HP pointed its 3000 Internet lance at another Web server during IPROF meetings last month, serving up an alternative to the FastTrack Web server canceled after AOL bought Netscape.

The Apache Web server got a formal introduction as an MPE/iX product, with beta testing to kick off in May and a supported shipment set for the third or fourth quarter of 1999. HP said broad market acceptance for Apache, especially from IBM, made it an appropriate choice for production use by 3000 customers.

HP continued to describe Apache/iX as a tool for intranet server use, making no commitments to secure Web service for the software. In the current plan, customers are to use another platform for Web services to the Internet and put the HP 3000 Web server behind a firewall to serve inside companies. HP continued to ask customers to make a business case for secure Web services on the 3000; comments can be e-mailed to the HP 3000 Internet and Interoperability Manager, Ozlem Oztuk, at ozlem_ozturk@hp.com.

At least one supplier of commercial software on HP 3000s is long overdue for a secure Web server on MPE/iX. Computer and Software Enterprises (CASE) makes banking software in use at multiple financial institutions in California. Rick Gilligan, senior software specialist at the small firm, said his customers have been waiting for secure Web service from 3000s since the demise of Open Market software in 1997.

Gilligan said finding a business case for SSL on Apache should be easy for HP. “HP should look to see who was ordering Secure Open Market Web Server when it was on the HP price list,” Gilligan said, “those who had outstanding orders when HP never shipped it.” HP was holding orders for the secure Web server two years ago when Open Market announced it was exiting the Web server business. Within months HP said it planned to offer Netscape’s FastTrack server for MPE/iX as a replacement, including SSL security.

Now HP says it needs to hear a business case for adding security to Apache/iX. Without it, customers will either be limited to using the software in non-commerce applications, or be forced to host Web services on another platform and integrate it with HP 3000 applications. Gilligan said the complexity of multiple platforms won’t satisfy his customers as much as the all-3000 solution they use today.

“The application is simpler this way than it is in the two-tier model,” he said. “Distributing the software, installing the releases, backing up the systems, training people in how to use it, resolving problems with it are easier.” He said a two-platform solution to enable customer access to bank information makes troubleshooting harder, by making customers and support staff determine whether the NT or MPE/iX part of the application is at fault.

Gilligan said that CASE will now need to ensure that secure Web service is available for Apache/iX before the company would develop for it. “Assurances aren’t good enough anymore, because we’ve had assurances twice now,” Gilligan said, “first with Open Market and now with Netscape.”

HP reported that it is considering a broader technical solution for Internet security on HP 3000s than simply adopting SSL support for Apache/iX.

Customers and programmers at the SIGWeb special interest meeting heard about HP’s plans for initial Apache/iX services. The server going into beta test in May supports user/password authentication; restricts access based on hostname, IP address, user and group; and can restrict access to specific directories. Apache/iX will also support CGI use, server-side includes, cookies, image maps, URL aliases and redirection, directory indexing, and will fix typos in URLs on first release.

HP expects to make the supported software available to customers in the Express 2 release of MPE/iX 6.0.