CA introduces enhanced Multi-Processing and Parallel Sysplex support in new versions of database software.

ISLANDIA, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 9, 1997--

-- CA-DATACOM And CA-IDMS Enhance Scalability And Performance,

Offer Many New Cost-Reduction And Throughput-Improvement Benefits --

Computer Associates International, Inc. (CA) today began shipping new releases of its host database products that enhance scalability and performance by supporting Symmetric Multi-Processing and Parallel Sysplex facilities on IBM and compatible host computers. Clients can combine the high-performance parallel database technology of CA-DATACOM and CA-IDMS with the open IBM System/390 architecture in a Parallel Sysplex. The S/390 Parallel Sysplex technology allows clusters of up to 32 S/390 servers to share data workloads, yet appear as one computing complex.

"Our clients can now lower the cost of exploiting high-end database processing," said Mark Combs, CA business unit executive. "Many of our largest clients have already benefited from reduced runtimes, creating new business opportunities that leverage this technology."

In production at several of CA's largest client sites, the latest CA-DATACOM and CA-IDMS releases also provide many new cost-reduction and throughput-improvement benefits.

"We are excited about the performance benefits that multi-tasking now makes possible for our customer service application, which accesses CA-IDMS from CICS," said Rifka Rhys, DBA manager for the customer service application at British Telecom. "We are now able to drive CA-IDMS harder, enhancing our ability to provide more CICS front-end regions as workload increases without affecting the back-end database software. This facility also enables us to begin exploiting CMOS technology."

"We are pleased to have CA-IDMS and CA-DATACOM joining the software developers that are exploiting the S/390 Parallel Sysplex technology," said John Cianci, program director of S/390 Solution Provider Programs at IBM. "These offerings will provide our customers with additional choices to meet their enterprise computing needs while taking advantage of S/390's virtually unlimited scalability, availability and low incremental cost."

CA-DATACOM Release 9.0 and CA-IDMS Release 14.0 qualify as Alternate Parallel Database products for the S/390 Parallel Sysplex License Charges, which are based on potential processor capacity. Clients licensed for these products who meet other hardware and software criteria are eligible for PSLC pricing for their S/390 software.

CA-IDMS 14.0

CA-IDMS 14.0 also features enhancements to multitasking, 24-by-7 support, SQL functionality, security administration features, and productivity.

Multitasking support now includes the database engine, scratch manager, security manager and storage manager. All CA-IDMS central version transactions can now benefit from increased throughput, whether the transaction originates from CICS, batch or within CA-IDMS/DC. Non-stop 24-by-7 processing is facilitated through the ability to dynamically refresh security definitions, dynamically add lines, terminals and printers, and dynamically allocate critical system control blocks when their original sysgenned supply is depleted.

Additional enhancements include extensions to SQL and database utilities, and improved LE370 support for COBOL and PL/1 programs executing in the CA-IDMS/DC environment.

CA-DATACOM 9.0

CA-DATACOM 9.0 also features dynamic SQL support, additional security extensions, and cross-partition enhancements that boost OLTP performance in high-volume online environments using CICS.

Additional system enhancements include enlargement of the maximum number of databases to 5,000; dynamic data and index area extends; record length of 32,720 bytes; incorporation of backward recovery into the Multi-User Facility; and elimination of Forced Checkpoints. Security enhancements include the ability to separately control access to data according to the type of access being made.

Computer Associates International, Inc. (NYSE: CA), with headquarters in Islandia, N.Y., is the world leader in mission-critical business software. The company develops, licenses and supports more than 500 integrated products that include enterprise computing and information management, application development, manufacturing and financial applications. CA has 9,000 people in 130 offices in 40 countries and had revenue of more than $3.5 billion in fiscal year 1996. CA can be reached by visiting http://www.cai.com on the World Wide Web, emailing [e-mail] or calling 1-516-342-5224. -0-

All referenced product names are trademarks of their respective companies.

CONTACT: Computer Associates International Inc.

Bob Gordon, 516/342-2391

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