Programmed Logic Corp says that two large customers have now committed to use its StackOS embedded storage operating system software, which has just reached its version 2 release. The two customers will not be identified until products begin shipping, the Somerset, New Jersey-based company said. Announcements are expected during the first half of this year. So far, Programmed Logic has announced only small customer wins for the operating system, from companies such as Creative Design Solutions Inc and Retrieve Inc. StacOS 2.0, originally named ESME, improves performance over the original version by adding features such as a fast SCSI framework, fast TCP/IP stack and optional features to export a file system simultaneously to Windows and Unix clients, using integrated NFS and SMB protocols. Programmed Logic claims to be the only player in this market, although it admits that hardware manufacturers such as Auspex Inc and Network Appliance Corp, and the software house Veritas Corp, offer products that overlap with some of the functionality it offers. StacOS stacks over a real-time operating system, such as Wind River Systems Inc’s VXWorks or Accelerated Technologies Inc’s Nucleus, enabling them to support the high-availability file systems, virtual memory and high-end data management capabilities needed for storage applications while retaining a small code size. It includes a journaling file system, volume manager, and modules such as on-line backup, hierarchical storage management and real-time data compression. StacOS can be used for what Programmed Logic terms the next-generation of storage appliances, including direct-attach, fiber channel, storage area networks, and web appliances, and has been ported to numerous chip architectures, such as the Intel i960 and Advanced RISC Machines Ltd ARM processors. Additional ports can be carried out in about 30 days, it says, though testing takes an additional few months. The company also has its eye on the back- up applications business, and says it will be coming out with separate announcements in this area over the next few months, moving into competition with vendors such as Legato Systems Inc and the combined Veritas-Openvision. Last year it licensed its SnapShot online backup software to fault-tolerant server manufacturer Invincible Technologies Corp. Privately-held Programmed Logic is still small, with a little over 20 staff, but says it’s been profitable since day one. Although the first version of its embedded systems software began shipping last April, most of the company’s revenues still come from the Unix market: it supplies the Santa Cruz Operation with file system software, for instance. It expects the emphasis to shift over to embedded business over the company year.
