New Technology Bolsters Linux in Mission-Critical Data Center Applications

BEAVERTON, Ore., June 30 /PRNewswire/ -- PolyServe Inc., the leading
provider of shared data clustering software for Linux-based data centers,
today announced availability of the first symmetric cluster file system on
Linux with integrated multi-path I/O capabilities. The file system, a
cornerstone in a major new release of the company's flagship Matrix Server(TM)
software product, further paves the way for data center managers to deploy
Linux-based server clusters in mission-critical environments.

Today's information technology (IT) customers require seamless, low-cost
scalability to expand their server and storage infrastructure as data demands
grow. And when considering clusters of Linux servers for mission-critical
applications, data center managers require a data infrastructure that is both
recoverable and highly available. PolyServe Matrix Server is the first product
to fully deliver on these challenging requirements. The product's true
symmetric design, where all servers in a cluster are peers, coupled with its
multi-path I/O functionality guarantees there will be no server bottlenecks or
single points of failure clusterwide.

"Organizations are increasingly looking for ways to improve the
performance and scalability of their application systems, lower their hardware
and software acquisition costs and still keep their administrative and
operational costs in line," said Dan Kusnetzky, vice president of System
Software Research for IDC. "One of the approaches IT executives select is to
deploy multi-system configurations based upon virtual storage software and
virtual processing software. When combined, the worldwide revenue in these two
software markets approached $1.3 billion. IDC recognizes PolyServe as an
important proponent of this virtual environment software."

PolyServe Matrix Server Satisfies Grueling Demands

Matrix Server enables multiple low-cost, Linux-based servers to function
as a single, easy-to-use, highly available system. The product comprises a
true symmetric cluster file system (CFS) that enables scalable data sharing,
high availability services that increase system uptime, and cluster and
storage management capabilities for managing servers and storage as one.
Matrix Server customers gain an unparalleled level of scalability,
availability and manageability in support of database, file serving, e-mail,
and Web and media serving applications.

"PolyServe Matrix Server is unmatched in its ability to support the most
demanding mission-critical workloads with the type of recoverability and high
availability that our customers demand," said Steve Norall, general manager of
Linux Solutions for PolyServe. "We have seen broad adoption of Matrix Server
in some of the most grueling circumstances imaginable."

Available with the new release of Matrix Server, PolyServe's symmetric
CFS, unlike master server-based CFS approaches, treats all servers in a
cluster as peers. The tasks that a cluster must perform are distributed
uniformly across all servers in the cluster, eliminating the limitations on
performance, scalability and availability inherent in a master server
architecture.

Matrix Server's new multi-path I/O functionality means a switch, storage
cable, or a host bus adapter (HBA) in a storage area network (SAN) can fail
and the cluster will continue to function. Customers can now build a
completely redundant SAN fabric that survives multiple server, storage and
switch failures without disruption.

Raising the Performance Bar

PolyServe Matrix Server raises the bar in terms of performance and
scalability for mixed workloads composed of read and write, and metadata
operations. The latest release of Matrix Server supports clusters of up to 16
server nodes and has been demonstrated to scale aggregate cluster performance
at a near linear rate for demanding workloads encountered in commercial
enterprises.

"We're serious when we talk about performance and scalability," said
Michael Callahan, chief technology officer of PolyServe. "Other clustering
vendors may claim they support higher node counts, but the true test is
whether they can support those deployments running the most data-intensive,
mission-critical workloads. We can."

Pricing and Availability

PolyServe Matrix Server, with a true symmetric cluster file system and
multi-path I/O functionality, is available immediately on Red Hat, Red Hat
Advanced Server, SuSE Linux Enterprise Server, and other United Linux
distributions. Pricing starts at $1,500 per CPU.

About PolyServe

PolyServe is the leading developer of shared data clustering software for
Linux-based data centers and is currently developing clustering solutions for
Microsoft Windows. The company's products reduce the cost and complexity
associated with traditional clustering approaches, while offering greatly
superior scalability, availability and manageability. In addition to its
headquarters in Beaverton, PolyServe has sales and support offices in Atlanta,
Chicago, Minneapolis, Orange County, San Francisco and Redmond, Washington.
For more information about PolyServe, visit http://www.polyserve.com on the Web, or
call 877-765-7378.

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companies.