PRESS INFORMIX AND IBM DEMONSTRATE TECHNOLOGY FOR MASSIVELY PARALLEL SYSTEMS AT UNIFORUM
INFORMIX AND IBM DEMONSTRATE TECHNOLOGY FOR MASSIVELY PARALLEL SYSTEMS AT UNIFORUM Uniforum, Dallas, Tex. (March 15, 1995) -- Informix Software, Inc. (NASDAQ:IFMX), the leader in parallel processing database technology, will demonstrate INFORMIX(R)-OnLine Extended Parallel Server (TM) (XPS) for massively parallel and loosely-coupled systems on IBM's Power Parallel SP2(TM) systems at today's Uniforum conference in Dallas, Texas. Development of OnLine XPS for SP2 began in June, 1994, and is now slated for availability later this year. INFORMIX-OnLine XPS is a highly scalable, reliable, high-performance, open database server which will provide the power needed to help manage increasingly larger, more complex databases while substantially improving overall system performance, scalability and availability. OnLine XPS is designed for users of high-end computers who require database software which will utilize all of their available hardware such as processing power, memory and disk space. Very large, complex databases (VLDBs) are typically over 100 gigabytes and are seen in computing environments such as online transaction processing, decision support systems, data warehousing and batch processing. OnLine XPS is ideal for interfacing to VLDBs since it can utilize all available CPUs and produce processing gains which are directly proportional to the number of CPUs available. For example, OnLine XPS on the SP2 with 6 CPUs would execute a complex query in 1/6 the time, or query 6 times the data in the same time as a single CPU system. Clusters and MPP Systems Offer Scalability, Performance and Availability Clustered and massively parallel systems offer customers the potential for tremendous scalability, performance and availability for online transaction processing and decision support applications. These systems can scale easily to accommodate growing numbers of users and databases because additional CPU resources can be added without requiring retuning and rehosting of application software. These multiple CPU resources, in conjunction with the functionality of Informix's parallel data query (PDQ) capabilities, will also provide customers with tremendous query performance and extremely high availability. OnLine XPS will enable customers to configure their systems to provide continuous availability, presenting end users with highly reliable access to their databases. About IBM's POWER Parallel Division and SP2 IBM produces world-class scalable parallel information and computing systems for commercial and scientific/technical customers. The IBM Scalable POWER Parallel Systems SP2, an integral part of the IBM RS/6000 line, features design and performance leadership and offers exceptional reliability and versatility. IBM's recently announced POWER Parallel Division is headquartered in Somers, NY. The IBM SP2 is IBM's general-purpose, high-performance parallel processing computer that runs AIX(R), IBM's implementation of the UNIX(R) operating system. It combines the number-intensive processing capabilities of scientific and technical computers with the vast data storage and complex analysis strengths typical of commercial information processing systems -- making the SP2 particularly well-suited for solving extremely complex or data-intensive problems in science and industry. Parallel processing on the IBM SP2 links together from two to 512 IBM RISC System/6000(R) (RS/6000(R)) processors. The processing of database queries and updates can be spread across these processors, enabling the high-performance computer to support many users and analyze massive amounts of data at blazing speeds. The flexibility of the SP2 allows customers to run both parallel and non-parallel applications at the same time. 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 Control (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 form PCs to mainframes within the corporate computing environment. The company's corporate headquarters is in Menlo Park, California. ### INFORMIX is a registered trademark and OnLine Extended Parallel Server are trademarks of Informix Software, Inc. All other companies mentioned or other names indicated by (R) or (TM) are registered trademarks of their respective manufacturer. -- %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% William Daul Advanced Support INFORMIX SOFTWARE INC. 4100 Bohannon Dr. (415) 926-6488 - wk Menlo Park, CA. 94025 uunet!infmx!billd or billd@informix.com