The Olivetti Systems & Networks arm of Ing C Olivetti & Co SpA picked Monte Carlo for the launch of its high-end systems from Pyramid Technology Corp, unveiled by Pyramid itself back in April (CI No 1,653). Introduced as the LSX 6500, the new RISC based system is rated at 300 MIPS, is aimed at the transaction processing and database management market and runs under Unix System V.4. Three models are offered, with the top end 6550 supporting up to 1,000 users and coming with 12 microprocessors. It uses the MIPS Computer Systems Inc R3000 chip with a memory bus running at 80Mbytes per second while the input-output bus has a 40Mbytes per second transfer rate. Each processor has a primary cache of 64Kb for instructions and 64Kb for data as well as a 4Mb secondary cache. The LSX 6540 is a departmental system that supports up to 512 users and is configurable with upto four microprocessors. The entry level system takes one or two microprocessors and supports up to 128 users. The company also extended its LSX 5000 family, built around Intel Corp iAPX-86 family chips and manufactured by Olivetti in Cupertino, California. The LSX 5030 and 5040 use a symmetrical double bus multiprocessor architecture and they can support up to four 33MHz or 50MHz 80486s. The system bus has a transfer rate of 150Mbytes per second, a 64-bit data path, memory expansion up to 256Mb as well as 30Gb of mass storage. Both run under symmetrical Unix System V.4. Olivetti says that it is developing an entry-level workstation for LSX 6500 family that will be based on the Advanced Computing Environment specifications, but no date was given for that. The company also announced a number of strategic agreements, including a technical one with Unix System Laboratories that makes the Tuxedo transaction processing system available for Olivetti’s Open Systems Architecture, and casts further doubt on the rival NCR Corp Top One product surviving the merger with AT&T Co. Olivetti will also implement DEC’s DECmcc communications software under a five year worldwide licence. Oracle 6.0.31 with a transaction processing option and Informix OnLine 4.0 are now available for the LSX5000 systems. The new machines seem to eliminate completely Olivetti’s LSX family based on the Motorola Inc 68000 microprocessor line. LSX 6500 prices start at UKP50,000 to UKP60,000. The entry-level model is available now, the rest follow this year.
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