Informix optimizes database server for 64-bit systems; Informix solution provides significant performance increases over 32-bit environments; Limited release available now for Digital AlphaServer

Business Wire, Sept 19, 1995

MENLO PARK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 19, 1995--Informix Software (NASDAQ:IFMX), the leader in parallel processing database technology, today announced an optimized version of its industry-leading database server, INFORMIX-OnLine Dynamic Server, for 64-bit UNIX-based computer systems.

The database server features very large memory capabilities which will provide customers with significant performance increases for their very large database (VLDB), business-critical applications such as OLTP, decision support and data warehousing. The database server is initially available on Digital Equipment Corporation's enterprise server, AlphaServer, running Digital UNIX.

Informix is taking advantage of the performance benefits of a 64-bit architecture by making use of the large memory addressibility inherent in 64-bit environments. The new release of OnLine Dynamic Server allows a large portion of the database to reside in memory, thereby accelerating application performance.

Early testing of INFORMIX-OnLine Dynamic Server optimized for 64-bit architectures has revealed significant performance increases over 32-bit environments. Informix's OnLine Dynamic Server with 64-bit enhancements allows customers to run their VLDB applications -- traditionally only available in a mainframe environment -- in the cost-effective symmetrical multiprocessing environment.

"This breakthrough very large memory technology makes it significantly faster and less expensive for businesses to capture vital information and utilize it to make quicker strategic business decisions," said Steve Sommer, vice president of marketing for Informix Software. "With database performance being so critical in today's competitive business climate, our customers can count on Informix's Dynamic Scalable Architecture to once again outperform any comparable competitive solution."

"Digital's 64-bit AlphaServer family leads the industry in database performance," said Don Harbert, vice president of Digital's UNIX Business Segment. "It is an ideal platform for the database server market with Digital's premier partners such as Informix. This leadership performance is especially evident with Informix's Dynamic Scalable Architecture implementation of Digital's 64-bit very large memory architecture."

Customers Select Informix's 64-bit Solution

Giant Food, one of the nation's largest retail grocery stores, is developing a Category Management Decision Support System (DSS) running INFORMIX-OnLine Dynamic Server with very large memory technology on Digital's 64-bit AlphaServer. Giant's DSS system will enable Giant's category managers to analyze item and category performance and conduct promotional analysis to determine the effectiveness of various sales methods.

About 64-bit Computing

A 64-bit architecture relaxes memory addressing limitations inherent in 32-bit computing, thereby providing significant breakthroughs in large database performance and manageability. By caching a large portion of the database in memory, less time is spent moving data from disk to disk, thus reducing time consuming I/O functions. Informix has made enhancements to its DSA architecture to take full advantage of large memory addressibility; however, VLDB support requires more than very large memory capabilities.

To maximize the power of a 64-bit computing environment, Informix's DSA architecture additionally offers capabilities that provide for I/O efficiency and query optimization techniques such as:

Multithreading -- Allows for efficient CPU utilization with large number of users

Asynchronous read-ahead -- Provides efficient table and index scan I/O performance

Row-level locking -- Maximizes performance of OLTP applications and hybrid OLTP/DSS environments

Database partitioning -- Allows for VLDB manageability and scalability

Hash joins -- Enables efficient non-indexed joins of large tables

Parallel data query -- Provides performance and scalability for decision support

About Informix

Informix Software is the leading supplier of high performance, parallel processing database technology for open systems. The company's database servers are the number one choice of computer hardware manufacturers for publishing Transaction Processing Council (TPC) benchmarks for UNIX-based systems. Informix products also include application development tools for creating client/server production applications, decision support systems and ad-hoc query interfaces, and connectivity software that allows information to be shared transparently from PCs to mainframes within the corporate computing environment. The company's corporate headquarters is in Menlo Park, California. -0-

INFORMIX is a registered trademark, and Dynamic Scalable Architecture, DSA and OnLine Dynamic Server are trademarks of Informix Software, Inc. All other companies or other names mentioned are registered trademarks of their respective manufacturers.

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