A new family of local area network hardware and software products has been launched by DSC Nestar, the European subsidiary of the Richardson, Texas-based DSC Communications Corp (CI No 907). The company, whose UK headquarters are in Weybridge, Surrey, claims that the new Nexos range, which runs on Novell Netware, poses a serious performance threat to competing network products, offers unique security and fault-tolerance features, and is 43% cheaper than the equivalent version of Novell Netware within the UK. Key product within the range is the Nex/Os multi-tasking hardware independent operating system, which contains a Database Engine, and can use most 80286 and 80386-based machines as a file server: records processed at the server by the Database engine are claimed to increase database performance by 600%. The new range also features a Nex/Server based on a 20MHz Intel 80386 with 70Mb, 130Mb or 260Mb of disk, which boasts a real-time tape logging facility: essentially, file updates are automatically placed on an on-line tape within the server, which forms a back up in the event of a failure. Connectivity between the local network and external data sources will be provided by a Nex/Com asynchronous communications server, SNA, 5250 SNA and X25 gateways, while links with the Unix environment can be established by using NEX/TCP communications software or a Nex/Link Ethernet card: other Nex/Link interface cards support Token Ring and ARCnet topologies. ARCnet, Token Ring and Ethernet are also supported by the 6MHz or 8MHz 80286-based IBM BIOS-compatible workstations. The NEX/Os, 70Mb and 130Mb Nex/Server, Nex/Link interface card and Nex/TCP gateway will be available in the UK from April 25 and cost from UKP1,095, UKP10,500, UKP195 and UKP350 respectively: remaining products will be shipped during the third and fourth quarters of the year. The company also plans a Nex/OS2 operating system for November 1988.
