Sunnyvale, California-based MIPS Computer Systems Inc yesterday previewed its hot offering for this week’s Unix Expo, saying that on Wednesday it will take the wraps off the RC6380-100/400 RISComputer, a server jointly developed with Control Data Corp that it claims sets a new performance standard for data centre-class machines by combining fully symmetric multiprocessing and ECL RISCs. The box uses the R6000A, which MIPS reckons is the fastest RISC microprocessor found in a multiprocessor. The company is also unveiling the new release, 5.0, of its RISC/os Unix: enhancements include support for Unix Systems Laboratories Inc’s System V.4, and compliance with X/Open Co Portability Guide 3, Posix and Federal Information Processing Standards. The RC6380-100/400 is aimed at mixed environments, and is claimed to offer fast response time for complex database queries and fast time-to-completion for batch processing. It is also touted for scientific and engineering work, where it is claimed greatly to accelerate time-to-completion for simulations, design verification and other compute-intensive tasks – designers of MIPS R4000 systems will find the RC6380-100/400 the fastest design automation server for MIPS System Programmer’s Package, MIPS says. Support for multiple Ethernet, FDDI, X25, SNA and other networks means that the machine can be linked to other servers and handle hundreds of clients – workstations, personal computers and X terminals. A base system, starting at $196,500, has one CPU, 128Mb memory expandable to 1Gb, SCSI, Ethernet, six VMEbus slots and an unlimited user licence for RISC/os; ships to resellers have started.
