Comparison of the six major UNIX

Author: C. Arthur Source: CCF

Unix is one of the only myths in the IT world. It has been used since its birth in 1969. Its past history is like the history of a nation.

We should be glad that all Unix users have finally survived the pain points of its growth. Those who have been ignored will start to install the latest Unix. Unix is not a quick start. It takes several months to optimize the Unix execution efficiency and stability. The unpredictable connection between it and hardware, and the numerous versions and fixes will be daunting. Unix is used for a long time because of its powerful self-adjustment capability, which can carry any load. It can run until a part of the machine is burned down.

Many people think that free Linux is a kind of harm to commercial Unix operating systems that have been famous for their high prices for many years. For SCO and SGI, this is indeed good, but for IBM, Sun, and HP, Linux has brought a renaissance and boom to Unix. Using Linux as a teaching tool, the University began to have a large number of college students and graduate students with Unix management and development capabilities. Although the knowledge of Linux cannot be directly applied to enterprise Unix systems, the experience of using Linux has laid a solid foundation for enterprise-level application training. At the same time, it also makes people understand why Linux cannot replace Unix. The development and improvement of commercial Unix, especially the correction of errors, are ensured by the entire company and the entire production line.

Let's take a look at the six Unix variants of SGI Irix, ibm aix, Compaq Tru64 Unix, Hewlett-Packard HP-UX, SCO UnixWare, and Sun Solaris, have a new understanding of them. We tested the performance of these 6 variants with 10 applications. These 10 applications are Oracle 8i Database, IBM WebSphere Application Server, Adobe FrameMaker 6, iPlanet Enterprise Web Server, Microsoft Internet Explorer, Sybase ASE, Lotus Domino, ChiliSoft ASP, Vitria BusinessWare and SAP. The scores of each application can reflect the Unix work condition, and finally a total score is given to reflect the performance of each system in enterprise applications. This score will reflect the prospects of the corresponding Unix variants, the pace of new technology development, the carrying capacity of the software, the level of help documentation and support, and its position in the market.

SGI Irix
Current situation: normal

Current version: Irix 6.5

Hardware Platform: sgi mips server and workstation

Standard: Unix 95

Advantage: Irix can be expanded to 512 CPUs and 1 TB of RAM, which can achieve amazing server I/O processing capabilities, and Irix has a high-end and digital media market on SGI.

Disadvantages: Slow mips cpu and failure in the PC field; its compatibility and tool problems impede its commercial development.

Outlook: SGI tries to remove it from the MIPS processor, and its Irix OS will also be transplanted to Intel PC, Windows, and Linux. They gave up SGI's existing Irix users. SGI has limited capabilities in creating high-speed server I/O subsystems. This service is a traditional SGI market (high-end visual digital media for film and television animation, medicine and science), but it is still too small to maintain SGI in this field.

We can see that Irix is just struggling to survive. Its user base is likely to support Servers Based on Linux or other operating systems.

IBM AIX
Current situation: Good

Current version: AIX 5L

Hardware Platform: ibm rs/6000 and other systems using IBM Power and PowerPC series Processors, Intel AI-64 edition.

Standard: Unix 98

Advantages: Powerful and robust IBM 64-bit Power/PowerPC CPU; one operating system for the entire RS6000 production line; Linux code porting is a standard option; IBM's Visual Age Java and C/C ++ tools are very helpful for development.

Disadvantage: Consider RS/6000 and AIX when planning to use IA-64 and Linux systems.

Outlook: AIX 5L, codenamed "Montery Project", draws on other Unix systems and creates a general and highly compatible operating environment. IBM wants to make it a unified operating system with Linux and promises to develop AIX Based on Intel's 64-bit CPU architecture.

This raises doubts about IBM's commitment to AIX and RS/6000. However, there is no need to worry about AIX users. It takes a long time for Linux or Intel to meet IBM's current enterprise-level Unix standards.

IBM has many partners, but IBM generally does not try to make them happy by changing its policies. Therefore, we believe that AIX will continue to exist.

Compaq Tru64 Unix
Current situation: Good

Current version: Tru64 Unix 5.1

Hardware Platform: Compaq Alpha workstation and Server

Standard: Unix 95

Advantage: Tru64 uses the powerful and sophisticated Carnegie-Mellon Mach kernel. For small and medium servers, 64-bit Alpha CPU utilization is the highest; it follows the legacy of Digital Equipment: it can create powerful server systems that users can afford.

Disadvantage: in Intel's server market, Compaq lacks experience and credibility. Among Alpha users, Linux is very popular. Compatibility vulnerabilities in System V sometimes make applications difficult.

Outlook: Alpha follows the first-class SPEC (Standard Performance Evaluation Corporation) Standard and is the fastest CPU for a specific clock frequency. Compaq changed its name from Digital Unix to Tru64 Unix to emphasize that the Alpha chip is a real 64-bit family. For Compaq, what we need to do now is to occupy a larger server market share.

Compaq's reputation on PCs seems harmful to it. Compared with proprietary Tru64, Linux and mature OpenVMS may win more favor from enterprises. Intel would undoubtedly recommend that Compaq be switched to IA-64 instead of Alpha. Tru64 Unix has excellent performance in Alpha, but its prospects will not be determined until the launch of the IA-64 Compaq will be what action.

Hewlett-Packard HP-UX
Current situation: Good

Current version: HP-UX 11i

Hardware Platform: HP 9000 server

Standard: Unix 95

Advantage: HP's reputation for reliability and service is well known; HP-UX is coming along with a rich and practical operating system package, it includes Web server, C/C ++, Windows Network, WAP (Wireless Application Protocol) service, Linux APIs, iPlanet Directory server, and Veritas File System.

Disadvantage: The HP PA-RISC architecture needs to be improved in terms of performance compared to competitors.

Outlook: HP is rarely the first or fastest, But it binds a lot of valuable things to its Unix products. On the whole, HP-UX is very close to Linux. Time will prove that enterprise tools and services should be included together. HP has a real log file system, which makes HP-UX 11i good.

It can be believed that once HP catches up with its competitors in terms of performance and makes its HP-UX compatible with Unix 98, it will be able to surpass Sun and IBM.

SCO UnixWare
Current situation: normal

Current version: UnixWare 7.1

Hardware Platform: Intel PC workstation and Server

Standard: Unix 95

Advantage: SCO is the source code owner of Unix System V; UnixWare is the most powerful and perfect PC Unix; it has excellent and reasonable development tools.

Disadvantage: Development has stagnated recently; sales have also been severely impacted by Linux and the $75 Solaris 8; not supported by many powerful applications.

Outlook: because of the source code of Unix System V, UnixWare 7.1 is the most authentic Unix we can see in Unix, and there are some good tools and services in the SCO environment. However, this has not improved SCO. PC Unix has always been a very small market. Now, Linux is being recognized by the public, and Sun has dropped its Solaris 8 to $75. Obviously, SCO will be squeezed out of the original market.

Unless a powerful Web-based application server can be developed, the pioneer in PC Unix may die out.

Sun Microsystems Solaris
Current situation: Good

Current version: Solaris 8

Hardware Platform: Sun-based iSCSI, Intel PC workstation, and Server

Standard: Unix 98

Advantage: Its brilliant market performance makes Solaris a de facto Unix. Both the Linux and Intel versions share the same operating system. For commercial Unix-based application systems, solaris provides the widest range of support.

Disadvantage: the scalability of the iSCSI processor is not as good as that of its competitors; the Sun System with good scalability is famous for its high cost; Solaris itself lacks standard software, and its optional software packages are very expensive.

Outlook: Sun is in the No. 1 position with strong market and timely development, which Sun has been carefully protecting. Quite simply, Solaris is leading the way because Sun ensures that all application systems can run on it.

Sun's customers benefit from its well-trained employees. It has excellent business consultants. Sun also fixes Solaris errors very quickly. Sun is the owner of Java.