New ProductsRed Hat Releases Red Hat Linux 5.1 Red Hat Software, Inc. has released Red Hat Linux 5.1. Red Hat Linux 5.1 includes enhanced installation features, as well as system configuring, Web caching, window management features and a CD of Linux applications. Features of the Red Hat Linux 5.1 installation process include: internationalization, so users can choose between many languages; back buttons, so users can correct mistakes as they go along; and SMB for installation from Microsoft-based servers. Other installation features of Red Hat Linux 5.1 include DHCP networking, boot floppy creation, enhanced rescue mode, and an improved kickstart. Also included in Red Hat Linux 5.1 is a Fortran77 compiler as part of the egcs compiler package. Afterstep has been integrated into Anotherlevel to replace the previous cloned version. Also linuxconf has been fully integrated into the Red Hat configuration process for remote administration, text-based administration, and GUI administration. Red Hat Linux 5.1 comes with three CDs, including the software applications disk, an Installation Manual, Real Audio, and BRU. Red Hat Linux 5.1 is priced at $49.95 and includes 90 days of installation support. For more information, contact Red Hat Software, Inc., Research Triangle Park, NC; (919) 547-0012; WWW: http://www.redhat.com/ Network Instruments Upgrades Observer Network Instruments, LLC has upgraded Observer, its protocol analyzer. Observer version 5.0 adds several features including remote software, Probes, multiple concurrent modes, and an improved user interface. By including fully functioning remote software Probes into Observer 5.0, administrators can use the Observer console to monitor and troubleshoot 252 segments across LANs and WANs. With the Distribute Observer license, a user receives one remote Probe, letting the user collect data from one remote segment in addition to the local segment to which Observer is connected. Additional Probe licenses are also available. Observer 5.0's multiple-mode interface lets administrators track network monitoring conditions and segments concurrently. By running multiple simultaneous modes, an administrator can watch for an event with a high-level mode. After the event occurs, the administrator can drill down using a low-level mode to see what actually occurred. Additional intuitive controls have also been added to Observer 5.0's user interface. Users can also configure Observer 5.0's graphs and modes with a right-mouse click. Observer 5.0 also features a dashboard that displays current LAN condition and local/Probe PC processor utilization, partial packet capture, a Probe communication trace window, and a display of alias/hard/IP addresses in all modes. Other Observer 5.0 features include a consistent and configurable button bar for all modes, configurable protocols and IP service, filtering by IP address, and NE2000 NDIS drivers for low-level Ethernet errors. Observer 5.0 also includes several new decodes. Observer Version 5.0 supports UNIX, Windows NT, Windows 95/98, NetWare, Macintosh, DEC, IBM networks, Ethernet, Token Ring, and FDDI all in one package. Observer 5.0 also adds support for IPv6, OSPF/RIPv2/BGP, Full SMB, HTTP/SMTP/POP3/IMAP, NNTP, DNS/BOOTP/DHCP, and Banyan Vines. Observer 5.0 is priced at $695. Distributed Observer is priced at $995 for one local and one remote Probe. Additional Probes are priced at $295 per Probe. For more information, contact Network Instruments, LLC, Minneapolis, MN; (612) 932-9899; WWW: http://www.networkinstruments.com. Aonix Releases TeleUSE Quickport Aonix has released TeleUSE Quickport, a multi-platform toolset for deploying and supporting GUI-oriented applications on UNIX and Windows NT/95 platforms. TeleUSE Quickport includes the TeleUSE User Interface Management System for UNIX and TeleUSE/Win for Windows NT and Windows 95. TeleUSE Quickport supports developing, porting, and maintaining applications for both UNIX and Windows from a single source base. TeleUSE Quickport provides a UNIX-like development environment that includes GUI, event-messaging, and application components and supports moving existing UNIX, X/Motif-based GUI applications to Windows. Features of TeleUSE Quickport include Windows compatibility widgets; a collection of Motif widgets including ToolBar, TabManager, Tab Button, ComboBox and SpinBox widgets; and a widget tips utility. Other features of TeleUSE Quickport include a clipboard-style interaction between TeleUSE-created applications and native Windows applications and a Quickport Porting Guide to help with Windows porting issues. In addition, TeleUSE/Win provides a special Motif library, the "Wintif" library, capable of rendering GUI elements with a Motif or a Windows NT/Windows 95 look and feel. At runtime, users can specify the interface's look and feel by setting an environment variable. Prices for TeleUSE Quickport start at $5,000. For more information contact Aonix, 595 Market St., 10th Floor, San Francisco, CA 94105; (800) 972-6649 or (415) 453-0900; Fax: (415) 543-0145; WWW: www.aonix.com. FacetCorp Ships FacetWin Version 2 FacetCorp has begun shipping FacetWin Version 2. FacetWin, which provides Windows NT/95 to UNIX integration, includes transparent file and print services, terminal emulation, PC backup/restore, POP 3 email server, modem server, and remote computing support. FacetWin includes an all-in-one feature set that lets Windows and Windows NT PC users transparently access and use the UNIX network resources such as files disks, Windows applications, and printers. FacetWin Version 2 includes a graphical administration utility. Features of the graphical administration utility include administering FacetWin from a single intuitive interface and single point administration for all FacetWin servers on the network. When administering FacetWin by editing the text configuration files, the graphical administrator preserves all comments in the configuration files. Other features of the graphical administration utility include context-sensitive help for every configuration setting, running the administrator in read only mode in order to view the FacetWin setting, and the option to backup configuration files prior to committing changes. Other FacetWin Version 2 features include supporting multiple backup domain controllers for pass-through authentication, PC clock/time synchronization with UNIX and enhanced NT domain compatibility, and CIFS "op-locks" for read only shares. Also FacetWin Version 2 includes 24-hour Web-based license registration. FacetWin Version 2 is priced at $195 with discount for multi-user licenses. A free 30-day evaluation copy of FacetWin Version 2 is available at the company's Web site. For more information, contact FacetCorp, 4031 W. Plano Pkwy, Plano, TX 75093, (972) 985-9901; Fax: (972) 612-2035; WWW: www.facetcorp.com. Iomega Ships Jaz 2Gb Drives and Disks Iomega Corp. has begun shipping Jaz 2Gb drives and 2Gb disks. The removable Jaz 2Gb drives and 2Gb disks let users create, store, catalog, and share large files such as space-consuming scans, entire Web sites, large graphic files, databases and digital movies, sounds, and photos. The Jaz 2Gb drives operate at a sustained transfer rate up to 8.7 Mbps, which, according to the company, is fast enough to deliver full-screen, full-motion video. The Jaz 2Gb drives also support a 20 Mbps burst transfer rate. The 2Gb drives have a minimum transfer rate of 4.9 Mbps, delivering a 10-millisecond read/12 millisecond write average seek time, with a 512 Kb read/write cache. The 2Gb drives include a complete software suite. A single Jaz 2Gb disk can store 3 hours of CD quality (44.1 kHz, 16 bit) audio, 111 minutes of MPEG2 compressed DSS satellite quality video and 2,000 pictures (640x480, 24 bit/pixel, full color). The Jaz 2Gb drives and 2Gb disks also feature Jaz Tools software. Jaz Tools includes applications designed to organize, move, and protect information such as Tools, Guest, Copy Machine, Find-IT, and App Mover. Another feature of the Jaz drives and disks is 1-step point-and-click backup. A single click of the mouse on the "1-step" icon lets users backup information onto a single Jaz disk while they continue working. Jaz 2Gb drives and 2Gb disks are compatible with Windows NT/95 and Windows 3.x, MacOS 7.0, and IRIX and Solaris via Rorke Data's FlexStor-RMM. Jaz 2Gb drives are also compatible with Jaz 1Gb disks. Jaz 2Gb drives are priced at $649 for the external model and $549 for the internal model. Jaz 2Gb disks are priced at $149 each when purchased in a 3-pak. For more information, contact Iomega Corporation, 1821 W. Iomega Way, Roy, UT; (800) 697-8833 or (801) 778-3678; WWW: http://www.iomega.com. Schumann Security Announces SAM Request Manager Schumann Security Software, Inc. has announced SAM Request Manager (SAM/RM), a workflow system for the security request process. By automating the end users view to security, SAM/RM replaces the traditional paper-based system of IT security requests. According to the company, SAM/RM provides relief to administrators overwhelmed by authorization requests and allows them to concentrate on more critical tasks. SAM/RM includes a window-based GUI. This GUI lets employees initiate requests that are automatically sent for approval. SAM/RM also keeps track of each request, from its current status to its history (the person who created it, who approved it, the date of execution, etc.). SAM/RM is available as a standalone product or can be connected to Security Administration Manager (SAM), the cross-platform enterprise administration application. When combined with SAM, approved authorization requests are implemented across all connected mainframes, platforms, applications, and systems instantly. The SAM/RM and SAM combination can perform RBAC, in which standard job classifications can be designated for specific levels of access automatically. For pricing and other information about SAM Request Manager, contact Schumann Security Software, Inc., 8101 Sandy Spring Rd., Suite 301, Laurel, MD 20707; (301) 483-8807; Fax: (301) 483-8349; WWW: http://www.SchumannSoftware.com. ATL Introduces PL50 Library Hub ATL Products, Inc. has introduced the PL50 Library Hub. With the PL50 Library Hub, administrators can connect three UNIX or NT backup servers running any data management software to a single ATL Library. The PL50 Library Hub presents a virtual library partition to each backup server for use as its own dedicated library. The PL50 also provides an alternative to network backup over Ethernet. The PL50 lets each backup server independently take advantage of direct SCSI connection to the library hub and tape drives residing within the ATL library. According to the company, this allows for 20 Mbps Fast-Wide SCSI throughput. Using the Library Hub's GUI, administrators can add UNIX or NT backup servers. To specify the number of cartridge slots and tape drives required for each server, the user configures the virtual library using point-and-click operations. Robotics commands are routed to the PL50, where they are queued and performed in the sequence they were received. The PL50 Library Hub supports many ATL libraries, including the 7100 Series, 520 Series, and 2640 Series, and appears to each backup server as a dedicated library transparent to the OS and data management software. Also the PL50 requires no additional purchases, drivers, or special software agents to install or maintain. For pricing and other information about the PL50 Library Hub, contact ATL Products, Inc., 2801 Kelvin Ave., Irvine, CA 92614; (800) 677-6268 or (714) 774-6900; Fax: (714) 477-7799; Internet: atlpsales@atlp.com; WWW: www.atlp.com. F5 Labs Announces BIG/ip F5 Labs, Inc. has announced BIG/ip, a family of dedicated server array controllers that intelligently allocate Internet and Intranet service requests across a group of network servers. Residing between Internet routers and the local server arrays, BIG/ip controllers continually monitor each server for application availability and performance, and automatically direct each service request to the most available server. This availability-based load balancing technology lets administrators balance Web, email, database, FTP, and firewall traffic. The BIG/ip family includes three versions: BIG/ip, an entry-level field-upgradable system; BIG/ip2, a fully redundant system; and BIG/ip3, a Pentium 333 MHz redundant system. A single BIG/ip simultaneously controls and load balances the following: multiple firewalls with any mix of transparent and non-transparent services; multiple cache servers, supporting clients with any mix of transparent and non-transparent requests; multiple filters with any mix of transparent and non-transparent services; and multiple Web, mail, news services, and other servers. Also BIG/ip directs requests for services to specific groups of servers. If desired, BIG/ip can direct transparent and non-transparent requests to the same or different groups of servers. Specific IP address and port combinations can also be tested to determine if a transparent server is functioning properly. For pricing and other information about the BIG/ip Server Array Controllers, contact F5 Labs, Inc., 200 First Ave. West, Suite 500, Seattle, WA 98119; (888) 882-4447 or (206) 505-0800; Fax: (206) 505-0801; WWW: www.f5.com. DNS Boss Announces DNS Boss DNS Boss has announced DNS Boss, a software tool that automates the installation and maintenance of DNS and IP addresses. Using a third-generation DNS manager, written as a Java application, DNS Boss turns DNS operations into graphic screens and routine approvals. Using DNS Boss, the administrator needs only four steps to establish a DNS primary. After installation, DNS data becomes live to the rest of the Internet, and propagates to DNS secondaries if they exist. Features of DNS Boss include automatically incrementing the serial numbers of DNS database files each time an update is made, letting DNS updates run in a "safe mode" so changes can be previewed before they are propagated in the production environment, and letting special entries be appended to DNS databases created by DNS Boss. When an administrator clicks the "update hosts" button, DNS automatically creates forward, reverse, and loopback DNS databases for hundreds of DNS domains; builds a new /etc/named.boot, and restarts /user/sbin/in.named. Also DNS prohibits users from editing actual DNS databases. Changes to DNS databases are allowed only through the controls of the DNS Boss GUI. DNS Boss runs on SPARC Solaris 2.5-2.6 and Solaris X86 2.5-2.6. According to the company, companies with mixed platforms can use DNS Boss on a PC running Solaris X86 as a DNS server for Windows NT, Windows 95, Linux, Solaris DNS, and Apple clients. Prices for DNS Boss start at $1,000 for up to 10 hosts and depend on the number of DNS hosts served. A 30-day free trial version is available for download at the company's Web site. For more information, contact DNS Boss, WWW: http://www.dnsboss.com. Cubix Introduces Density Series Cubix Corp. has introduced the Density Series Server system, a line of consolidated network servers. A rackmounted server platform, the first Density Series option supports up to four individual Pentium Pro two-way SMP servers. The second Density Series option, supports eight Pentium servers with MMX technology, and the third option combines two dual-SMP and four uni-processing servers. Features of the Density Series include modular components with cable-less, hot-swappable, plug-in server boards, plug-in hard drives, three hot-swappable power supplies, a muxed floppy drive, and a switched CD-ROM drive. Using electronic switching technology, multiple Density Series servers can be controlled with one monitor, keyboard, and mouse. The Density Series runs Cubix's Windows NT-based Global Vision management software. Using Global Vision, administrators can monitor and manage the servers locally, across the LAN/WAN, via an Internet browser or dialup connection, or remotely. Alerts can be forwarded via email or pager. The Density Series system with SMP servers is priced from $7,000. The system can be configured with a variety of Intel-based servers. For more information, contact Cubix Corporation, 2800 Lockheed Way, Carson City, NV 89706; (702) 888-1000; Fax: (702) 888-1001;WWW: http://www.cubix.com. APCON Announces Two Products APCON, Inc. has announced two products, the POWERLINK Ultra Wide SCSI Bus Extender and PowerSwitch/NT. POWERLINK, available in either single-ended or differential models, lets users connect remote RAID arrays, tape libraries, optical jukeboxes and CD-ROM towers up to 10 Km from the host computer. POWERLINK, often used in disaster recovery applications, includes APCON's GUI. Using the GUI, administrators remotely operate and control the unit, report SCSI bus activity, gather SCSI bus performance statistics, and initiate on-board diagnostics. The second product, PowerSwitch/NT, is a Win NT fail-over technology that switches applications and data stored on external RAIDs to secondary servers. PowerSwitch/NT supports N+1 server configurations and allows 16 servers to be monitored and switched to multiple secondary servers. PowerSwitch/NT's GUI supports both NT server and NT workstation platforms. The POWERLINK Model ACI-2030-CSW single-ended version is priced at $3,995, and the Model ACI-2030-CDW differential version is priced at $4,495. Prices for PowerSwitch/NT range from $2,400 (desktop) to $5,620 (rackmounted). For more information, contact APCON, Inc., 17938 SW Boones Ferry Rd., Portland, OR 97224; (503) 639-6700; Fax: (503) 639-6740; Internet: info@apcon.com; WWW: www.apcon.com. Advanced Systems Releases BQMS Advanced Systems Concepts, Inc. has released BQMS, the Distributed Batch Queue Management System for Windows NT. BQMS is completely script-language independent and supports execution of XLNT, Perl, COS/CMD, VBScript, JScript, as well as user-written programs. With BQMS, Windows NT/95 users can schedule and submit scripts for batch processing anywhere in the network. All batch jobs run under the security context of the submitting users. BQMS uses the Windows NT security model for both the management of queues and the execution of jobs. Using BQMS, administrators can specify permission that indicates the users or groups that can submit to specific queues (or no queue at all). BQMS supports Generic and Execution Batch Queues for workload balancing and performance. BQMS support Windows NT 3.51 and 4.0 (on Intel and Digital Alpha platforms) and Windows 95 systems. BQMS licensing starts at $249 per license with license packages (including Enterprise License Edition) available for larger implementations. BQMS is also licensed integrated with several XLNT Product Editions. An evaluation copy of BQMS can be downloaded from the company's Web site. For more information, contact Advanced Systems Concepts, Inc., 33-41 Newark St., Hoboken, NJ 07030; (201) 798-6400; Fax: (201) 798-9203; WWW: www.advsyscon.com. Lakeside Ships SysTrack Lakeside Software, Inc. has begun shipping its SysTrack software package for Windows NT-based systems. SysTrack provides resource billing, realtime and historical diagnostics, application load analysis, and user tracking for Windows NT Terminal Server Edition and Citrix WinFrame. SysTrack consists of three components, a data collection agent, an ODBC-compliant database, and a component that reads and analyzes data from the database. SysTrack supports most desktop and client/server database packages. SysTrack is priced at $1,495 per monitored server. For more information, contact Lakeside Software, Inc., Waterford, MI; (800) 969-7717; Fax: (248) 738-1119: Internet: sales@LakesideSoftware.com; WWW: http://www.LakesideSoftware.com/ April System Design Upgrades AniTA April System Design has upgraded AniTA, its terminal emulator for Windows. AniTA takes text-based applications and gives them the look of Windows applications with hot spots, color, mouse support, and a graphical touch. New features of AniTA include more emulations for UNIX and support for Telenet 3270 over TCP/IP (TN3270) for IBM mainframes. According to the company, AniTA is used on over 100,000 desktops in 58 different countries. AniTA runs Windows NT, Win 95, Win98, and Windows 3.x and supports UNIX, AIX, and VAX environments. A fully functional evaluation copy of AniTA can be downloaded from the company's Web site. For pricing and other information, contact April System Design, Vretenvägen 2, S-171 54 Solan, Sweden; +46 8 764 7040; Fax: +46 8 764 7044; Internet: april@april.se; WWW: http://www.april.se. Datacom Introduces Two Products Datacom Technologies has introduced two products, the LANcat System 6 Cable Tester and Talk Set and the Report Manager Software. The LANcat System 6 cable tester tests and troubleshoots CAT 5, CAT 5+, and the proposed CAT 6 network lines. Using plug-in modules, LANcat System 6 is compliant with TIA TSB-67 requirements for certifying CA5/Class D links and performs several measurements including PS-NEXT and PS-ACR. The LANcat System 6 includes Datacom's LinkTalk and Report Manager. The second product, Report Manager, is a Windows NT/ 95-based software tool that lets administrators upload, view, and securely archive cable test reports on a PC. Features of Report Manager include transferring only the desired reports instead of the entire report file and sorting reports by number, circuit ID, date, or test status. The LANcat System 6 Cable Tester is priced at $5,500 and the System 6 Upgrade is priced at $1,900. Report Manager is free to all LANcat V Series tester owners and may be downloaded from the company's Web site. For more information, contact Datacom Technologies, Everett, WA; (425) 355-0590; Fax: (425) 290-1600; Internet: info@datacomtech.com; WWW: http://www.datacomtech.com. Red Hat Selects Preforce Red Hat Software has selected Perforce, Perforce Software's SCM system, to be included in Red Hat's added value disks. Perforce runs on all UNIX platforms including Red Hat Linux and FreeBSD, as well as Windows 95/NT, OS/2, Open VMS, and Macintosh. Features of Perforce include a platform independent command line, Microsoft Windows GUI, and a client/server architecture that manages workspaces that reside on local disks. Perforce's database also provides for online backup.
For more information about Perforce, contact Perforce Software, Inc., (510) 864-7400; Internet: info@perforce.com; WWW: http://www.perforce.com or Red Hat Software, Inc., Research Triangle Park, NC; (919) 547-0012; WWW: http://www.redhat.com/
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