Executive Software Ships I/O Express Version 4.0

G lendale, California - March 21, 1996: Executive Software has announced shipment of its I/O EXPRESS automatic data caching software for OpenVMS Alpha and VAX. I/O EXPRESS Version 4.0 has been completely redesigned from the ground up to maximize the power of the Alpha CPU by defeating system-halting disk I/O bottlenecks.

^" T oday's disk drives are not keeping pace with steep increases in CPU speeds. Without I/O EXPRESS running on an Alpha, its technology and performance potential is blocked and cannot be fully realized," stated Howard Butler, Executive Software's Director of Product Planning.

I /O EXPRESS is a fully automatic data caching software product that boosts I/O throughput and gets more work done by storing frequently accessed data blocks in available system memory. This provides considerably faster data transfer to the processor than from disks, roughly 0.5 to 2 milliseconds per I/O vs. 20 to 40 milliseconds per I/O.

W hile CPU performance has increased a hundredfold over the last ten years, disk speeds have only quadrupled during this same time period. For example, in 1986 the VAX 8600 ran at 4.2 VUPs (VAX Units of Processing). Now, ten years later, the Alpha 21164, 333 MHz chip blazes along at approximately 400 VUPs. As a result, lightning-fast CPUs are being crippled by sluggish disk drives and I/O bottlenecks are costing systems lost time and production.

I /O EXPRESS is a safe and transparent "Set It and Forget It" product. Data integrity is safely preserved by immediately writing any changed data directly to disk, and then to the cache. I/O EXPRESS dynamically allocates and deallocates system memory for the data caching operation. This maximizes system performance every minute of the day.

T he caching algorithm used in version 4.0 of I/O EXPRESS was first designed for the advanced hardware technology of Alpha, and was then ported to the VAX. System performance is launched to new heights by utilizing read-ahead caching and a streamlined, more efficient use of system memory.

T he new I/O Wait Monitor Utility in I/O EXPRESS features enhanced tools for monitoring sources of bottlenecks, and provides detailed statistical displays of before and after results from caching.

I /O EXPRESS provides faster access and eliminates users waiting for files in a variety of I/O intensive applications such as databases, batch jobs, scientific and research, graphics, multimedia, accounting/ financial programs, inventory, order and data entry, hospital, and manufacturing environments.

I /O EXPRESS is a winner of the Digital News & Review Target Award for excellence in the category of Best I/O Enhancement Software. Executive Software is a three-time winner of Software Magazine's User's Choice Award for Software Service and Support in Digital VAX-Based Management. Prices for I/O EXPRESS range from $480 to $19,800.

D isk I/O bottlenecks in OpenVMS systems can be measured free of charge with the I/O Wait Monitor Utility. The utility can be separately downloaded for free from here.