HolonTech Previews Cluster Manager for Windows NT Server; Hardware Product for Microsoft Cluster Server; Provides Enhanced Availability and Scalability for e-Business Applications.

SAN JOSE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 11, 1999--

HolonTech Corporation announced today it is previewing a high performance switch-based cluster manager built specially for Microsoft Windows NT Server.

The new product, the result of cooperation between Microsoft Corp. and HolonTech, complements Microsoft Cluster Server, a built-in feature of Windows NT Server 4.0 Enterprise Edition. By using both Microsoft Cluster Server and HolonTech's product, customers will be able to build Web server clusters of up to 16 nodes, connect these Web server clusters to clusters of database servers, and more conveniently administer the multiple-cluster, multiple-tier environment.

The forthcoming product will include new HolonTech technology, called Embedded Cluster Services. Embedded Cluster Services is the only technology of its kind to combine hardware-assisted cluster management with support for Microsoft Cluster Server. By performing parts of the cluster management functions in an external cluster manager rather than in the servers, HolonTech's Embedded Cluster Service provides very high levels of reliability and cluster scalability, plus simplified cluster administration, in environments using Windows NT Server 4.0 Enterprise Edition.

"We've dramatically improved reliability, scalability and administration in multiple-tier e-business environments using PC servers and Microsoft Cluster Server," said Akio Sakamoto, President and Chief Executive Officer of HolonTech. "At a very low cost of entry, this breakthrough technology delivers improved availability and recoverability for business advantage. This will allow HolonTech to grow our business in new market segments."

HolonTech's multinode cluster manager will boost the scale of multiple-tier e-business environments, by clustering the middle tier. A wide array of industries, such as e-commerce, Internet service, finance, entertainment and telecommunications, will now benefit from the implementation of large, robust clustered environments, using HolonTech's product and Windows NT Server 4.0 Enterprise Edition.

"Customers want to use Microsoft Windows NT Server 4.0 Enterprise Edition in more and more demanding Web workloads, workloads which require the highest levels of availability, scalability and manageability," said Edmund Muth, group product manager, Microsoft Corp. "Microsoft is pleased that HolonTech is utilizing the Windows NT Server 4.0 Enterprise Edition as part of its solution for business-critical Web-server `farms'."

HolonTech's forthcoming cluster manager with Embedded Cluster Services will provide the following distinctive capabilities. -0-

--   Implementation of an active-active cluster with up to sixteen Web
     servers, running Microsoft Internet Information Server and
     Microsoft Cluster Server.

--   The ability to connect a Web server cluster to one or more
     database clusters running Microsoft SQL Server and Microsoft
     Cluster Server.

--   Administration of multiple clusters simultaneously from a single
     management console via a snap-in module for Microsoft Management
     Console.

--   Detection of hardware or software failures in any cluster and
     restarting of applications on another available server in the
     cluster.

--   Notification of status information or failure information to the
     system administrator.

--   Graceful removal of servers from clusters, for scheduled
     maintenance or replacement, and then graceful returning of
     servers back into their clusters.

-0-

The first public demonstration of HolonTech's forthcoming cluster manager will be performed at Networld+Interop, from May 11 to May 13, 1999, in Las Vegas.

About HolonTech Corporation

HolonTech Corporation is a pioneer in hardware-assisted server clustering for reliable, responsive, and robust e-business applications.

HolonTech's current products include HyperFlow 2, for clustering and load balancing heterogeneous Internet servers. InternetWeek magazine recently awarded HyperFlow 2 its "Best of Breed" award, in a comparison against four top competitors.

With the introduction of its cluster manager with Extended Cluster Services, HolonTech will extend its business into the new market of clustering technologies for Windows NT Server.

For more information, visit http://www.holontech.com.

Trademarks

HolonTech and HyperFlow are registered trademarks of HolonTech Corporation.