HP skillfully preserved application compatibility.
Clustering with HP Serviceguard and continuous improvements to administration tools kept HP-UX competitive against the changing demands of organizations. But Linux gained ground and cloud computing changed the rules of the game. HP-UX's market position found itself progressively called into question.
In 2017, HP announced its roadmap through 2025, reassuring its loyal user base. This announcement addressed concerns from companies relying on HP-UX for their critical operations. However, the aging of compatible hardware posed a problem: HP 9000 and Integrity servers were difficult to maintain, spare parts were becoming scarce.
In response, new approaches emerged. Hardware emulation, notably with Charon-PAR from Stromasys, offered an interesting alternative. Companies could continue running their HP-UX applications on modern x86 hardware or in the cloud, thereby escaping the constraints of aging proprietary hardware.
The history of HP-UX demonstrates constant adaptation to enterprise needs. Its innovations in logical volume management, security, and virtualization inspired the evolution of professional operating systems. Its reputation for reliability and robustness made it the tool of choice for numerous critical applications, from finance to healthcare and industry.