From: davis@chrysanthemum.cs.odu.edu (Mark Davis)
Subject: The most powerful SysV386 platform is almost here!!!
Followup-To: mark@taylor.uucp
Keywords:  Altos, Sysv386, power, SCO, ODT, multiprocessing, new, hardware
Organization: Lake Taylor Hospital, Norfolk, VA
Date: Thu, 15 Oct 1992 19:46:57 GMT

As I believe this information will be of interest to all, I am posting it in
comp.unix.sysv386.  DISCLAIMER: I have no connection with Altos at all,
so I can make no warranties about information accuracy!  I just hope many
will find it useful and/or interesting...
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The world's most powerful System V386 platform is soon to be released from
Altos Computers.  The new system, called the "Altos series 15000" is designed
to be a powerful central or server computer.  Features are as follows:

->  The 15000 is a truly symmetric multiprocessing 80486 machine.  It has
six 64 bit buss slots.  This memory and CPU buss is capable of 200 Megabytes
per Second burst transfer rate.  From one to four '486 50Mhz CPU's can be
installed into the machine having an 8KB and a 256KB level II write-back
cache for each processor.  (I have heard the box will contain several fans!)

->  The first release of the machine will support up to 256 Megabytes of
true ERROR-CORRECTION Random Access Memory in 16MB increments.

->  In addition to the six 64 bit slots, the box contains eight 32 bit EISA
slots and two 16 bit ISA slots.  All of this is contained, with a 500 Watt
power supply, in a "double-sized super tower case".  The case has room for 8
half-height storage devices.  Altos also is releasing "add-on" cabinets to
provide more and then yet more room for internal storage devices.

->  The 15000 uses SCSI - II for all storage devices.  The main controller
is either a single or DUAL channel specially designed SCSI card.  It is
capable of 10MB/second transfers PER CHANNEL.  At this time, two of these
controllers can be installed for four separate channels each supporting
7 SCSI-II devices (28 devices).  There are hints that more are possible...

->  The system can be configured with Ethernet, Multidrop (serial server) or
both.  The advanced Ethernet card is also available as DUAL CHANNEL, providing
two separate 10Mb/sec channels.  The 32 bit board is specially designed to
achieve high performance with the 15000.  Each Multidrop board provides the
ability to connect up to 16 terminal cluster units, providing 128 serial
ports per M/D board.

->  Any configuration comes with a 3.5" FDD, 525MB streaming cartridge tape
drive, SVGA/Diagnostics card, Super VGA 14" monitor, mouse, 2 serial ports,
one parallel port, 101 keyboard, etc...

->  The system includes and runs under SCO-Open DeskTop MPX.  Most people by
now know what ODT is...  Altos/ SCO-ODT will be value added by Altos.  Altos
will be supplying very high performance Ethernet, SCSI, and other drivers as
well as optimizing the multiprocessing.  Altos claims an almost 99% efficiency
in multiprocessing (hmmm). (According to my sources, the 15000 is not only
the fastest sysv386 platform, it will also squish many machines in other
classes such as the IBM RS6000/960,970, most DG Avions, Sun Sparc servers,
Unisys 6000/65.... etc...) 

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Lake Taylor Hospital will be replacing its severely overloaded Altos 2000 DP
system with a 15000 ASAP.  Currently, the 2000 runs the entire 350 bed
facility (70+ users).  Our plans are an Altos 15000, 2 processors, 96MB RAM,
1.5 GB (3 x 500MB) hard drive storage, one dual channel SCSI-II controller,
one dual channel Ethernet controller, two Multidrop controllers, development
set, etc...  We will also start experimentation with X Terminals (ethernet).

I expect that I will have the machine sometime in November (I pray), and will
keep the net informed as to my opinions of the machine and its performance.
If I can help answer any questions anyone might have, send mail to me at
the address BELOW, or make a posting.  I will do what I can!  If you have
anything to share with me, PLEASE DO!  I am quite nervous about such a major
upgrade of both hardware and software (we are looking at upgrading to WP5.1,
Lotus, Frame, Clockwise, Q-Base, etc...)  Thanks.

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   |Mark A. Davis---> Lake Taylor Hospital ..!uunet!chrysanthemum!taylor!mark|
   |  Sys. Admin.     Computer Services--->   mark@taylor.UUCP / mark@taylor |
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Newsgroups: comp.unix.sysv386