IBM Named UNIX Cluster Technology Leader.

SOMERS, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 30, 1998--IBM is ranked the number one overall UNIX-based cluster provider in a recent report by D.H. Brown and Associates.

Cluster technology allows more than one computer to be linked together to provide superior reliability and availability for computer systems that must be operational nearly every moment of the day and night.

IBM's leadership was cited in D.H. Brown's "Competitive Analysis of Reliability, Availability, Serviceability and Cluster Features and Functions."

"The D.H. Brown 1998 HA/Cluster Evaluation Model considers over 300 individual features in 11 diverse functional categories," said Harvey Hindin, director, High-Availability and Clusters Service, D.H. Brown Associates. "IBM demonstrated strength across all 11 categories pushing them over the top for their fourth consecutive first place finish, an impressive achievement."

D.H. Brown compared key UNIX vendors based on their in-system reliability, availability, and serviceability and their UNIX-based cluster features and functions. IBM received high marks across the 11 categories, confirming that IBM provides a balanced offering to its customers if they choose to cluster.

"The RS/6000 and HACMP (High Availability Cluster Multi-Processing) have once again catapulted to the top of the D.H. Brown report," said Richard Michos, director, Cluster Strategies, IBM Server Group. "With over 22,000 HACMP applications licensed worldwide, IBM remains the recognized industry leader."

IBM's cluster solutions provide a range of features and functions, including:

-- Dynamic Reconfiguration - enables customers to add, delete or

alter resources while the clusters remain in operation;

-- Support for mixed versions of the operating system and cluster

software that allow for planned maintenance upgrades without

interrupting service;

-- Single point of control for cluster administration;

-- Snapshot and Quick Configuration utilities to automatically

reproduce cluster environments;

-- Scaling to 32 nodes; and

-- RS/6000 Cluster Technology (RSCT) enables customers to define

their own high availability events and manage potential problems

before the cluster fails or has degraded performance. Proactive

cluster management is a key element to providing continuously

available clusters. IBM used RSCT and HACMP technology in the

Nagano Olympics to help ensure uninterrupted connections to the

IBM Web page which set a world record 646.2 million hits over 16

days.

In addition to defining their own events, IBM customers can use over 45 resource monitors provided with HACMP or develop their own monitors for overall system availability.

IBM provides complete cluster solutions to ease implementation and deployment of highly available clusters. Earlier this year, IBM introduced the HA50 solution. This flexible, high availability solution provides a low-cost packaged solution that includes the hardware and software required to build a cluster. This offering is backed by IBM service and support as well as special financing. To complete the HA50 offering, IBM has worked closely with the following database and software application providers: IBM DB2 Universal Database, IBM Net.Commerce, IBM TXSeries, Lotus Domino, Baan, and Oracle.

For more information, visit the IBM RS/6000 web site at http://www.rs6000.ibm.com.