DISKEEPER version 1.01 released; supports defragmentation of compressed NTFS files under Windows NT 3.51.

GLENDALE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 11, 1995--Executive Software has begun shipping an upgrade of its DISKEEPER on-line defragmenter for the Microsoft Windows NT operating system.

DISKEEPER version 1.01 supports defragmentation of compressed files in NTFS partitions and adds context-sensitive help. The upgraded product also defragments all NTFS and FAT directories (under Windows NT 3.51) more quickly and thoroughly, and includes improved scheduling capabilities as well.

DISKEEPER eliminates fragmentation -- essentially a disk storage problem that affects practically every modern computer operating system. Fragmentation occurs when the operating system writes a file to the disk, takes the first space that comes along and tries to put the file there.

If the space is not big enough, it puts part of the file into that space, then goes and looks for another space and tries to put the rest of the file into that space, and so on. In this way, the operating system breaks the file into fragments which are stored at separate locations on the disk.

Frequently accessed files can sometimes be found in hundreds and even thousands of pieces. The increased disk activity necessary to write and then retrieve pieces of these files can severely impact system performance.

Originally, fragmentation was a means to efficiently use disk space, but in today's demanding multiuser environments served by multigigabyte disk drives and screamingly fast CPUs, the bottlenecks resulting from fragmentation can be crippling to performance, as well as costly. Estimates of the cost of fragmentation have ranged into the hundreds of millions of dollars annually for Fortune 1000 companies.

"The effect of fragmentation on Windows NT has been the subject of controversy, both on-line and in the media," explained Jon Knutson, executive vice president and spokesman for Executive Software.

"Many users are still debating whether or not NTFS is affected by fragmentation, but tens of thousands of copies of various Windows NT fragmentation analysis utilities have been downloaded from on-line services. These utilities have shown users that even fairly new systems can be severely fragmented. The addition of file compression to Windows NT has added new fuel to the controversy."

"The process of compressing and decompressing files can, by itself, severely fragment an NTFS volume," added Knutson. "File compression takes files that were previously unfragmented and fragments them during compression. It also leaves slivers of free space between the fragments. This free space fragmentation slows `writes' to the disk. New files written into the slivers of free space make fragmentation even worse. Defragmentation for compressed files is vital to any system making regular use of file compression."

"I do both software and hardware development, and I juggle an enormous number of files in a day," Patrick Gili of Fore Systems Inc. (an acknowledged leader in Asynchronous Transfer Mode, or ATM, technology), told Executive Software. "I was absolutely appalled by the amount of fragmentation I had. Since running DISKEEPER I've seen an observable increase in performance. I just set it and forget it. Every now and then I check the fragmentation monitor just to see how things are going, and my disks are now in fine shape. I love DISKEEPER."

DISKEEPER operates while disks are on-line and being accessed. Mail servers, Web servers and critical applications that cannot be shut down for defragmenting can still be maintained at, or restored to, peak performance levels. This on-line approach to defragmenting multiuser systems was pioneered by Executive Software nine years ago with the development of DISKEEPER for Digital Equipment Corp.'s VMS operating system -- an enterprise operating system with which Windows NT has shared roots.

Since its inception, the OpenVMS version of DISKEEPER has been a runaway best-seller, winning industry awards for product quality every single year since its release. DISKEEPER was found to be the best-selling non-Digital (third-party) software of all time for VMS systems (ref: Computer Intelligence's "System Software Study"). This experience and expertise in on-line defragmentation has gone into DISKEEPER for Windows NT.

Currently licensed DKNT users can download a free upgrade to version 1.01 from the Executive Software forum on CompuServe (Go Execsoft), or from Executive Software's World Wide Web homepage at http://www.earthlink.net/execsoft, or have it shipped to them on floppy disk for the cost of shipping and handling ($9.95). Support for Service Pack 1 for Windows NT 3.51 is included.

The suggested retail price for DISKEEPER version 1.01 is $199 for Windows NT Workstation and $399 for Windows NT Server. There are no client access charges. The Intel-based version is available now; MIPS, Alpha and PowerPC versions are expected to ship within weeks. DISKEEPER is available directly from Executive Software or from local resellers.

Executive Software is located at 701 N. Brand Blvd., Glendale, Calif. 91203, phone [phone] or 818/547-2050. -0-

NOTE: DISKEEPER is a registered trademark and "set it and forget it" is a trademark of Executive Software International Inc. Microsoft is a registered trademark and Windows NT and Windows are trademarks of Microsoft Corp. All other brand names and trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

CONTACT: Executive Software, Glendale

Bradlee Sweigart, 818/547-2050