OpenMPE approaches Invent3k services
November 21, 2008
As Hewlett-Packard prunes back its HP 3000 operations, opportunities are blooming. OpenMPE will be re-planting the Invent3k public access server, a resource that HP will turn off by month's end. The project will represent the first benefit the advocacy group offers which all 3000 owners can enjoy.
Donna Hoffmeister, an OpenMPE director and part of the technical support team at Allegro Consultants, explained that the organization will do more than HP was doing with Invent3k, a 3000 where programmers and developers have been creating software for any use, public or private, since the summer of 2001.
OpenMPE has additional plans for the Invent3k that include hosting Telamon’s freeware collection as well as the [free] Contributed Software Library software [formerly hosted at Interex]. We will be working with HP to retain both the gnu and perl development environments that exist on the current Invent3k system. The third-party software vendors are invited to have accounts on the new Invent3k server just as before.
Third parties hosted copies of their software, to support development projects, on the public server while it lived its life as a Series 989 3000 at HP. Mark Bixby, who was managing the server while he worked at HP, said interest was strong when the resource went online in 2001. "A lot of the long-time porters have signed up," he said then, "because it’s a lot bigger machine than we’ve had access to in the past. It helps experienced porters do their work faster. There’s also been quite a lot of sign-ups of people who just lurk on 3000-L. It’s nice to know that lurking community is eager to get involved."
OpenMPE is answering questions via e-mail about the new life for this community Web resource.
The server will be moving to Matt Purdue's Hill Country Technologies labs, where "the new invent3k system is a 2-way N4000 and will have over half a terabyte of storage attached," Hoffmeister said. Perdue, alson an OpenMPE director, "owns the system but has generously told OpenMPE that we may use it." Perdue demonstrated his eye for value on the 3000 hardware line last summer, when he purchased one of the largest systems in the 9x7 line for under $300.
3000 community members who have accounts on Invent3k today should contact OpenMPE to make sure their work moves to the new home of the server. OpenMPE's goal is to replicate HP's Invent3k as much as possible," Hoffmeister said. "People with existing Invent3k accounts have been notified to contact OpenMPE if they're interested in migrating to the new system."
HP has also gotten on board to help Invent3k start up in Perdue's lab. "HP has been very cooperative in this effort, Hoffmeister said. "They've given us commitments of time and human resources to help migrate from one system to the other. OpenMPE is grateful to HP for their help in this project."