File server manufacturer Auspex Inc of Santa Clara, California, has lived up to its promise of progressing to Sparc-based Network File System servers with the launch of the NS 3000 and NS 5000, along with board upgrades for its existing 68020-based machines. According to Auspex, the servers can support up to five times as many Network File System clients as Sun’s own Sparcserver 490. The secret is the Auspex Functional Multi-Processor architecture, separating the network, file and disk management functions from the control of the CPU onto specialised processors. Using the Sparc over the 68020 gives Auspex full compatibility with Sparc-based workstations, and speeds up the performance of utilities such as FSCK and Name Information Services (previously Yellow Pages). Auspex uses a 20MHz Sparc rated at 12.5 MIPS and 1.4 MFLOPS, with 64Kb of on-board cache. Base models have 20Mb memory, expandable to 68Mb, memory management unit, SCSI bus interface and two serial ports. The NS 5000 supports 200 dataless or 100 diskless clients, each with heavy Network File System workloads, on up to eight Ethernets. Maximum storage is 60Gb. The machines go on beta test this month, with first shipments in May. Prices are $10,000 more than the Motorola-based versions, starting at $100,000 for the NS 3000 and $124,900 for the NS 5000. Four-year old Auspex, a privately-held company that has been funded to the tune of $20m, launched its first machines back in October 1989.
