New Products

Rave Announces Rackmount Chassis for UltraAXmp

Rave Computer Associates Inc. has announced a 4U form factor rackmount chassis for the UltraAXmp. The UltraAXmp is a scalable 64-bit UltraSPARC multi-processing motherboard with a UPA that lets the CPU bandwidth be increased to 3.2 GB per second via a custom cross-bar switch. The motherboard supports up to 4 GB of memory and features integrated dual-channel Ultra-wide SCSI and six PCI slots, four at 33 MHz, and two at 66Mhz. The 4U standard chassis configuration includes three 5.25 half-height exposed drive bays, two 3.5 low-profile hidden bays, three removable load-sharing 300-watt power supplies, and three 93-CFM cooling fans.

The 4U-Axmp can be pre-installed with Solaris 2.7 and is binary compatible with current SPARC applications. Red Hat Linux 6.1 is offered as an optional operating system for the UltraAXmp. For pricing and other information about the 4U form factor rackmount chassis for the UltraAXmp, contact: Rave Computer Association, Inc., Sterling Heights, MI; (800) 966-7283; Internet: info@rave.com; WWW: www.rave.net.

Webteacher Releases Webdata 2.35

Webteacher Software has released Webdata version 2.35 for UNIX, Windows 95/8, NT, and 2000. Webdata starts by self-installing on any UNIX or Windows NT servers, and then alerts an existing database to be integrated into an adaptable, online platform, with no knowledge of CCI, SQL, or ODBC required. Setup, maintenance, and use of the data may be carried out with a Web browser and a mouse.

Webdata 2.35 is priced at $199. A full-featured 30-day trial version is available from http://webteacher.com. For more information, contact: Webteacher Software; (510) 790-6451; Fax: (510) 445-0401; WWW: http://webteacher.com.

Western Scientific Releases TidalRAID

Western Scientific has released TidalRAID, a dual-active RAID that supports UNIX, Windows, parallel databases, and SANs. According to the company, TidalRAID guarantees no single point of failure and performs 334 Mbps controller-to-controller transfers and 300 Mbps controller-to-cache transfers.

With base systems starting with 72 GB of RAID storage, the TidalRAID can be configured with up to 864 GB per cabinets, and units can be daisy chained. Additionally, TidalRAID performs FAST-5, a RAID Level 5 operation that performs faster than RAID Level 1 with the added value of Level 5.

Prices for a base TidalRAID system start at $30,000. For more information, contact: Western Scientific, 9445 Farnham St., San Diego, CA 92123; (858) 565-6699; WWW: www.wsm.com.

Sun Announces StorEdge Suite

Sun Microsystems, Inc. has announced a suite of storage management software products: StorEdge Management Console and StorEdge Component Manager. The software supports Solaris 2.6 and Solaris 7 and is interoperable with the Solaris operating environment command-line administration tool, luxadm. Sun StorEdge Management Console provides a central interface for storage management and supports plug-in tools that perform specific management tasks, such as Sun StorEdge Component Manager, which monitors and manages one or more storage enclosures. The software is Java technology based and will incorporate Jiro technology. According to Sun, this permits storage administrators to create an open and customized storage tool.

Sun StorEdge Management Console and Sun StorEdge Component Manager software are available for the Sun StorEdge A5x00 array family. The software is provided at no charge with the purchase of any of these arrays. StorEdge Management Console software is priced at $21,000. StorEdge Component Manager is priced at $1,500. Existing A5x00 customers under SunSpectrum Metal Service contracts are eligible to receive the software at no cost. For more information, contact: Sun Microsystems, Inc., 901 San Antonio Rd., Palo Alto, CA 94303; WWW: http://www.sun.com/sales/.

SPIRO-Linux Announces WETMINtS

SPIRO-Linux has announced WETMINtS, a Web-based administration interface for Linux systems. Using WETMINtS, an administrator can configure DNS, Samba, NFS, and local/remote file systems using a Web-enabled cellular phone. WETMINtS consists of a number of CGI programs that directly update system files. Standard operations of WETMINtS include: creating and editing UNIX users and groups; running list, kill, and renice processes; performing network diagnostics (ping, traceroute, port scanning); and listing current logins. Other operations include WETMINtS configuration, management, and telnet login. WETMINtS supports all SPIRO-Linux and other Linux operating systems.

For pricing and other information about WETMINtS, contact: SPIRO-Linux, 215 Pearl Street, Wayne, NE 86787; (800) 841-4337 or (402) 375-4337; Fax: (402) 375-5310.

Gordon Creates FileWatch

Bill Gordon, a former network engineer, has created FileWatch -- a Web site that provides information about new and updated hardware and software products. FileWatch monitors and reports on numerous products from Microsoft, Novell, Compaq, IBM, Dell, 3Com, HP, Sun, and others.

Once users register with FileWatch and set up their personalized product profile, subsequent visits to the site produce a display of the new files for those products that became available since their last visit. Additionally, users may access the entire FileWatch database at any time. Users may also request daily or weekly summaries of new files by email, or notification by email as new files become available. According to Bill Gordon, FileWatch is currently reporting on 2,000 new or updated products from 26 vendors each month.

Registration for the FileWatch service is free. For more information, contact: Bill Gordon at (970) 245-6855; WWW: http://www.filewatch.com.

DigitalThink Announces Four-Course Series for Linux and UNIX Administrators

DigitalThink has announced an online, self-paced, four-course series entitled “Linux/UNIX System and Network Administration Series”. The series, available online at www.digitalthink.com, teaches the fundamentals of Linux and UNIX systems and network administration. The administration courses are designed to simulate experiences students will encounter in real life. Integrated features such as online tutor support and a virtual community of classmates blends the Web with person-to-person interactions.

The series consists of the following courses: Linux/UNIX System Administration I, Linux/Unix System Administration II, Linux/UNIX Network Administration I, and Linux/UNIX Network Administration II. Linux/UNIX System Administration I covers the major components of the Linux and UNIX operation systems. Students learn to find their way around the file system, set user and group ownership and access permissions, use the basic commands for starting and stopping processes, and mount and unmount file systems.

Linux/UNIX System Administration II covers the Linux and UNIX kernel programs, starting and stopping Linux and UNIX systems, setting up user and group account on single machines, the basics of backup and restore procedures, and system monitoring and logging. Linux/UNIX Network Administration I covers the fundamentals of Linux and UNIX network administration. Students are introduced to TCP/IP networking under UNIX, as well as network monitoring and debugging. Linux/UNIX Network Administration II covers the basics of configuring and using the DNS, sendmail, NIS and NFS, as well as the basics of network security.

The Linux/UNIX System and Network Administration curriculum is available immediately. Individual courses are priced at $325 each. The entire series is priced at $1,150. Students need a Web browser and an Internet connection, on any computer, with a 28.8 or faster modem. According to the company, courses typically take eight hours to complete. For more information, contact: DigitalThink, WWW: digitalthink.com.

Active Concepts Upgrades Funnel Web

Active Concepts Pty Ltd. has upgraded Funnel Web, its multi-platform Web profiling tool for charting and profiling online activity. Funnel Web 3.6 includes report legends for the most common graphic reports, and extended error information is available on most reports. Additionally, Funnel Web 3.6 recognizes .acgi and .taf page extensions. Also, Funnel Web 3.6 supports Oracle's WRB Web server and the WebSTAR Server Suite 4.1 update. According to the company, Funnel Web 3.6 has been streamlined to use less RAM and run faster.

Funnel Web 3.6 supports Linux, FreeBSD, Windows 95/98/NT, and Mac OS. Funnel Web 3.6 is priced at $249 for the Standard version and $499 for the Professional version. Upgrades from Funnel Web 1.x or 2.0x are $99 for Standard and $199 for Professional. Funnel Web 3.6 is free to registered users of version 3.x. For more information, contact: Active Concepts Pty Ltd, 159 Perlham St., Carlton Victoria 3053 Australia; +613 9348-2122; Fax: +619 9347-9914; Internet: info@activeconcepts.com; WWW: http://www.activeconcepts.com/.

Core Network Announces Linux Support

Core Network Inc. has announced that Version 3.0 of its CoreOS Broadband Provisioning and Management System supports Linux. According to the company, more and more broadband service providers are choosing Linux servers as part of their Internet Services platform. For pricing and other information about CoreOS 3.0 Linux support, contact: Core Networks Inc., Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada; (902) 481-5750; Fax: (902) 481-5799; WWW: www.CoreNetworks.com.

NEON Systems Announces Linux Support

NEON Systems Inc. has announced that their enterprise access and integration product, Shadow Direct, supports Linux. Shadow Direct provides open access and integration of data and transactions residing on System /390 environments from standard APIs (ODBC, JDBC, and OLE DB). Linux support for Shadow Direct lets Linux applications directly access System/390 within interoperable System/390 and Linux environments. According to the company, Shadow Direct with Linux platform support via JDBC provides the latest in Java-based application server with high-performance access to all System/390 data and transactional sources.

Linux support for licensed customers of Shadow Direct is available via download from the NEON Systems Web site. Free trials are available by contacting info@neonsys.com. For pricing and other information about Shadow Direct support for Linux, contact: NEON Systems, Inc., Sugar Land, TX; WWW: www.neonsys.com.

Quicknet Releases Linux Driver

Quicknet Technologies, Inc has released open source Linux device drivers for their Internet PhoneJACK, Internet LineJACK, and Internet PhoneCARD telephone cards. The device driver code is released under the GNU Public License and has been accepted for inclusion in the latest Linux kernel distribution. The Quicknet Linux drivers include multi-card support, letting developers create multi-line Internet gateways and private inter-office Internet telephony phone systems. The drivers include license-free access to G.711, G.723.1, and TrueSpeech 4.1-8.5. The source code for Quicknet's Linux drivers will be released as part of all new Linux kernels, and is available on the company's Web site. Quicknet's drivers will be included in all the Linux distributions, including Red Hat, SuSE, TurboLinux, Debian, Caldera, and Corel.

Designed for home office and small to mid-sized businesses, the Internet LineJACK turns an analog telephone line and a PC into a single line telephone gateway for PC-to-PC, PC-to-Phone, or Phone-to-PC calling. For office-to-office connectivity with a LAN and personal use with a modem, the Internet PhoneJACK, Desktop Internet Telephony card, and Internet PhoneCARD for mobile users turn analog telephones or PBX's into Internet telephones with hardware-based echo cancellation, full-duplex audio, and speakerphone capability.

For more information on Quicknet Linux drivers, contact: Quicknet Technologies, Inc., San Francisco, CA; (415) 864-5225; Internet: sales@quicknet.net; WWW: http://www.quicknet.net.

Partnership Releases Maple 6

Numerical Algorithms Group (NAG) and Waterloo Maple have released Maple 6 for UNIX, Linux, Windows, and Macintosh. The Maple 6 math engine is an integrated suite of symbolic and numerical solvers. According to the companies, Maple 6 combines the flexibility and intelligence of Waterloo Maple's symbolic computation algorithms with the reliability, accuracy, and power of the NAG numerical solvers.

Features of Maple 6 include end-users features to its programming language, large-scale floating-point data handling, and user interface. Additional features of Maple 6 include seamless connectivity to Excel 2000 and the ability to export to RTF. Both of these features let users coordinate and share data between Maple 6 and other general productivity tools. Also a suite of language features for programmers has been added to Maple 6.

Maple 6 is price at $1,695 for a single version on Linux, Windows, and Macintosh. The pricing for concurrent usage licensing starts at $2,240. For more information, contact: Waterloo Maple, 57 Erb Street West, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada N2L 6C2; (519) 747-2373; Fax: 9519) 747-5284; Internet: info@maplesoft.com; WWW: http://www.maplesoft.com.

UniTrends Launches Air-Bag for UnixWare 7

UniTrends Software Corp., with Cactus International Inc., has launched System Crash Air-Bag for UnixWare 7, a crash recovery tool. System Crash Air-Bag for UnixWare 7 is a comprehensive, crash recovery tool for UnixWare 7 servers, letting users restore a complete, fully configured system after a full crash in less than 20 minutes. UnixWare 7 Air-Bag includes fully automatic modes that let users restore the complete system without having any knowledge of the UnixWare OS. Alternatively, an expert menu provides key features such as CMOS restore; fixing a vxfs PANIC; BTLD supports (including all three BTLD formats); Hard Disk Single User mode; and a Slice Manger for control of slices and filesystem, which also aids in edvtoc.

According to the company, UnixWare 7 Air-Bag is a necessary and comprehensive adjunct to RAID and disk mirroring, which are still vulnerable to power surges, RFI, and controller failure. Air-Bag allows full control over the restoration process with options for ROOT-only restore, STAND-only restores, and SINGLE FILESYSTEM-only restore. Air-Bag 7 also supports remote diagnostics with a dial-in modem capability. Other features of Air-Bag include automatically resetting changed security permissions after a restore, rebuilding/resetting and user's UnixWare 7 Device Database to a correct state, creating a bootable CD-ROM with the full Air-Bag suite, and auto-merging new filesystems. Additionally, Air-Bag also fixes “Disk not Sane” fatal booting error messages and includes diagnostic and filesystem status reporting, and bootability checking.

System Crash Air-Bag for UnixWare 7 is included in the purchase of either CTAR or Backup Professional, which start at $450. For more information, contact: UniTrends Software, Inc., 1601 Oak St., Suite 201, Myrtle Beach, SC 29577; (800) 684-2827; Fax: (843) 626-5202; Internet: sales@unitrands.com; WWW: http://ww.unitrends.com.

Amdahl's Platinum/400 Supports UNIX

Amdahl has announced that its Platinum/400 RAID storage subsystem can now support UNIX and Windows NT platforms as well as System/390. The storage system relies on a SAN environment for UNIX and NT. The Platinum/400 links to HP-UX, Sun Solaris, and IBM AIX so that organizations can use a single storage platform for different needs, which helps organizations create an internal connecting infrastructure.

Features of Platinum/400 include: SCSI or Fibre Channel attachment; Platinum Back eXpress for backup from open systems platforms to the enterprise mainframe; storage area networks; and STARmanager and SUNRISE products, which provide a centralized location for the backup of distributed data and monitor the recoverability status of multi-tier applications.

Platinum/400 pricing varies with system configuration. For more information, contact: Amdahl, WWW: http://www.amdahl.com/doc/products/ess/plat400/.

Tatung Announces Quad-Processing Servers

Tatung Science and Technology Inc. has announced the release of the COMPstation U4MP Series Model 4450, a high-end server that can support up to four 450-MHz UltraSPARC II processors. Its 4 MB of external cache per processor leverages the four-way chip technology. The COMPstation 4450 ships in both tower and rack-mount configurations.

The server comes preinstalled with Solaris 7, which includes an enhanced common desktop environment. Users can also maintain full binary compatibility with software being used with SPARC systems. Three optional modular software extensions are also offered: Solaris Enterprise Server, Easy Access Server, and Solaris ISP Server. The rackmount server supports two 66-MHz, 64-bit PCI devices and four 33-MHz, 64-bit PCI devices. It features up to eight drive bays suitable for 5.25-inch slots and a 3.5-inch slot. Options include up to 4 GB of RAM, 280 GB or more of hard-disk storage, and ATM connectivity.

Pricing for the standard rack-mount configuration COMPstation 4450R starts at $32,530. The tower cabinet model can support 14 or more drive bays. For more information, contact: Tatung Science and Technology, WWW: http://www.tsti.com/u45.html.