System Requirements
Please note:
Some releases include detail about the memory, disk space, and processor speed needed for reasonable performance. These configurations are a guideline. Performance may be impacted by the complexity of design and number of concurrent processes.
May 20, 2013
The following table provides an overview of the various combinations of hardware architectures and operating systems that Calibre currently supports and intends to support in the upcoming year. The Calibre product organization regularly reviews platform and operating systems in order to develop platform support plans. The support roadmap is a forecast and may be adjusted to better mesh with customer needs and with the availability of specific hardware and operating systems. Please refer to the Calibre System Configurations section below for details on support of minor versions of Linux.
Calibre System Configurations
The Calibre tools may require a minimum OS patch level for each supported OS. Please see the Calibre Administrator’s Guide provided with the particular Calibre release you are interested in. The Calibre Administrator’s Guide provides release-specific information on required patch levels and other information on supported environments.
LINUX
The Calibre toolset is supported for use with the Linux operating system on two different hardware platforms. In general, any "Tier 1" hardware supported by either Red Hat or Novell (SUSE) is supported for use with the Calibre toolset. The correct software must be loaded on a particular hardware platform to use Calibre, and the supported OS versions, service packs or updates are listed below.
Since there are practical limitations for fully qualifying Calibre on each & every Linux distribution customers may use, Calibre selects a subset on which to focus testing. The subset of OS versions is typically chosen based on 2 factors: whether the version/update provides support for additional hardware, or has bug fixes for significant problems that affect the execution or development of Calibre. Early updates like RHEL x.1, x.2, and x.3 get more attention since earlier updates tend to have the significant bug fixes in them. By the time we get to the x.5 or later updates, there isn’t enough change to justify the expense of full qualification. For example, our qualification of RHEL 5.5 followed by RHEL 5.8 means we reviewed RHEL 5.6 and 5.7 and feel they are covered by our 5.8 work. Although we may not go through the full qualification process on those intermediate versions, we will support those versions under the terms of the "Linux Distribution Compatibility Statement":
Linux Distribution Compatibility Statement
If customers encounter problems using Mentor Graphics tools on an unsupported Linux distribution, and the problem can be duplicated on a supported production Linux distribution, it will be addressed through normal Mentor Graphics support policies. If a problem only exists on the unsupported Linux distribution, the fix lies in a changes to the Linux environment, not the Mentor Graphics product. In this case, customers should contact their Linux supplier.
Calibre Customer Support can assist a customer by attempting to reproduce an issue on one of the supported production Linux versions.
Supported Linux hardware platforms are:
- x86-64 (32/64-bit) -- Calibre downloads that support x86-64 processors begin with the character string "ixl". Prior to the Calibre 2011.1 release, Calibre software used "ixl" for a single software tree that supported both x86 and x86-64 compatible processors with a merged 32-bit and 64-bit MGC_HOME tree. As of the Calibre 2011.1 release, this single MGC_HOME tree is split into separate 32-bit and 64-bit Linux trees.The "ixl" tree now contains binaries that are 64-bit only. There are two x86-64 processor products supplied by different vendors, AMD and Intel. The Calibre toolset is qualified and supported on computers based on either of these processors.
Running older Calibre versions on newer x86-64 hardware/Linux
In addition, customers may not wish to spend the time nor incur the risk of re-qualifying an existing production environment on a new OS version or a new Calibre version. Therefore, a legacy support strategy based on virtual machines (VMs) is recommended for customers who are required to run old versions of Calibre on new servers. While it is nearly always better to move forward with newer hardware and associated newer software, when that is not an option, a VM can be a suitable solution.
In-house Calibre VM testing was done using the VMware ESX server; therefore our results are based on that product. For example, Calibre 2007.x performance on a RHEL4 VM using today’s hardware was found to be substantially faster than the older hardware on which the software was originally qualified.
The Calibre product division will make a reasonable effort to support Linux VM usage (e.g. VMware) on x86-64 hardware. This means that we will perform due diligence to assist our customers when problems arise. If no solution or workaround is found and the problem does not occur when using physical hardware, the Calibre product division will advise the customer to follow up with their virtualization software vendor.
In summary, using a VM of the older OS version on new, fast hardware provides the benefit of improved performance while still retaining the exact supported environment needed by the older software. Therefore, there is no risk of OS-introduced issues and no time needed for requalification. For more information, please contact Calibre Customer Support
Red Hat Enterprise Linux
Calibre support for Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) is determined by the operating system version, for example RHEL 5.5 or RHEL 6.2. The "edition" or "variant" does not matter as that is how Red Hat packages, prices and supports RHEL, and does not affect Calibre support. Formerly, Red Hat referenced editions of RHEL, including "AS", "ES", or "WS." Currently, they refer to variants, including "Server", Advanced Platform", Desktop", or "Desktop with Workstation." All editions and variants are supported as long as a supported operating system version is loaded.
Note, however, that RHEL for IBM POWER systems is not supported. Also, Red Hat Fedora Linux is maintained, distributed, and supported differently than RHEL, and is not supported for use with the Calibre product line. Any use of the Red Hat Fedora operating system is governed by the "Linux Distribution Compatibility Statement" provided above.
Linux x86 Platform (32-bit only)
The following table indicates which Linux OS versions are supported on x86 platforms in a specific Calibre release.
(1) RHEL 6.2 or newer should replace the RHEL 6.1 release. RHEL 6.2 and 6.3 have improved reliability and stability, as well as provide full support of the Sandy Bridge processor. We strongly recommend that any customer currently using RHEL 6.1 upgrade to RHEL 6.2 or newer. Calibre will still run on RHEL 6.1, but any issues found will need to be reproduced on one of the supported OS versions in order to be addressed. Please refer to the Mentor Graphics "Linux Distribution Compatibility Statement" provided above.
If a customer is experiencing any NFS or automounter issues while running older RHEL 5 versions, we strongly recommend upgrading to RHEL 5.5 or newer which all contain an important kernel fix.
Customers may occasionally see NFS or automounter issues while running RHEL 6.1, 6.2, or 6.3. In general, RHEL 6.3 provides substantial improvement over earlier RHEL 6 versions. However, RHEL 6.3 has a known defect in the autofs package which shows up as a "segfault" in the messages log file. The workaround for this issue is to downgrade the autofs package to the version available in the RHEL 6.2 distribution (autofs-5.0.5-39.el6.x86_64.rpm). Red Hat states they plan to fix this in the RHEL 6.4 release. In the interim, we recommend that customers move to RHEL 6.3 and apply the autofs-5.0.5-39.el6.x86_64.rpm from RHEL 6.2.
Notice Regarding Discontinuation of Support for RHEL 4 and SLES 10
Support for the Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) version 4 series and the SUSE Linux Enterprise Software (SLES) version 10 series was discontinued as of Calibre 2012.3. The final release that officially supports RHEL 4 and SLES 10 is Calibre 2012.2. All updates and service packs associated with RHEL 4 and SLES 10 are included in the discontinuation and are no longer supported in Calibre 2012.3 and subsequent releases. Calibre 2012.3 and later releases are not supported and are no longer operable by default on Red Hat versions older than RHEL 5 or SLES versions older than SLES 11.
Linux x86-64 Platform (32/64-bit)
The following table indicates which OS versions are supported on x86-64 platforms in a specific Calibre release.
(1) RHEL 6.2 or newer should replace the RHEL 6.1 release. RHEL 6.2 and 6.3 have improved reliability and stability, as well as provide full support of the Sandy Bridge processor. We strongly recommend that any customer currently using RHEL 6.1 upgrade to RHEL 6.2 or newer. Calibre will still run on RHEL 6.1, but any issues found will need to be reproduced on one of the supported OS versions in order to be addressed. Please refer to the Mentor Graphics "Linux Distribution Compatibility Statement" provided above.
(2) SLES 11sp1 or SLES 11sp2 should replace the initial SLES 11 release. Service Pack 1 (sp1) contains important defect fixes for SLES 11 in addition to improved reliability and stability. Service Pack 2 (sp2) provides full support of the Sandy Bridge processor. We strongly recommend that any customer currently using SLES 11 upgrade to SLES 11sp1 or 11sp2. Calibre will still run on SLES 11, but any issues found will need to be reproduced on one of the supported OS versions in order to be addressed. Please refer to the Mentor Graphics "Linux Distribution Compatibility Statement" provided above.
If a customer is experiencing any NFS or automounter issues while running older RHEL 5 versions, we strongly recommend upgrading to RHEL 5.5 or newer which all contain an important kernel fix.
Customers may occasionally see NFS or automounter issues while running RHEL 6.1, 6.2, or 6.3. In general, RHEL 6.3 provides substantial improvement over earlier RHEL 6 versions. However, RHEL 6.3 has a known defect in the autofs package which shows up as a "segfault" in the messages log file. The workaround for this issue is to downgrade the autofs package to the version available in the RHEL 6.2 distribution (autofs-5.0.5-39.el6.x86_64.rpm). Red Hat states they plan to fix this in the RHEL 6.4 release. In the interim, we recommend that customers move to RHEL 6.3 and apply the autofs-5.0.5-39.el6.x86_64.rpm from RHEL 6.2.
Support for the Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) version 4 series and the SUSE Linux Enterprise Software (SLES) version 10 series was discontinued as of Calibre 2012.3. The final release that officially supports RHEL 4 and SLES 10 is Calibre 2012.2. All updates and service packs associated with RHEL 4 and SLES 10 are included in the discontinuation and are no longer supported in Calibre 2012.3 and subsequent releases. Calibre 2012.3 and later releases are not supported and are no longer operable by default on Red Hat versions older than RHEL 5 or SLES versions older than SLES 11.
RHEL 6 retro-qualification of older Calibre releases
In order to support customer requirements for upgrading to new hardware and associated operating systems, Calibre has qualified or partially qualified a number of older Calibre releases on Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) 6. RHEL 6 support was initially introduced with the Calibre 2011.2 release. Older release branches were subsequently patched and qualified. Please note that if you want to use Calibre release branches 2008.1 through 2011.1 on RHEL 6 systems, a newer Calibre version (a patch release) may be required that enables execution on RHEL 6 systems. Please contact Mentor Graphics Customer Support for more details or to request the latest patch that provides RHEL 6 support for your desired release branches.Also note that all releases prior to Calibre 2009.3 will consume a license for Nehalem hyperthreaded virtual cores. The capability to handle Nehalem hyperthreaded virtual cores without consuming a license is available with Calibre 2009.3 and newer releases.
Calibre summary for Linux OS Support on the x86-64 Platform (32/64-bit)
The following table indicates which Linux OS versions are supported on x86-64 platforms for a specific Calibre release.
Solaris
The following table indicates which Sun Solaris OS versions are supported on SPARC and x86-64 platforms in a specific Calibre release.
Solaris 10 requires the November 2006 Solaris recommended patch cluster, as well as the 118833-36 kernel patch, the 119059-21 Xsun patch, and the 124922-02 ld.so.1 patch.
Later versions of either of the patch clusters or individual patches are also supported. Depending on precisely which patch cluster is loaded, you may or may not need to load the individual patches (i.e. they may be bundled with the patch cluster.)
Support for the Solaris SPARC platform has been discontinued. The last Calibre release that supports Solaris SPARC is Calibre 2012.4.