RE: LIC

Actually the way that OS/400 does this is to keep a translatable "source" of the
program with the executable, with enough smarts to know when to throw away the
old executable and build a new one.  This could be done on virtually any
platform, as long as that platform always included a program that could read and
translate this "source".  Granted, this would be more difficult on a platform
that didn't have a stable equivalent of the TIMI, but it's certainly not
impossible.  IBM could probably put it into AIX now, for the compilers that
generate W-code, at least.  It would be interesting to hear why they don't.
"Not Invented Here" syndrome, perhaps?

Dave Shaw


-----Original Message-----
From: Larry Bolhuis [mailto:lbolhui@ibm.net]

> >saying "Now converting from 48 bit to 64 bit"
> >Have you ever seen that ability on ANY other platform?
> >
> NOW John,
> Microsoft migrates & converts from one level to another.

  They DO??  Sure you can RUN Some 16 bit stuff on Windoze9x but convert it???
Not a chance.  The code in a WIntel App talks directly to the hardware in most
cases (CPU anyway) so there is no way for them to convert it!  The apps are all
designed for the hardware of the day.  16 bit apps were written for 16 bit
processors. Move them to 32Bit hardware and they just run in 'emulation' mode
with virtually no benefit (besides incresed MHZ) of the new hardware.  It
requires complete redesign of most apps to utilize the bigger registers.

  Contrast to AS/OS/400 where the software doesn't touch the hardware, it speaks
only to LIC.  COMPLETELY Change out the hardware (such as CISC to RISC) and the
software doesn't even get to know!  The program is transmogrified to use the new
hardware by the LIC. (hence the message above).  The software has always thought
that it was using huge registers and memory sizes (128 bit I think), the LIC has
been lying to it and running it on 48bit hardware!

 - Larry
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