upgrade on AIX to E-server or P-server

[John Esak]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: filepro-list-bounces at lists.celestial.com
> [mailto:filepro-list-bounces at lists.celestial.com]On Behalf Of Kenneth
> Brody
> Sent: Friday, November 18, 2005 2:17 PM
> To: Dennis Malen
> Cc: FilePro Mailing List
> Subject: Re: upgrade on AIX to E-server or P-server
>
>
> Quoting Dennis Malen (Fri, 18 Nov 2005 13:36:41 -0500):
> [...]
> > My greatest concern is the issue of endians that Ken and John raised a
> > number of months ago. Although both systems will be AIX, one uses a
> > power chip and the other is an intel chip (I believe).
> [...]
>
> If the new system is little-endian (as opposed to the RS/6000's big-
> endian architecture), then swapcpu can be used to convert the files.
>
> --
> KenBrody at BestWeb dot net        spamtrap: <g8ymh8uf001 at sneakemail.com>


I remember writing an article about *-endian systems for The Guru. It was
little more than an explanation of the two modes and which machine type was
likely to be which  (in those days).  What I never found out and still don't
know to this day... Is there some benefit to being one way over the other?

Also, if it doesn't matter one bit (heheh, couldn't help myself)  then how
in the world could these two opposite modes have come to be. Did the second
one that appeared just happen because the original designer(s) just had no
clue that the other existed... or did he(they) purposely do it to be
*different* from the first mode people?  :-)  Either way it came about that
there are the two modes... it is aa completely amazing thing, and pretty
funny.  (and sad)


John