Compaq to advance enterprise capabilities of industry-standard platforms; emerging standards will redefine enterprise computing

Business Wire, April 8, 1997

HOUSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 8, 1997-- Compaq Computer Corporation (NYSE:CPQ) today outlined the technologies it will deliver to push the envelope in accelerating the wide-spread migration toward industry-standard platforms in enterprise computing environments. Compaq cited PCI Hot Plug, Fibre Channel, advanced clustering technology and eight-processor servers as technologies that will serve as a foundation for tomorrow's cost-effective, standards-based enterprise computing infrastructure.

"Compaq is working with our industry partners to drive the standardization of emerging technologies that will bring new levels of availability and scalability to large enterprise computing environments," Compaq Computer Corporation, Senior Vice President and Group General Manager, Enterprise Computing Group, John T. Rose said today in his keynote address at Innovate Forum '97. "The implementation of these core technologies will broaden the scope of today's enterprise class solutions by providing customers with more flexibility in addressing their most robust computing requirements." Rose highlighted the role that each of these technologies will play in raising the levels of availability and scalability in enterprise class solutions.

High Availability

PCI Hot Plug is a technology Compaq developed as a standard to allow a systems administrator to change a PCI peripheral board in a server without interrupting user service by powering down the server.

PCI Hot Plug will enable a systems administrator to replace existing PCI Boards with new versions of the board and driver software, or to add new, previously uninstalled, board and driver software while the server is running. This will mean less downtime and a significantly easier job for a systems administrator. Compaq chairs the PCI SIG work group that will make this Compaq-pioneered technology an industry standard.

High Availability and Scalability

Rose praised Fibre Channel and the next generation clustering standards initiative that Compaq, Intel and Microsoft are championing as being two breakthrough developments that will increase both the availability and scalability of enterprise solutions.

Fibre Channel is an interface technology that will provide unprecedented scalability in performance, distance, capacity, and number of devices connected -- attributes sought after by corporate customers. Ultimately, redundant Fibre Channel rings will be used to eliminate single points of failure to achieve continuous data availability. Fibre Channel attached storage systems will play a major role in Compaq's strategy to create robust storage systems which match the speed and power of Compaq servers and cluster solutions. Compaq is one of the sponsors of the Fibre Channel ANSI committee and is actively working to standardize the technology as a data storage interconnect.

Clustered servers are combinations of two or more servers connected together, in a manner that is invisible to users, to improve continuous access to data and share processing tasks. Today, Compaq is a leader in two-node failover clustering and is aggressively readying its ProLiant servers to support Microsoft's Wolfpack clustering. Compaq is also working with Novell on their Wolf Mountain clustering technology and with SCO on their Eclipse clustering technology. Beyond that, Compaq is working with Intel and Microsoft on the next generation clustering standards initiative that will enable a new class of scaleable server and workstation cluster products. This initiative will support reliable, high performance System Area Networks (SANs), helping clusters achieve their full potential as cost efficient platforms for large scale, mission critical applications.

Scalability

Compaq will offer eight-processor servers for customers who need the most raw transaction processing power and clustered servers for customers who need the highest levels of availability. Ultimately, some customers will be best served by the high performance and availability of a scalable solution that combines both clustering and eight-way servers. Eight-processor servers are often thought to be in competition with scalable clustering, but Compaq contends that they are in fact complementary.

Citing Intel's advanced processor technology as an exceptional platform for eight-way servers, Rose acknowledged that Compaq is working with partners to develop industry-leading chipsets for eight-processor servers that will also be made available to the industry.

Company Background

Compaq Computer Corporation, a Fortune 100 company, is the fifth largest computer company in the world and the largest global supplier of personal computers, delivering useful innovation through products that connect people with people and people with information. The company is an industry leader in environmentally friendly programs and business practices. Compaq is strategically organized to meet the current and future needs of its customers, offering Internet and enterprise computing solutions, networking products, commercial PC products and consumer PCs. As the leader in distributed enterprise solutions, Compaq has shipped over a million servers. In 1996, the company reported worldwide sales of $18.1 billion. Compaq products are sold and supported in more than 100 countries through a network of authorized Compaq marketing partners. Customer support and information about Compaq and its products can be found at http://www.compaq.com or by calling 1-800-OK-COMPAQ. Product information and reseller locations can be obtained by calling 1-800-345-1518. -0-