Compact Devices Introduces New CD-ROM Server New TopSpin 200 Product Family Delivers Unparalleled Price/Performance and Device Connectivity.CAMPBELL, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 10, 1997--Compact Devices, a leading supplier of dedicated network appliances, today announced the newest additions to its CD-ROM server A CD-ROM reader designed for network use. It can be configured as a tower or jukebox. Towers contain several drives, and each drive holds one CD-ROM. Jukeboxes hold from a couple dozen to hundreds of discs, but have only a small number of drives. product line with the introduction of the TopSpin 200 family of CD-ROM servers. The TopSpin 200 provides unmatched price/performance, device connectivity, and protocol support. In addition, the dual SCSI SCSI in full Small Computer System Interface Once common standard for connecting peripheral devices (disks, modems, printers, etc.) to small and medium-sized computers. SCSI has given way to faster standards, such as Firewire and USB. TopSpin 200 provides the lowest cost per attached drive in the 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). networking industry. The new multiprotocol CD-ROM servers feature single and dual SCSI connections for direct connection of 1 to 14 CD-ROM drives CD-ROM drives, which today typically means a CD-RW drive that is a combo CD-ROM, CD-R and CD-RW drive, come in a variety of speeds. The original drive (1x) transferred data at 150KB per second. . They also feature Logical Unit Number (LUN) support, allowing connection of up to 56 CDs or drives through the use of CD changers or LUN expanders. The TopSpin 200 installs and automatically configures itself as a NetWare, NT (SMB (1) (Small to Medium-sized Business) Also called "SME" (small to medium-sized enterprise), it refers to companies that are larger than the small office/home office (SOHO), but not huge. ), Network File System (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 ) and Web server, allowing users in each of these environments to employ familiar commands to simultaneously access CDs. The TopSpin 200 family is ideal for larger workgroups requiring fast data retrieval and access to large numbers of CD-ROMs. Independent File Server Performing as an independent CD-ROM server, the TopSpin 200 family operates independently of any other file server or client workstation to connect up to 14 CD-ROM drives directly to an Ethernet local area network. Because TopSpin does not utilize general purpose file server resources to access or transmit CD-ROM data, there is no impact to existing server applications or file and print services. CD-ROM drives can be placed anywhere on a LAN (Local Area Network) A communications network that serves users within a confined geographical area. The "clients" are the user's workstations typically running Windows, although Mac and Linux clients are also used. , giving workgroups and remote offices complete flexibility in locating and controlling networked discs. To increase capacity, LUN-based disc changers or LUN-expanders can be connected to provide access to up to 56 discs. Alternately, multiple TopSpin 200 servers can be added on a plug-and-play basis to a LAN segment. "The CD-ROM networking market is expected to grow to $450 million in 1997," said Michael Conrad, president and 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. of Compact Devices, "and as a pioneer in the dedicated network appliance market, we intend to become the leading supplier in this fast growing market segment. The introduction of the TopSpin 200 family now provides the best price/performance and the lowest cost per attached drive in the industry." A New Approach Compact Devices is a pioneer in the rapidly emerging dedicated file server Noun 1. dedicated file server - (computer science) a file server that can be used only as a file server file server - (computer science) a digital computer that provides workstations on a network with controlled access to shared resources appliance market and is distinguished by its MicroServer Technology that delivers network file access servers with industry-leading price/performance and ease-of-management. Designed as network appliances, Compact Devices products offer true plug-and-play functionality at a fraction of the cost of traditional file servers, and are a compelling alternative to traditional general purpose servers for workgroup and departmental computing environments. Compact Devices' workgroup file server appliances support a number of network environments including Web, NFS, NetWare and SMB (Microsoft's networking protocols). Provides World Wide Web Support TopSpin's embedded Web server Web server software embedded within a hardware device such as a print server. It is widely used in a myriad of devices, because it allows access to the software via any Web browser, typically for configuring the device or obtaining reports. See ETI and Web server. offers instant and complete support for Web browsers and servers. This feature allows users from any computing environment to access information using standard Web browsers. TopSpin also offers home page designers the option of establishing HTML HTML in full HyperText Markup Language Markup language derived from SGML that is used to prepare hypertext documents. Relatively easy for nonprogrammers to master, HTML is the language used for documents on the World Wide Web. links from a Web server to files on the TopSpin Server. Users can publish data to the intranet or Internet for $0.01 per MB using CD-R (CD-Recordable) A writable CD technology using a type of compact disc that can be recorded, but not erased (CD-Rs are "write once" discs). CD-R discs are used to master CD-ROMs, to back up data and to make copies of data for distribution. drives and media, and the data cannot be tampered with. TopSpin can also be managed from a Web browser The program that serves as your front end to the Web on the Internet. In order to view a site, you type its address (URL) into the browser's Location field; for example, www.computerlanguage.com, and the home page of that site is downloaded to you. . Advanced Management Tools TopSpin offers a variety of management options to allow administrators to operate in a familiar environment. It is readily configured beyond its plug-and-play default parameters with TopView, the company's intuitive Windows-based manager, or a Web management system. Pricing and Availability The Compact Devices TopSpin 200 CD-ROM server is available in two families. The TopSpin 150, available now for $495, is ideal for small workgroups with low to medium CD-ROM access level requirements. The TopSpin 200, available in February 1997, is ideal for larger workgroups and supports both single SCSI (TopSpin 210) and dual SCSI (TopSpin 220) connections. The TopSpin 210 lists for $695, while the TopSpin 220 lists for $795. About Compact Devices Compact Devices Inc., a privately held corporation Noun 1. privately held corporation - a corporation owned by a few people; shares have no public market close corporation, closed corporation, private corporation headquartered in Campbell, develops and markets network appliances, which are network-attached devices that are optimized to perform a single task or function in order to deliver superior price/performance over general purpose network servers. Based on the company's MicroServer Technology, Compact Devices' products consist of workgroup microfilers, which are optimized to provide high-speed, low-cost, simple-to-manage file access and storage, and application-specific microservers. Compact Devices' plug-and-play products are designed to provide superior price/performance and ease-of-management for a broad variety of standards-based network environments. More information about Compact Devices can be found on the company's web site: www.devices.com . -0- NOTE TO EDITORS: Compact Devices, TopSpin, TopView and MicroServer Technology are trademarks of Compact Devices Inc. CONTACT: Dave & Bairey Communications Suzy Bauter, 415/343-9748 suzy@dbcomm.com or Compact Devices Dan Ryan, 408/255-4200 danr@devices.com |
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