Tandem Computers Inc and Stratus Computer Inc, the two companies that together dominate the fault-tolerant transaction processing systems market, are each preparing new top-end machines for introduction this autumn as they prepare to hedge their bets with native fault-tolerant Unix offerings. Tandem Computers, Cupertino has a new high-end machine code-named Cyclone to run its Guardian operating system, and according to Electronic News will unveil it in October. Next year, Tandem plans to come out with a parallel family of Unix-based machines built around the R series RISC microprocessor from MIPS Computer Systems Inc. The first of these is expected to have three processors, and to deliver performance comparable with its low-end NonStops. When the MIPS-based machines arrive, Tandem is likely to drop the standard – non-fault-tolerant – Unix machines it buys OEM from Altos Computer Systems Inc and sells as the LXN. Coming from Marlborough, Massachusetts-based Stratus is a line of 68030-based machines to replace the 68020-based XA2000 line; the 68030 is suddenly interesting now that it is offered in a 50MHz version. For the future, Stratus is working on machines using Intel Corp’s new 80860 RISC chip, but before that arrives, either later this year or early next, it will launch a native fault-tolerant Unix for its Motorola machines. It presently offers a USF Unix implementation of Unix that runs under its proprietary VOS, but is expected to drop that when the native Unix – which will be able to run either alone or alongside VOS – arrives. According to Computer Systems News, performance testing of the new Unix is under way, and first signs are that it matches, or may outperform, VOS.
