Hewlett-Packard Co is not going to let the market for iAPX-86 personal computer architecture servers escape it just because its primary server focus is on HP 9000 Unix machines, and since it launched its NetServer line last year, it has made rapid headway into the market. Its latest offering in the line is the NetServer 5/133 LH, a fault-tolerant server designed to support scalable multiprocessing for business-critical local network environments. Based on the PCI bus, it features input-output expandability, built-in internal disk duplexing and an intelligent hot-swap subsystem. All models come standard with HP NetServer Navigator, a bootable CD-ROM with tools designed to simplify the installation, configuration and management of HP NetServers. The HP NetServer LH Series offers scalable processors, from 75MHz to 133MHz Pentiums, and comes standard with 32Mb memory, expandable to 192Mb, and features 256Kb of external write-back-cache in the single-Pentium configuration.
Disk duplexing
The PCI bus architecture accommodates up to five PCI input-output expansion slots (and four EISA slots) and two integrated PCI Fast SCSI-2 controllers on the bus. All models are equipped with a new hot-swap subsystem with dual SCSI backplanes for easy internal disk duplexing and continued access to the server during replacement of failed drives. This hot-swap subsystem also comes with an intelligent bus for managing the subsystem and its hard disks. Network operating systems supported include VINES, OS/2 Warp and LAN Server, Windows NT Server, NetWare, UnixWare and OpenServer. The HP NetServer Navigator includes HP OpenView for Windows, along with HP NetServer Assistant 2.2 server-management software for proactive alerting and problem resolution, including pre-failure disk warranty. For security, each HP NetServer LH has a power-on password-locking keyboard with optional time-out and screen-blanking capability. In addition, it features enable-disable capability for serial port, floppy drive and switches. The optional HP Remote Assistant board provides comprehensive remote diagnostics and hardware environmental monitoring. Like the HP NetServer LC and LS Series, the NetServer LH Series has built-in automatic server restart and temperature monitoring for increased server uptime. The NetServer 5/133 LH is expected to be available by the end of November with street price for a 133MHz Pentium system starting at about $7,500.
