On November 8, 1994, Silicon Graphics, Inc. announced record-breaking file server benchmark results, representing the best single system performance in the industry. Silicon Graphic's Challenge symmetric multiprocessor (SMP) server achieved a 7023 operations per second at an average response time of 37.1 milliseconds using the industry standard measure of Network File System(r) (NFS) throughput and response time, SPEC SFS 1.1 (097 LADDIS). These numbers exceed by 60% a recently set industry record of 4,386 operations per second at a 40.8 milliseconds average response time. Silicon Graphics also introduced the most advanced distributed and local file system combination available with IRIX(tm) 5.3, for unrivaled performance in data-intensive client-server environments.
"Today's announcement of the world's fastest LADDIS results sends a clear and unmistakable message to the industry that Silicon Graphics owns the performance position for NFS file servers," said Ross Bott, general manager of the Advanced Data Division at Silicon Graphics. "Our industry leading NFS performance demonstrates both our traditional strengths in symmetric multiprocessing and newly developed technologies in high-speed networking and I/O capabilities. The Challenge(tm) product family outperforms more specialized file serving machines and clusters while still offering a powerful, general-purpose server solution."
Silicon Graphics licensed NFS, the UNIX(r) technology standard for distributed file systems, from SunSoft, Inc. and today delivers the most advanced NFS and local file system on the market. The Challenge family of SMP servers are specially designed to manage and manipulate large volumes of data quickly and reliably, thus taking full advantage of high-performance networks and data storage technologies. Challenge servers are especially attractive to performance-oriented customers in the traditional Silicon Graphics markets of general scientific, CAD, oil and gas, pharmaceuticals, simulation, image processing, animation, computer-aided software engineering and many emerging media markets.
In addition to outstanding Version 2 (V2) NFS performance, with IRIX 5.3, Silicon Graphics will be among the first companies to deliver NFS using the Version 3 (V3) protocol. Challenge servers can take advantage of the V3 protocol to obtain better data transfer rates over today's high-speed networks while maintaining seamless compatibility with the installed-base of V2 clients. NFS with IRIX 5.3 includes CacheFS, a local disk caching mechanism for clients, that reduces network traffic, increases performance of repeated operations on data accessed over the network and simplifies system administration.
To complement its high-performance NFS product, Silicon Graphics has developed XFS, a 64-bit, journaled filesystem and volume manager. XFS uses a transaction-based approach to making disk modifications to prevent data corruption and dramatically reduce system recovery time. To achieve optimal performance and disk utilization, XFS adjusts the amount of disk space allocated for each disk operation. Used in combination with NFS V3, XFS overcomes file size limits imposed by 32-bit file systems, allowing larger files to be manipulated locally or over the network.
The highly scalable, binary-compatible Challenge server product family includes the Challenge XL enterprise system with up to 36 R4400(tm) MIPS(r) RISC processors for the highest levels of performance and expandability; the Challenge L departmental systems with up to 12 R4400 processors, offering price/performance leadership; the Challenge DM server with unrivaled I/0 performance and up to four R4400 processors; and the entry Challenge S systems featuring leading price/performance. Challenge servers for the file serving market are available through Silicon Graphics' direct sales force, OEMs, systems integrators and value-added resellers.
Contact: Eileen M. Caetano 415-390-2036
Silicon Graphics, Inc. is a leading manufacturer of high-performance visual computing and data server systems. The company delivers interactive three-dimensional graphics, digital media and multiprocessing supercomputing technologies to technical and commercial environments through direct and indirect channels. Its subsidiary, MIPS Technologies, Inc., designs and licenses the industry's leading RISC processor technology for the computer systems and embedded control markets. Silicon Graphics has offices worldwide and headquarters in Mountain View, California.
Silicon Graphics and the Silicon Graphics logo are registered trademarks and IRIX and Challenger are trademarks of Silicon Graphics, Inc. MIPS is a registered trademark, and R4400 is a trademark of MIPS Technologies, Inc. UNIX is a registered trademark of X/Open Company, Ltd. Network File System (NFS) is a trademark of Sun Microsystems, Inc.
View a postscript file of the official SPEC SFS.(2 pages-4K)
