From: mdc8567@nyssa.boeing.com (Mike Clay 952-0504 - Gone to feed Vaal...back soon)
Newsgroups: comp.os.vms
Subject: RE: DEC product phase outs and license conversion
Date: 25 Jul 92 00:25:19 GMT
Distribution: world
Organization: The Internet

................................... SUMMARY ...................................

Awhile ago, I posted a semi-flame about DEC having gotten into the business of
phasing out one product, only to bring along a replacement product, and then
charging the customer for migrating to the replacement product.  Remember that
one?

Well...a few other people some things to say, and I did promise a summary, so
here it is:

   VAX Performance Advisor -> DECperformance Solution (DECps)
      
      One replier stated that according to the trade rags, you "should" be 
      able to get the same features you currently have with VPA with DECps 
      for no fee.
      
      Another replier stated that the upgrade will be at no charge, but that
      to keep the maintenance charges the same as VPA, they expected to "drop
      back to Data Collector on most nodes."
      
      Some other pertinent information:
      
      The DECps Data Collector (PSDC), Performance Analyzer (PSPA) and
      Capacity Planner (PSCP) are seperately installable and seperately
      licensed products.
      
      DECps V1.0 (PSDC, PSPA and PSCP) will run with your existing VPA licenses.


   Phase I -> Phase II Shadowing
      
      One replier states "there isn't a fee for this [conversion] at all."
      
      Another replier states "We have been contemplating adoption of Volume 
      Shadowing for some years time.  Now the -AB licence has been dropped and 
      the price has skyrocketed I doubt we'll ever do it."
      
      Some other pertinent information:
      
      With Phase I shadowing, shadow *sets* are served, and you only need to
      license the serving nodes.
      
      With Phase II shadowing, shadow *members* are served, so every node that
      mounts shadow sets needs to be licensed.  "No license, no mount."
      
      
   Data Centre Monitor -> ?
      
      One replier is waiting to see what happens to DCM too.
      Other than that, I didn't get anything on DCM.
   

Some other products mentioned by others that I forgot about:

   DECwindows -> DECwindows Motif
      
      One replier states that "Motif had a period in which you could get a 
      free license for existing DECwindows machines."
      
      I can personally vouch for this.  Luckily we got our license request
      in before the deadline.  If you didn't get yours in already, it is
      too late... :-(
      
   
   SPM -> DECps
      
      DECps V1.0 does not have much, if any, SPM functionality in it yet.
      I hear that future revs will include SPM-like functionality.  Not 
      being an SPM guru, all I can say is that DECps looks a lot like VPA with 
      an improved DECwindows interface and a slightly different command line
      interface.
      
      DECps V1.0 will also run with your existing SPM license.
   
   
   RBMS -> DECelms
      
      Since we don't use either of these, I cannot comment.
   
   
   Infoserver V1.x -> Infoserver V2.x
      
      Again, no comment.


Some general comments:

   One replier was of the opinion "that DEC ought to give away VPA/DECps for 
   free - it would sell CPUs, memory and other things and more than make up 
   for the cost of development in hardware sales alone.  And management 
   products like TSM (and ALL server download files should be packaged in one 
   kit that includes TSM).  Also something like LTM which disables the bridge 
   functions of a bridge ought to come 'free' with a DEC bridge."
   
   Another replier stated that "We've had no trouble at all over such things.
   Tell your rep. to read his _Sales Update_s a little more thoroughly.  
   Or hop onto the Electronic Connection and read all about it for yourself 
   in Customer Update."


Thanks to (in order of receipt):

   Louis B. Moore, 
   Dan Wing, 
   One replier who didn't want his name or his company's name mentioned, 
   Mark H. Wood
   Robert McIntosh


If anybody else would like to spout off for awhile about DEC rearranging their
product line, I'd be glad to listen and pass along your experiences, comments,
etc.  Just send e-mail to the address below, and I'll update the summary in a
week or so.
   
   Michael Clay
   Boeing Computer Services
   Internet: claym@bcsaic.boeing.com
   Mom Bell: (206) 952-0504