Axil shatters entry-level price point for SPARC mid-range servers; new server up to 42 percent below competitive offerings.SANTA CLARA Santa Clara, city, Cuba Santa Clara (sän`tä klä`rä), city (1994 est. pop. 217,000), capital of Villa Clara prov., central Cuba. , Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 18, 1995--Axil Computer today announced the AxilServer S/420, a new highly scalable, 100 percent SPARC (Scalable Performance ARChitecture) A family of RISC CPUs from Sun that runs mostly under Sun's Solaris, but also under Linux and BSD operating systems. After development began in the mid-1980s by David Patterson of the University of California at Berkeley and Bill compatible mid-range departmental server that offers achievements in system throughput over other servers of its class, with an entry level price as much as 42 percent below competitive offerings at $31,045. The AxilServer S/420's modular design In the context of systems engineering, modular design — or "modularity in design" — is an approach aiming to subdivide a system into smaller parts (modules) that can be independently created and then used in different systems to drive multiple functionalities. provides a cost-effective upgrade path to higher performance - up to four-way symmetrical multiprocessing capability that is enhanced with innovative full dual I/O (Input/Output) The transfer of data between the CPU and a peripheral device. Every transfer is an output from one device and an input to another. See PC input/output. I/O - Input/Output parallelization for maximum throughput. At the same time, Axil ax·il n. The upper angle between a lateral organ, such as a leafstalk, and the stem that bears it. [Latin axilla, armpit. introduced a new RAID subsystem that supports the S/420 as well as the complete Axil server product line and Axil PrestoServe, an NFS (Network File System) The file sharing protocol in a Unix network. This de facto Unix standard, which is widely known as a "distributed file system," was developed by Sun. See file sharing protocol and WebNFS. NFS - Network File System accelerator product. "The AxilServer S/420 is the outcome of the major R & D effort that Axil has undertaken over the years, resulting in a design that breaks all entry-level barriers for this class of RISC-based servers and still allows for smooth cost-effective scalability and investment protection," said Arun Taneja, Axil's vice president of marketing. The AxilServer S/420 is designed for both commercial and technical environments running compute, database, NFS or heterogeneous LAN server (1) A network operating system from IBM that runs as a server application under OS/2 and supports DOS, Windows and OS/2 clients. Originally based on LAN Manager when OS/2 was jointly developed by IBM and Microsoft, starting with LAN Server 3. applications. Its balanced system design combines compute power with high system throughput to deliver high application performance while supporting large numbers of users. "We have tested the S/420 as a platform for Oracle7 and are very pleased with its performance," said Joe Vassallo, Vice President of Oracle's Sun Business Unit. "Its large memory capacity and four-way multiprocessing capability make it an ideal database server platform." The AxilServer S/420 supports from one to four processors using either hyperSPARC or SuperSPARC modules. The system comes as a neatly packaged deskside server whose modular, expandable architecture allows users to add processing power and disk storage capacity as they need it without sacrificing existing investments in other system components. The AxilServer S/420 also will support future generations of SPARC processors. In addition to the compute box, the AxilServer S/420 base system includes a media subsystem with CD-ROM drive A device that holds and reads CD-ROM discs. CD-ROM drives generally also play audio CD discs by sending analog sound to the sound card via a 4-pin cable. For specifications of 10x, 20x, etc. drives, see CD-ROM drives. See CD-ROM, CD-ROM changer, CD-ROM server and CD-ROM audio cable. , 4mm tape backup Using magnetic tape for storing duplicate copies of hard disk files. Users can add an internal or external tape drive to their desktop computers for backup purposes, and files are typically copied to the tapes using a backup utility that updates on a periodic schedule. and SBus expansion. Server Leverages Axil ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) Pronounced "a-sick." A chip that is custom designed for a specific application rather than a general-purpose chip such as a microprocessor. Design for Maximum Performance The AxilServer S/420 takes advantage of the high-speed MBus and enhances that performance through an ASIC design that supports two SBus channels to boost I/O performance. The increased throughput is particularly important for applications where the need for quick access to data is crucial, such as financial transactions. The use of the Axil ASIC design allows for more functionality on the motherboard without increasing overall system cost. Axil's ASIC design also provides greater memory capacity with up to one Gigabyte of memory on a single motherboard, allowing large applications to fit entirely in memory. The system also supports the new Axil PrestoServe NFS Accelerator. This new capability, available on both the Axil320 and S/420, provides a twofold increase in NFS performance. "Axil is on target with this new system," said John Pham, CEO (1) (Chief Executive Officer) The highest individual in command of an organization. Typically the president of the company, the CEO reports to the Chairman of the Board. & Chairman of Acropolis acropolis (əkrŏp`əlĭs) [Gr.,=high point of the city], elevated, fortified section of various ancient Greek cities. The Acropolis of Athens, a hill c.260 ft (80 m) high, with a flat oval top c. , an Axil reseller. "I expect a very positive market response to the S/420 because of the performance enhancements it provides to the mid-range computing environment. It not only offers an excellent entry-level price point for this class of server, it provides a much-needed solution to cover the large market segment represented by 2 to 4-way multiprocessing servers." New Raid Subsystem The Axil S/420 leverages the new AxilRAID subsystem to provide maximum data availability and storage capacity, supporting up to 8 RAID units for a total storage capacity of 237 GB. Axil's RAID subsystem supports RAID levels 0, 1, 0+1 and 5, allowing users to choose the level of data availability they need. The RAID subsystem also supports hot-pluggable disks which eliminates server down time if disk replacement is required. In addition, the S/420 AxilRAID solution features redundant power supplies and fans as well as a status monitoring facility which alerts systems administrators of failures and streamlines system support. Software Support The AxilServer S/420 is 100 percent SPARC and Solaris compatible, so all 10,000 SPARC applications run without modification. It runs Solaris 2.4 which delivers a number of server features, including on-line back-up and software RAID, and provides file service to UNIX UNIX Operating system for digital computers, developed by Ken Thompson of Bell Laboratories in 1969. It was initially designed for a single user (the name was a pun on the earlier operating system Multics). , Novell, Windows or Mac clients. Axil also makes available the complete line of Solstice solstice (sŏl`stĭs) [Lat.,=sun stands still], in astronomy, either of the two points on the ecliptic that lie midway between the equinoxes (separated from them by an angular distance of 90°). system administration products. "We're very pleased that Axil's newest product will feature the entire suite of SunSoft's Solaris, networking and developer product offering," said Janpieter Scheerder, SunSoft president. "The S/420, in conjunction with the SunSoft product line, serves to expand the marketplace for SPARC solutions. Axil is one of our largest customers, and it is a relationship we look forward to maintaining for a long time as the company continues to introduce new products to the market." Under a marketing agreement just announced with Syntax, Axil will offer the TotalNET Advanced Server (TAS TAS abbr. 1. telephone answering system 2. true airspeed ) product suite, enabling Axil servers to provide transparent LAN integration to simultaneously support Windows, NetWare, LAN Manager and Macintosh clients. Pricing & Availability The AxilServer S/420 will be available in October. Customers can choose one of three S/420 configuration options that are highly configurable to meet individual needs. The entry level system includes 64 MB RAM and a 2.1-GB disk drive with dual SBus channels, 9 SBus slots, CD-ROM CD-ROM: see compact disc. CD-ROM in full compact disc read-only memory Type of computer storage medium that is read optically (e.g., by a laser). , and DAT (1) (Dynamic Address Translator) A hardware circuit that converts a virtual memory address into a real address. See also DAT file. (2) (Digital Audio Tape) A magnetic tape technology used for backing up data. drive with a U.S. list price starting at $31,045. RAID subsystems begin at $5,995 U.S. list price. Axil Prestoserve starts at $1,595. The S/420 is covered by a standard one-year on-site warranty with next-day response. Enhanced service and support offerings are also available. The Company Axil Computer, Inc., a Silicon Valley-based company, develops and manufactures made-in-the-USA SPARC-based workstations and servers. Axil sells its products through a worldwide network of value-added resellers and distributors. All Axil products are 100 percent compatible with SPARC so all Solaris and SunOS-based application programs run without modification on the Axil machines and integrate seamlessly into SPARC networks. Axil, an independent business unit of Hyundai, is located 3151 Coronado Road, SantaClara, CA 95054. For additional information, customers can contact Axil Computer directly at 1-800-472-AXIL, or visit Axil's home page on the WorldWide Web at http://www.axil.com. CONTACT: Axil Computer Mike Schafir, 408/486-5465 EXPO BOOTH no. 402 or Thomas Associates Roger Knott (roger@thomaspr.com) or Barbara Kohn (barbarak@thomaspr.com), 415/325-6236 |
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