Novell Inc has delivered on its promise to provide symmetric multiprocessing for NetWare 4 (CI No 2,389), and in a break with tradition will market it exclusively through OEM partners. NetWare 4.1 SMP has been implemented as a NetWare Loadable Module and is designed to enable users to maximise server performance by multithreading across multiple processor-intensive portions of the network operating system, including local area network traffic management, encryption, the SPX protocol transport, and the application programming environment. Novell said it has integrated a pre-emptive symmetric multiprocessing kernel to manage task scheduling across the processors, while an enhanced monitor utility is said to enable network administrators to track usage of each processor in the server. Also to maximise server performance, NetWare 4.1 SMP is designed to enable users to take advantage of new symmetric multiprocessing-enabled NetWare Loadable Modules. Novell said it is working with companies including Oracle Corp, Sybase Inc and Btrieve Technologies Inc on the development of symmetric multiprocessing-enabled offerings: Oracle is planning to release Oracle7 Enterprise Server in November and Oracle7 Workgroup Server at the start of next year, while Sybase is scheduled to come out with symmetric multiprocessing support during the first quarter of next year, with support from Btrieve following during the next quarter. For its part, Novell said that core Post Office component of its GroupWise productivity suite can be symmetric multiprocessing-enabled via a software switch. Within the next 90 days, it plans also to release sy mmetric multiprocessing-enabled versions of two more GroupWise components, the message transfer agent, and the Simple Message Tranport Protocol Gateway. In total, Novell has signed up 18 OEM partners, including AT&T Global Information Solutions, Compaq Computer Corp, Dell Computer Corp, Digital Equipment Corp, Hewlett-Packard Co, IBM Corp, NEC Corp, Toshiba Corp and Zenith Data Systems. They will set their own pricing.
NOVELL DELIVERS SYMMETRIC MULTIPROCESSING FOR NETWARE
