Tandem Redefines Server Architecture for the 21st Century; ServerNet technology leads industry with the first open architecture to enable new generations of high-bandwidth, data-driven applications.

CUPERTINO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 17, 1995--Citing the impending need for computer systems to handle 1,000 times more data, 100 times faster and at one-tenth the cost, Tandem Computers Incorporated today unveiled details of the ServerNet architecture, a revolutionary technology that will change the face of open server architectures.

Through ServerNet technology Tandem offers the industry's first open server architecture to address the rapidly evolving data requirements of business applications. It is a scalable, reliable, multi-operating system architecture that allows data to flow within the server without first going through a processor, thus effectively eliminating throughput constraints within the system. This allows servers to support tens of thousands of simultaneous transactions that incorporate business data graphics, video and voice.

Tandem will use the patent-pending technology to provide unlimited server bandwidth for its future-generation servers. These will include symmetric multiprocessing (SMP) systems, clusters, and parallel servers supporting UNIX, Windows NT, and the Tandem NonStop Kernel. Tandem also announced its intent to OEM and license the technology to other vendors.

"We believe the industry requires a fundamental rethinking of server architectures as commercial applications move to exploit the convergence of high-bandwidth communications, global networking, and multimedia-based services," said Jim Treybig, Tandem's president and chief executive officer. "ServerNet technology is the outcome of four years of intensive research and development and puts Tandem years ahead of the industry in the ability to scale massive processing power and high-bandwidth throughput."

ServerNet technology will enable businesses to deploy new generations of multimedia-rich transaction processing, real-time data mining, and continuous electronic commerce applications, previously unrealizable by traditional servers. Future generations of applications hinge on the instantaneous delivery of massive volumes of information, serving unprecedented numbers of simultaneous clients. These include such emerging services as multimedia kiosks, Internet-based retailing, home banking and real-time data mining.

"Tandem's ServerNet technology provides an extremely flexible technical base for what we are starting to call `modular' computers," said Chris Willard, manager of high-performance technologies for International Data Corporation. "Modular computing uses a small set of base technologies that combines and optimizes technology from SMP, parallel, clustered and distributed computing models. IDC believes that the ServerNet architecture positions Tandem to take a leadership role in modular technology with this strategy."

Today's servers face insurmountable data-bandwidth barrier

Traditional server architectures are poorly designed to manage the massive amounts of data that future media-rich applications will require. They have been focused primarily on processing relatively small amounts of information. New applications will entail both movement and processing of information that is thousands of times greater -- many terabytes of data moving at hundreds of gigabits per second.

"As applications begin to hit the data-bandwidth brick wall of traditional servers, the need for a network-centric mechanism that optimizes the movement of data becomes critical," said Bill Heil, vice president of Product Management and Product Marketing. "The average business transaction of the 21st century will incorporate video and graphics, increasing the need for server growth by orders of magnitude. Traditional servers just won't be cost-effective in this world."

"Tandem's parallel computing model has helped our customers process massive amounts of data at speeds far exceeding those of conventional systems," said Rich Knauss, vice president of engineering at Volt Delta Resources, a leading provider of directory assistance and network-based information systems. "With the ServerNet architecture, our customers can still capitalize on Tandem's fundamental strengths of parallelism, scalability and reliability, and also take a leadership role in the rapidly converging worlds of digital media, business transaction processing, and decision support. Early users of this innovative architecture will get the true first look at how leading 21st century companies will be utilizing technology as a powerful competitive and profitable weapon."

Unique any-to-any architecture

ServerNet architecture eliminates throughput constraints by allowing all server components -- including processors, storage, and communications devices -- to directly interconnect without processor intervention. Instead of a processor on every data path, intelligent switching is supplied by multiple low-cost, packet-switching routers, each constructed as a single high-speed (2.4 gigabits per second) application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) device. Thus, data travels on the shortest path necessary, from device to device, from device to processor, or from processor to processor, in an efficient any-to-any parallel environment. Advanced latency reduction techniques, such as wormhole routing, further improve throughput.

With processors unburdened and able to concentrate on processing, and with other devices free to communicate directly, data flows through the system dramatically faster, and the utilization of all system resources is vastly improved. Dual access from processors and devices not only delivers fault tolerance, but also doubles the bandwidth in normal operation. In addition, comprehensive self-checking and management capabilities are built into ServerNet ASICs and routing protocol to ensure the highest level of data integrity.

As applications grow and change, a single ServerNet environment can scale in small or large increments to support high-bandwidth interconnections between thousands of processors and up to one million physical devices. Additionally, ServerNet technology allows throughput capacity and processor capacity to scale independently, so that a server can be optimized for a variety of processing-intensive or connectivity-intensive applications without necessarily adding more processors.

For example, Tandem's ServerNet technology can support such extremes as a 4,000-processor configuration with throughput of hundreds of gigabytes per second throughput; or a 2-processor server connected to hundreds of thousands of storage and communications devices.

Flexible, open technology revolutionizes UNIX and Windows NT based servers

ServerNet technology enhances all multiprocessing architectures, including symmetric multiprocessing (SMP) systems, shared-device clusters, and massively parallel shared-nothing systems. ServerNet technology-based systems will support open operating system environments including UNIX, Windows NT, and the Tandem NonStop Kernel.

ServerNet technology provides all architectures with the ability to independently scale I/O connectivity and bandwidth and provide direct device-to-device connections. In a clustered environment, the ServerNet architecture delivers the high transfer rate required for enhanced input/output and shared devices such as disks.

This technology also supports merchant databases, such as Informix, Oracle, Sybase and SQL Server, used in clusters -- providing a high-performance, scalable platform and enabling companies to leverage their existing software as they migrate to new technology.

Availability

Tandem will incorporate ServerNet technology into its future servers. The first implementation is slated for release in late 1995. Subsequent models will be announced throughout 1996. Application binary compatibility is preserved and customers will be able to protect their existing hardware investments as they add new servers.

Tandem Computers Incorporated (NYSE:TDM) is the leader in continuously available parallel processing, reliable client/server solutions, and enterprise networks. The company manufactures, markets, and provides services and systems ranging from the desktop to the data center, as well as software to deliver complete customer solutions. Tandem, founded in 1974 and headquartered in Cupertino, Calif., has offices worldwide. -0-

Note to Editors: Tandem, Tandem NonStop, ServerNet, and the Tandem logo are trademarks of Tandem Computers Incorporated. SQL Server is a trademark of Sybase Inc. UNIX is a registered trademark in the United States and other countries, licensed exclusively through X/Open Company Ltd. All other brand and product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies.

CONTACT: Tandem Computers Inc.

Michele McMahon, 415/274-8102

Junne Moy, 408/285-6142

World Wide Web Home Page: http://www.tandem.com