Cupertino, California-based AirSoft Inc is shipping Version 1.2 of its Powerburst software-based remote node accelerator. The new version of the product, which is claimed to increase application response time by 200% to 400% for remote node access to local network-based files, uses a client-agent design and caching algorithms – for which the company has applied for a patent – to eliminate redundant file system calls and thus reduce network traffic and increase remote access performance. Version 1.2 is said to accelerate the performance of server applications running Windows NT Advanced Server, as well as NetWare 3.X and 4.X. Also new is an automatic upgrade capability, said to enable remote machines running the client software to detect newer versions on the server and automatically update themselves. Airsoft has also enhanced the capacity of the system – up to 200 NetWare servers can be accessed from a single Powerburst Agent, according to the company, up from 64 – while the Agent has now also been enhanced to adapt automatically to the unavailability of some servers on its preconfigured list. Finally, the client software has been enhanced to enable users to designate which networked drives will be mapped for caching and acceleration and to control management of disk cache space more closely. According to Gary Krall, the firm’s vice-president of marketing, the enhancements are particularly targeted at large corporate environments, where Powerburst has been most widely adopted. The Agent software, supporting up to 64 simultaneous users, is priced at $1,000, while the client software costs from $645 for five users, up to $245,000 for 5,000 users.
