Problem:
What are the benefits of moving a 32 bit application to 64 bits?
Is it possible to run a 32 bit application on an Operating System with a 64 bit architecture?
Do I need an additional license if I run my application in 64 bit mode?
Resolution:
What are the benefits of moving a 32 bit application to 64 bits?
It depends on the application. If the application takes advantage of the 64 bit address space because it handles big amounts of information, then it will run better and faster. Otherwise, "normal" applications that don't take advantage of the bigger address space would run even slower.
The other reason why users need to migrate to 64 bits is that a part of their application, i.e. the data base manager, needs to be 64 bits. Then the whole application needs to be 64 bits as you can not mix 32 bits and 64 bits parts within the same application.
Is it possible to run a 32 bit application on an Operating System with a 64 bit architecture?
Yes, it is possible, most of our products are dual, which means that you can run and create 32 bit or 64 bit applications. You can not do both things at the same time, but you can set your COBMODE to 32 bits or to 64 bits as you need and do one thing or the other.
Do I need an additional license if I run my application in 64 bit mode? Yes you do, in most platforms you can purchase a 32 bit only license, a 64 bit only license or a dual 32/64 bit license (dual licenses are not possible on AIX platforms).
