Mylex eXtremeRAID Helps HP Achieve TPC-D Price/Performance World Record in 300GB Category; eXtremeRAID Maximizes Query Performance in Data Warehouse Environments

Business Wire, Feb 25, 1999

FREMONT, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 25, 1999--Mylex Corporation (Nasdaq: MYLX), the world's leading RAID controller vendor in the non-captive network systems marketplace, today announced that Mylex's high-performance eXtremeRAID(TM) 1100 PCI RAID controller has helped Hewlett-Packard Company (NYSE:HWP) achieve a new price/performance world-record, according to a recently completed TPC-D benchmark.

TPC-D, which is a rigorous benchmark performed under supervision of the Transaction Processing Performance Council, provides an indication of real-world server performance in decision support environments such as data warehouses.

According to the benchmark results, the HP NetServer LXr 8000 system delivered 3,280.60 QphD (Queries Per Hour) at a cost of only $162.00/QphD. In addition to using seven Mylex eXtremeRAID RAID controllers, the server was also configured with Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT) Windows NT Enterprise Edition 4.0 and an Oracle (Nasdaq: ORCL) 8i database. The server utilized four 450 MHz Intel (Nasdaq: INTC) Pentium II Xeon processors.

"We're extremely pleased that eXtremeRAID has helped HP achieve world-record results," said Eric Herzog, Mylex vice president of marketing. "eXtremeRAID achieves its exceptional performance by implementing a unique Mylex architecture that prevents I/O bottlenecks at every step of the data path between the disk drive and the server."

eXtremeRAID Delivers Record-Setting Performance for Enterprise-Class Servers

eXtremeRAID is one of the world's highest performance RAID controllers. eXtremeRAID derives its award-winning performance by integrating several advanced technologies, such as a 233 MHz Intel StrongARM on-board RISC processor, a 64-bit PCI bus, multiple Ultra2 SCSI LVD buses and new Mylex firmware.

Working together, the on-board RISC processor and Mylex firmware de-couple disk drive I/O management tasks from the network operating system (NOS), freeing the NOS to service other applications.

The controller's Ultra2 SCSI LVD (low voltage differential) doubles maximum data throughput rates between the disk drive and the controller by raising data transfer rate bandwidth to 80 MB/sec per channel from the typical 40 MB/sec per channel.

Compared to typical 32-bit bus architectures, eXtremeRAID's 64-bit PCI bus provides effectively doubles the data bandwidth path between the RAID controller and the PC server. The 64-bit PCI bus supports burst rates up to 266 MB/sec. Traditional 32-bit PCI buses only support burst data transfer rates up to 133 MB/sec.

Pricing and Availability

eXtremeRAID is available in two and three channel configurations with MSRP pricing starting at $1,695. Several leading OEM server manufacturers have already designed eXtremeRAID into their systems.

About Mylex

Founded in 1983, Mylex Corporation is an ISO 9001-certified developer of high-performance hardware and software for moving, storing, protecting and managing data in network and desktop environments. Ranked as the No. 1 supplier of RAID controllers in the non-captive network systems disk array market in the 1998 Dataquest and IDC reports and No. 1 in the 1998, 1997, 1996 and 1995 DISK/TREND reports, Mylex produces high-performance RAID controller subsystems, SCSI adapters and complementary computer products for network servers, mass storage systems, workstations and system motherboards. Mylex products are sold globally through a network of OEMs, major distributors, VARs and system integrators. Mylex Corporation is headquartered at 34551 Ardenwood Blvd., Fremont, CA 94555, and can be reached by phone at 510-796-6100 or toll free at 800-77-MYLEX, by fax at 510-745-8016 or on the Internet at http://www.mylex.com.