New products for the week of April 14
By John J. McLaughlin, FlashBack, Inc.
flash@flashback.com.
Back to the comprehensive index of April's new products.
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Table of Contents
Hardware
Software
Books
Hardware
Product:
LynxArray Series 3000
- Redundant Array of Independent Disks (RAID) systems
Company: Artecon, Inc.
(Carlsbad CA)
Telephone: (619) 431-4463
Fax: (619) 931-5527
E-mail: info@artecon.com
URL: http://www.artecon.com
Platforms: Unix
Description:
New series of open-systems RAID solutions. Designed for small to
midsize networks requiring 27 to 82 Gb of storage capacity. Ensures
fail-safe operation of networks by providing global hot swapping for
multiple RAID sets, automatic failure detection, background drive
rebuilding and a comprehensive failure management system. Features
include: Scalability -- grows from 27 to 82 Gb and beyond to terabyte
solutions, without discarding components. Failover options can be
added as required. Flexibility -- multi-hosted controllers improve
performance, add redundancy, and create higher connectivity. Support
for any combination of 3.5" or half-height 5.25" devices such as tape
drives for inline backup. Serviceability -- hot-swap removable
controllers, disk drives, fans, and power supplies. Density of
Packaging -- in only 7", 82 Gb for 52 Gb/cubic foot of failover RAID.
Performance -- controller is based on an Intel-486 microprocessor at
4600 I/Os per second. Ultra-Wide SCSI channels from host computer
through controllers to drives allow 40 Mb per second burst and 33 Mb
per second sustained transfer rates.
Product:
Multiport
- serial communications controllers
Company: Aurora Technologies Inc.
(Waltham, MA)
Telephone: (617) 290-4800
Fax: (617) 290-4844
E-mail: info@auratek.com
URL: http://www.auratek.com
Platforms: Sun Solaris
Description:
Three families of PCI-bus serial controllers for Sun Solaris
workstations and servers: Aries Multiport 8- and 16-port 115.2 kbps
asynchronous serial communications controllers; the Apollo Multiport
4-port 230.4 kbps asynchronous serial communications controller; and
Saturn Multiport 2- and 4-port synchronous/asynchronous communications
controllers. These controllers are used to connect serial devices
such as modems, terminals, instrumentation, and printers to Sun
systems. They are also used for remote LAN and WAN access
applications.
Software
Product:
ADSTAR Distributed Storage Manager (ADSM), v 2.6
- storage management with unattended network backup and archiving
Company: IBM Corp.
(San Jose, CA)
Telephone: (800) IBM-CALL, (800) 4IBM-SSD
E-mail: adsmsales@vnet.ibm.com, adstarsw@vnet.ibm.com
URL: http://www.storage.ibm.com/adsm
Platforms: Sun Solaris
Description:
A complete storage management solution integrating unattended network
backup and archiving with hierarchical storage management and disaster
recovery planning. For heterogeneous network environments with
extensive platform capability; ensures data integrity through
consistent policy management. Protects against critical data loss
through its Disaster Recovery Manager; provides backup and restore
across the storage hierarchy (disk, optical and tape) or directly to
tape. Benefits: increases productivity and the business "bottom
line" by providing quick access to critical data stored across the
network; automates storage management functions, such as policy
administration and central scheduling; maximizes the use of storage
media by moving less frequently accessed data to slower, less
expensive media (e.g. disk to tape); "intelligent architecture" backs
up only new or changed data; business recovery features protect the
entire storage management environment against media loss and disaster;
and supports mixed-computing environments.
Product:
Automation Toolkit
- gives applications access to Web-based data and services
($295)
Company: webMethods, Inc.
(Fairfax, VA)
Telephone: (703) 352-8501
Fax: (703) 352-0370
E-mail: info@webmethods.com
URL: http://www.webmethods.com
Platforms: Windows 95/NT, Solaris, AIX, Linux, Macintosh
Description:
Gives IS developers the ability to access Web-based data and services
from within business applications. Generates Java classes and manages
objects representing Web resources. These classes provide transparent
access to Web data and services from standalone and server-side Java
applications, as well as browser-based applets. A new Automation
Engine runs alongside Web servers and generates HTML documents from
automation templates that point to other Web addresses as data
sources. It enables aggregation and retrieval of specific data from
diverse Web sites. For instance, a company creating a Web-based
catalog is now able to rapidly establish "information contracts" with
business partners to pull up-to-the-minute, product pricing data
directly from a manufacturer's Web sites. A company can also
construct an internal clipping service by extracting and collecting
targeted information from departmental Web servers. The heart of the
Toolkit is a Web Interface Definition Language (WIDL), which serves as
a schema language for the Web. It enables Java/HTML data mapping and
is used to define access methods for data elements and functional
servers available from Web addresses (URLs) in much the same way that
SQL is used to access relational databases.
Product:
Eminent Domain
- registers and maintains domain names on intranets and Internet
Company: LanMinds, Inc.
(Berkeley, CA)
Telephone: (888) 420-0420, (510) THE-NETWork (510-843-6389)
E-mail: info@lanminds.com
URL: http:/www.lanminds.com
Platforms: Oracle
Description:
Tool designed to automate the process of registering and maintaining
domain names on intranets and the Internet. Uses Oracle's Network
Computing Architecture platform to support the management of Internet
Top-Level Domain names (TLDs). Product is geared toward the TLD
market created by the recent Enhanced Domain Name Service (eDNS)
Charter -- a new project intended to resolve the problems surrounding
current Top-Level Domain (TLD) ownership, control and certification by
creating a more open market in TLD registration. Uses Oracle's
Universal Server and Web Application Server for registration services,
administration functions and interfaces to domain name servers.
Generates dynamic web pages to support database interaction; uses Web
Application Server cartridges to interface databases to custom domain
name services. ISPs and other Internet service companies that manage
their own domain servers, whether or not they are top level domain
servers, will be able to automate the administration of DNS including
end-user billing and other custom services.
Product:
EtherPage and EtherWeb
- Remote messaging integrated with Vantive HelpDesk
(from $595 per server)
Company: Personal Productivity Tools
(Los Altos Hills, CA)
Telephone: (415) 917-7000
Fax: (415) 917-7010
E-mail: sales@ppt.com
URL: http://www.ppt.com
Platforms: Servers: SunOS 4.1.x, Solaris 2.x, Solaris X86 2.x,
Description:
EtherPage and EtherWeb software has been integrated with Vantive
HelpDesk, a customer asset management solution. This provides an
automated, condition-sensitive wireless notification capability.
Users can submit trouble tickets tagged for automatic wireless
messages to appropriate personnel, from any application. It provides
a table-driven, three-tiered escalation mechanism with automatic
assignment and paging to the appropriate specialist. Users specify
escalation priorities based on conditions, events or transactions
occurring on Web pages, e-mail, database or network monitoring systems
along with the actual numbers to be paged to effect the integration.
Eliminates the need for personnel to monitor and then manually send
multiple pages; messages can be sent automatically if a problem is
escalated without additional intervention. Messages can include
contact information and problem descriptions, eliminating or greatly
reducing the need for return calls.
Product:
FaxExpress
- routes Web messages, orders and inquiries to fax machines
Company: FaxSav Incorporated
(Edison, NJ)
Telephone: (908) 906-2000
E-mail: internet@faxsav.com
URL: http://www.faxsav.com
Description:
Adds fax capability to Web sites without any additional fax server
hardware or software. Routes inquiries, orders or messages to
locations that do not have email. Gives the option to fax messages
when email is not available. Can be used to send Web inquiries to a
remote fax machine, and receive customer orders, inquiries or messages
from a Web site at a fax machine. A Web developer can route a
message, order, or inquiry entered by a Web visitor and reformat and
deliver it to a specified fax machine. Web site owners can use it to
adapt messages to conform to their current workflow. For example,
when a company prefers to receive its orders in hard copy form,
routing Web orders to their fax machine solves this requirement.
Product:
SoftWindows 95 v4.0 for UNIX
- Allows UNIX users to run Windows 95-based applications
($599)
Company: Insignia Solutions
(Santa Clara, CA)
Telephone: (800) 848-7677, U.K.: +44-1-494-453300
E-mail: info@insignia.com
URL: http://www.insignia.com
Platforms: HP, SPARC (SunOS 4 and Solaris 2.5), IBM
Description:
Windows/UNIX integration tool for the corporate environment. Lets
UNIX users run Windows 95-based applications with no additional
hardware; provides complete Windows 95 environment with Windows
multimedia support, PC networking and PC file sharing capabilities;
and supports both 16- and 32-bit Windows-based applications, including
networking. Emulates a complete Pentium-based PC with networking and
sound support, running 16- and 32-bit personal productivity
applications, including Microsoft Office 97, alongside Unix
workstation applications. Includes a pre-installed copy of an
optimized version of Microsoft Windows 95. Allows users to start
Windows 95 in a matter of seconds, compared to the several minutes it
takes on a hardware PC. Gives users the option to continue running
Windows 3.11 or install Windows 95. Includes Windows multimedia
support, PC networking and PC file sharing capabilities. New sound
support includes the ability to play .wav files and .avi movies.
Includes full integration between PC and UNIX environments, including
cut and paste of text and graphics, and data sharing. Supports long
file names, eliminating the 'eight-dot-three' nomenclature limitation
of earlier Windows versions.
Books
Product:
Advancing HTML: Style and Substance
- guide to Web user interface specifications and tools
($29.95)
ISBN: 1-56592-264-6
Company: O'Reilly & Associates
(Sebastopol, CA)
Telephone: (707) 829-0515, (800) 998-9938
Fax: (707) 829-0104
E-mail: order@ora.com
URL: http://www.ora.com
Platforms: HTML
Description:
A guide to specifications and tools for the user interface to the
World Wide Web -- the technologies that make the Web come alive on the
screen, on paper, in Braille, and on the phone. HTML provides the
core of the user interface for the Web. HTML 3.2 enables Web users to
take advantage of features such as tables, applets, text flow around
images, and super- and subscripts. Along with the HTML 3.2 spec, the
book features the latest stylesheet and multimedia standards, and the
cascading style sheets (CSS1) specification. CSS can control colors,
whitespace, multicolumn layouts, fonts, and more. Also included are
user guides for HTML and CSS, a report on Amaya (the web client that
acts as both a browser and an authoring tool), an overview of GIF
animation, a look at how JavaScript can customize HTML to be more
dynamic, papers on web accessibility, usability engineering, and
multimedia design. It also looks behind the scenes at the members of
the HTML editorial review board and their challenges in developing
3.2.
Product:
Apache: The Definitive Guide
- how to obtain, set up, and secure Apache software
($34.95, including CD-ROM)
Author: Ben Laurie & Peter Laurie
ISBN: 1-56592-250-6
Company: O'Reilly & Associates
(Sebastopol, CA)
Telephone: (707) 829-0515, (800) 998-9938
Fax: (707) 829-0104
E-mail: order@ora.com
URL: http://www.ora.com
Platforms: Unix, Apache
Description:
Written and reviewed by key members of the Apache Group, about free
UNIX Web server software (used on about half of the world's existing
Web sites). Describes how to obtain, set up, and secure Apache
software. Originally based on code and ideas found in the popular
HTTP server NCSA httpd 1.3, it has since evolved into a system that
rivals other UNIX-based HTTP servers in terms of functionality,
efficiency, and speed. Apache includes several features not found in
the free NCSA server, among which are configurable error messages,
DBM-based authentication databases, and content negotiation. It also
offers improved performance and fixes many bugs in the NCSA 1.3 code.
Contents of the book include: The history of the Apache Group;
Obtaining and compiling the server; Configuring and running Apache,
including such topics as directory structures, virtual hosts, and CGI
programming; The Apache Module API; Apache security; A complete list
of configuration directives; and A complete demo of a sample Web site.
Product:
Developing Visual Applications
- guide to XIL and the basics of image processing
($49)
Author: William K. Pratt
ISBN: 0-13-461948-X
Company: Sun Microsystems Press
(Mountain View, CA)
Telephone: (800) 428-5331 ext. 90
Fax: (800) 882-8583
E-mail: sunsoftpress@sun.com
URL: http://www.sun.com/books/
Platforms: XIL: Solaris (SPARC and x86), HPUX, Windows 95
Description:
Describes the XIL imaging foundation library from Sun, showing
developers how to implement imaging in their applications, and to make
those applications portable. Covers: The mechanics of acquiring,
displaying and recording images; XIL image representation and
processing control; Using image processing operators to enhance,
manipulate & analyze images; Combining basic operators into more
advanced image processing algorithms; XIL still and motion video
compression, including JPEG and MPEG; and an Overview of advanced
imaging and Java. Every XIL imaging function is introduced in a
non-mathematical fashion and then followed up with precise
mathematical definitions, so knowledgeable developers can understand
exactly how each function behaves. The accompanying CD-ROM contains
source, images, and binaries for the XIL libraries on Solaris for both
SPARC and x86, HPUX, and Windows 95 platforms, as well as several
complete XIL programs and functions discussed throughout the book.
Product:
Networktin the New Enterprise
- IT Architecture Networking
($38)
Author: Harris Kern, Randy Johnson, Michael Hawkins, and Howie Lyke
ISBN: 0-13-263427-9
Company: Sun Microsystems Press
(Mountain View, CA)
Telephone: (800) 428-5331 ext. 90
Fax: (800) 882-8583
E-mail: sunsoftpress@sun.com
URL: http://www.sun.com/books
Description:
Tackles information technology questions facing business professionals
today, and provides solutions. An end-to-end, business person's guide
to planning, implementing and managing networks that support the goals
of an enterprise. Discusses the make-or-break technology and business
decisions required to evolve a network for the 21st century.
Evaluates the costs of networking and planning networking projects.
Includes expert briefings on the technology trends that impact
businesses, including switching, high speed technologies and
intranets. Helps determine how to choose and implement the best
intranet or groupware solution for an organization. Explains why a
carefully designed network architecture is critical to success. Walks
through issues that must be addressed in planning such an
architecture, including: Internet connectivity; Security; Network
management; Backbone networking; Facilities and infrastructure; Remote
access; Network access; Servers and desktop systems; and Integrating
multiplatform environments.
Product:
sed & awk, 2nd Edition
- guide to two Unix text processing programs
($29.95)
Author: Dale Dougherty & Arnold Robbins
ISBN: 1-56592-225-5
Company: O'Reilly & Associates
(Sebastopol, CA)
Telephone: (707) 829-0515, (800) 998-9938
Fax: (707) 829-0104
E-mail: order@ora.com
URL: http://www.ora.com
Platforms: Unix
Description:
Second edition of a handbook for UNIX programmers. A guide to two
text processing programs that are mainstays of the UNIX programmer's
toolbox, describing both programs in detail and including a chapter of
example scripts. Sed is a "stream editor" for editing streams of text
that might be too large to edit as a single file, or that might be
generated on the fly as part of a larger data processing step. The
most common sed operation is substitution, replacing one block of text
with another. Awk is a complete programming language, and "data
driven" -- you specify what kind of data you are interested in and the
operations to be performed when that data is found. It opens and
closes data files, reads records, breaks the records up into fields,
and counts them. It also includes some unconventional features, such
as extended regular expression matching and associative arrays.
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Last updated: 14 April 1997