InfoLibria's DynaCache Top Internet-Grade Product in First Independent Test of Network Caches; Majority of Other Vendors Fail to Complete Test.

WALTHAM, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 5, 1999--InfoLibria, Inc., today announced that its DynaCache(tm) network caching solution was the top-performing Internet-strength cache tested recently at the University of California San Diego/IRCACHE Bake-Off, the industry's first independent head-to-head competition. DynaCache, which is installed at ISPs throughout the U.S. and Europe, demonstrated the highest operating capacity ever recorded in an independent test.

InfoLibria was one of just four participants who survived the demanding bake-off process, which measured throughput, response time, and hit ratios using Polygraph testing software. In addition to InfoLibria, participants included CacheFlow, Cisco, Entera, Inktomi, IBM, Network Appliance, Novell, Squid, and the University of Wisconsin. CacheFlow, Cisco, Entera, and Inktomi dropped out after having the opportunity to test their products using the Polygraph software, but before the bake-off began. Network Appliance and IBM removed themselves from the running after seeing their bake-off results.

The bake-off took place from March 15 through 17, and was organized by the National Laboratory for Applied Network Research (NLANR) and the Cooperative Association for Internet Data Analysis (CAIDA).

"With vendors making all kinds of conflicting performance claims, there was a huge need for this kind of independent test," said Peter Christy, principal, Collaborative Research (Los Altos, CA), and an authority on Internet caching. "The test, which was developed with input from all the leading caching vendors, gives potential buyers their first look at how specific caches compare in demanding environments. Picking a cache is still a complex question with lots of other factors, but this is clearly an important step in the maturing of this important market."

"Many vendors have developed their own testing tools, but they may be designed to show off the features of only their product. It is usually not a good idea to compare company A's cache to company B's cache by testing with company A's tools," said Duane Wessels, of the National Laboratory for Applied Network Research, and the bake-off organizer. "Certainly we are disappointed that some vendors chose to withdraw. However, we feel that because our benchmark was taken very seriously, and perhaps even feared by these companies, it indicates just how comprehensive and challenging Polygraph really is."

High-Performance, Internet-Grade Solution

The testing showed DynaCache to be an extremely robust and high-performance network caching solution. DynaCache achieved:

1. Sustained peak throughput that scaled easily to more than a full-duplex OC-3 line speed. This translates into more than 3400 operations per second, which is many times faster than any previously documented cache performance, and amply meets the most punishing demands of leading national ISPs.

2. Response time for cache hits in the tens of milliseconds throughout DynaCache's entire performance range, with no performance degradation under increased load.

3. Expanded bandwidth delivered to Web clients by 22-24% (with a payback, based on bandwidth savings alone, of 5 to 9 months).

These results place DynaCache far ahead of other caching products in addressing the rigorous demands of the ISP marketplace. But a caching product must also exhibit a number of equally key characteristics that were not measured in the bake-off for it to meet the intense demands of the Internet environment. An Internet-grade cache must maintain the integrity of content, be fail-safe and easily manageable, and not impede e-commerce transactions or the collection of visitor data. DynaCache is the only network cache available with all of these attributes.

More detailed information on the bake-off can be found in an InfoLibria white paper at www.infolibria.com, and at http://bakeoff.ircache.net.

About NLANR and CAIDA

The National Laboratory for Applied Network Research is an independent organization that was created in 1995 to provide engineering support to National Science Foundation-funded supercomputer sites. It has since expanded its focus to promote the use of high-performance applications and networks by the U.S. academic research community. NLANR developed Polygraph, the testing software used in the bake-off. The Cooperative Association for Internet Data Analysis addresses challenges inherent in measuring and analyzing traffic across the Internet. It also supports the development of advanced networking technologies such as Web caching, bandwidth reservation, Web traffic simulation and analysis, and multicasting.

About InfoLibria

InfoLibria is dedicated to dramatically improving internetwork functionality and performance. The company was chosen as one of the Top 25 Hot Startups of 1998 by Data Communications magazine, an influential publication covering the communications infrastructure industry.

The company's flagship product, DynaCache, is the industry's only Internet-grade caching solution. DynaCache was chosen as a Hot Product 1999 by Data Communications magazine. It was also named as a finalist for the prestigious Best of Show award at Networld + Interop in Atlanta, the only network caching product ever to receive the honor. The company's content-delivery device for multimedia, MediaMall, delivers TV- and CD-quality content to Internet users.

InfoLibria is headquartered in Waltham, Massachusetts, with offices in the U.K. Additional information can be found at www.infolibria.com.

Copyright (c) 1998 INFOLIBRIA, INCORPORATED. All Rights Reserved. MediaMall, RepliCache, DynaCache, DynaNet, DynaLink, and the triangle logo are all trademarks of InfoLibria, Inc. All other company and product names referenced

herein are the trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.