sunflash-Distributed to mailing list sunflash@suntri sunflash-Send requests and problem reports to owner-sunflash@suntri.east.sun.com ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Florida SunFlash Third Party Product Announcements SunFLASH Vol 54 #16 June 1993 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Summary 54.16.A New Fortran90 Pricing ParaSoft Corporation's portable Fortran90 translator has been repriced agressively 54.16.B Language Translation System - Globalink Globalink produces a rough translation to and from English and either German, French, or Spanish. A Russian to English version is also available. 54.16.C Artecon reduces price of Sbus products Lower prices for serial/parallel multiplexors and SBus expansion boxes expansion boxes 54.16.D Fore Systems Announces Sun SBus ATM Computer Interface ATM (Asynchronous Transfer Mode) Sbus interface for less than $2,500 54.16.E SBus Datakit Host Interface For Solaris 2.2 Pacific Access Computers announces as SBus Solaris 2.2 interface for multiplexed data transfer between AT&T's Datakit VCS/Datakit II VCS and Sun Systems 54.16.F Book: "High Performance Computing" by Kevin Dowd from O'Reilly & Associates 54.16.G Control Data's E-Mail Suite of Services Now Available On Sun The Mail*Hub suite of E-mail integration services and products includes support of X.400, SMTP, X.500, cc:Mail, Beyond Mail, Microsoft Mail, Lotus Notes, Word Perfect Office, Higgins, POP, QuickMail, UUCP, IBM PROFS, DEC Mail 11, DEC ALL-IN-1 Mail, fax support enhanced version of sendmail -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Details -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: New Fortran90 Pricing Newsgroups: comp.newprod From: ahicken@parasoft.com (Arthur Hicken) Keywords: ParaSoft; Fortran90; FORTRAN, language translator Org: ParaSoft Corporation email: f90-info@parasoft.com address: 2500 E. Foothill Blvd. #205 Pasadena, CA. 91107-3464 voice: (818) 792-9941 fax: (818) 792-0819 ParaSoft Corporation has announced a bold new competitive pricing strategy for their portable Fortran90 translator. A single copy of F90 now costs only $595 regardless of the platform it is running on. This low price allows many new users who've been waiting to try the enhanced features of F90 a very affordable option. Also available are special site licenses for Universities at only $2000 ($3000 outside the US). This license includes binaries for all platforms that ParaSoft currently supports. Similar license are also available for goverment and commercial sites. ParaSoft F90 is available on Sun/Sparc, HP9000/700, SGI, IBM RS/6000, IBM 3090, and IBM ES9000 ESA. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: Language Translation System - Globalink Newsgroups: comp.newprod From: ben@sap-ag.de (Ben Rockefeller) Keywords: Globalink Translation System; natural language translation, Organization: S.A.P. AG, Walldorf Germany The Globalink Translation System produces a rough translation to and from English and either German, French, or Spanish. A Russian to English version is also available. With functions similar to mainframe systems, this machine translation system: - runs on PC's, Apple Macs, and SunOS 4.1.x, - analyzes complete sentences (syntax), - processes phrases and idioms (semantic units), The system design is based on R&D that was originally done in the 1950's to produce a rough translation from Russian into English. Globalink has transferred this design to microcomputers. This system is not only an electronic dictionary, but also parses sentences by parts of speech, transfers the sentence structure to the target language, and then generates the sentence in the target language. The parsing and generation algorithms are proprietary. These algorithms have access to dictionaries of both single words and semantic units. There is much research in this field today, but this design has been proven over the years on mainframe systems. Thousands of these packages have been sold and are in use. Intended for processing volumes of technical text (at least 100-200 pages per year), this system is useful to international organizations and firms trying to: - reduce time to market, - reduce costs, - improve service, and - improve quality of communications. Particularly for software and communications companies, this system is useful for producing rough translations of documentation, tutorials, brochures, release notes, and support notes. Depending on your CPU, you can process up to 20,000 words per hour. Note that you still need skilled translators to post-edit your text before publication, for example to resolve double-meanings of words. Most of all, the quality of the rough translation depends on the quality of the source text and on how well you tune the dictionaries with your own terminology. For optimum international readability, brief, simple sentences with the active voice are recommended. This writing style improves the readability of text written in almost any European language. A possible companion product, Grammatik from Reference Software, is also recommended for measuring the average number of words per sentence and the percentage of sentences written with the active voice. Some international firms, such as Xerox, have even defined a "controlled language" for technical writing in English, to improve readability and translatability of technical texts. Purveyors of similar machine translation systems have done research and concluded that when skilled and trained translators use a machine translation system, they can at least double their output, for example from 8-10 pages per day to 16-20 pages per day, depending on the specific text and their training. With markets and organizations becoming ever more international, a machine translation system can be useful to you in reducing your time to market, reducing your costs, and improving your service and communications. Founded in 1987, Globalink, Inc. is focussed on machine translation with the objective of offering high-quality translation software for microcomputers. The company also offers translation services. For more information about Globalink and Globalink software, contact: Steve Tatusko International Accounts Manager Globalink, Inc. 9302 Lee Highway, 12th Floor Fairfax, VA 22031 USA +1 (703) 273-5600 x106 - voice +1 (703) 273-3866 - fax In continental Europe, Software and Services International offers services for Globalink software customers, including evaluation assistance, installation, on-site training, technical support, and integration consulting (OCR's and publishing systems). We also offer contract technical documentation services. For more information about these services and Globalink software in continental Europe, contact: Ben Rockefeller Software and Services International Kurfuerstenanlage 61 D-69115 Heidelberg Federal Republic of Germany +49 (6221) 16 43 68 - voice +49 (6227) 34 17 18 - fax ben@sap-ag.de - e-mail message only -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: Simulation Software - XGrafix +Simulation Software - XGrafix +XGrafix is an X-Windows environment for real-time interactive +simulations which allows the user to display multiple diagnostics +and view them as they evolve in time. Newsgroups: comp.newprod From: domino@violet.berkeley.edu (Steven (Weebles) Santiago) Contact: Office of Technology Licensing 2150 Shattuck Avenue, Suite 510 Berkeley, CA 94704-1318 ATTN: Steven Santiago Phone: (510)-643-7201 FAX: (510)-642-4566 e-mail: domino@violet.berkeley.edu Description: XGrafix is an X-Windows environment for real-time interactive simulations which allows the user to display multiple diagnostics and view them as they evolve in time. The environment currently offers four types of plots: linear XY, semi-log XY, scattered XY, and 3-D XY. The user is provided with menus, dialog boxes and plot windows. Each XY plot window currently has four standard buttons for rescaling graphs, viewing plot traces, PostScript output, and a crosshair for measurements. The 3-D plot windows have an extra button for changing the viewing angle as well as shading and rendering. Other flow simulation and control procesing software also available. Hardware Requirements: Not machine specific; X-terminals Operationg Requirements: Most UNIX-based systems; any subset of X-Windows Availability: Licensing agreement required. Binaries and sources available via FTP with return of license Licensing fee: Single end-user $250.00 Academic site $500.00 Other licenses available. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: Artecon reduces price of Sbus products From: Gerry.MacDonald@artecon.com (Gerry MacDonald) CONTACT: Mark Reifler Product Manager San Diego, CA -- June 11, 1993 -- Artecon today announced aggressive price reductions in their serial/parallel multiplexors and SBus expansion boxes. Price reductions include: New Prices Old Prices . SB-300P (3 serial/1 parallel) $ 395 $ 495 . SB-400P (4 serial/1 parallel) 495 695 . SB-800P (8 serial/1 parallel) 695 895 . SB-1200P (12 serial/1 parallel) 895 1,095 . SB-1600 (16 serial) 995 1,295 . SB-3000XD, SB-6000X 1,795 1,995 . SB-3100XD, SB-6100X 2,195 2,395 These reductions are a result of high volume SBus sales primarily through Artecon's strategic partners, Sun Federal, Sun Express, Access Graphics, GTSI and Arrow Electronics. "Leveraging these major channels has significantly increased our volume," stated Dana Kammersgard, Artecon's vice president, marketing and sales. "As a result, we have been able to reduce our costs. We can now offer 16 serial ports at a list price of $62.50 per port, which is unheard of in the UNIX market." Artecon's SBus multiplexors have sustained serial transfer rates of 38.4Kb/sec serial and 20KB/sec parallel port throughput. TTYTool, Artecon's proprietary OpenWindows GUI software, is bundled free. Artecon's SMARTBox family of SBus expansion boxes feature three or six slots, master and slave support, auto configuration and burst through transfer. In addition, fast SCSI and Ethernet controllers are available on board the models SB-3100XD and SB-6100X. Artecon's one-year on-site warranty applies to all of these new prices. Founded in 1984, Artecon is a leading UNIX systems integrator and manufacturer of value-added hardware and software products for Sun, HP and IBM workstations. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: Fore Systems Announces Sun SBus ATM Computer Interface From: ggleeson@fore.com Communications Contact: Geri Gleeson Marketing Communications Manager Phone: +1 412-967-4040 FAX: +1 412-967-4044 Email: ggleeson@fore.com Technical Contact: Dwight Dietrich Product Marketing Manager Phone: +1 412-967-4040 FAX: +1 412-967-4044 Email: ded@fore.com FORE SYSTEMS ANNOUNCES MAXIMUM PERFORMANCE SUN SBUS ATM COMPUTER INTERFACE PITTSBURGH, PA - June 1, 1993...Fore Systems, Inc., the worldwide leading supplier of ATM (Asynchronous Transfer Mode) LAN switches and workstation adapters, today announced a maximum performance ATM Computer Interface for Sun SPARCstations. The SBA-200 is a performance-optimized ATM networking solution giving distributed SPARCstation applications maximum performance ATM network connectivity. The SBA-200 SBus ATM Computer Interface is the first ATM adapter product using Fore Systems' Advanced Cell Processing Architecture. This new architecture was developed by Fore Systems in response to existing and emerging customer applications running on high-performance workstations. The design is the result of 18 months of field experience with the low-cost SBA-100 adapter. The Advanced Cell Processing Architec ture forms the basis of future high-performance ATM Computer Interface products from Fore Systems, Inc. The new SBA-200 adapter is a single-slot SBus design based on an embedded Intel i960 RISC processor. This completely dedicated on-board processor together with special-purpose AAL 5 and 3/4 cell-processing and DMA hardware results in a high-speed ATM adapter architecture. Moreover, the design easily accommodates operating system and protocol standards changes through software upgrades. "Besides extremely high transport-layer performance, the SBA-200 design gives our customers a flexible ATM adapter product. It's an insurance policy against product obsolescence as workstation operating system and ATM standards evolve to support the demands of distributed multimedia applications", said Dr. Onat Menzilcioglu, Vice-President of Engineering for Fore Systems, Inc. "The Advanced Cell Processing Architecture was chosen over alternative custom ASIC or off-the-shelf chip set designs because of its flexibility, controllability and longevity. It also gives Fore a unique development advantage since it minimizes the ATM adapter design differences among all of the work station platforms we support.", continued Dr. Menzilcioglu. As with all ForeRunner ATM adapters, the SBA-200 includes software that supports a full range of networking applications including: standard TCP/IP-based applications that can take advantage of the SBA-200 without modification; and high-performance ATM applications that use the low-overhead ATM API (Application Programming Interface) to the SBA-200 and bypass inefficiencies and overhead associated with typical TCP/IP protocol stacks. Furthermore, the SBA-200's support for Fore Sys tems' SPANS SVC signalling protocol offers ForeRunner customers guaranteed band width reservation, per-connection selection of AAL (types 3/4 or 5), and multicasting with dynamic addition and deletion of recipients. SBA-200 pricing, including SunOS system software, starts at $2,495 (U.S) per adapter in quantities of six. Adapters are available with 100 Mbits/sec ATM Forum-compliant UNI and with 140 Mbits/sec TAXI UNI. Sun Solaris system software for the SBA-200 will be available in the future. Orders are being accepted immediately with delivery beginning in July, 1993. Headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA, Fore Systems, Inc. is the world wide ATM LAN market leader. Fore Systems develops, manufactures and markets ATM LAN products that enable information-intensive organizations to build and manage net works for high-speed data and multimedia applications. To date, Fore Systems has shipped ATM solutions to over 80 customers worldwide including Fortune 500 companies, computer and communications equipment suppliers, the U.S. government, major universities, and domestic and international telecommunications service providers. Fore Systems' ATM products include the ForeRunner ASX-100 ATM LAN Switch family and a full line of ATM workstation adapter cards for Sun, DEC, Silicon Graphics, Hewlett-Packard, NeXT and VME-based workstations. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: SBus Datakit Host Interface For Solaris 2.2 Contact: Ms. Karen Carpenter Marketing Communications Org: Pacific Access Computers Phone: (916) 852-3850 ext. 214 Pacific Access Computers is announcing The SPARC SBus for Solaris 2.2. In addition to the advanced feature/functionality provided by the SPARC SBus Version 4.1.3, capabilities include support of up to 512 Datakit channels per Datakit interface and up to 16 active Datakit interfaces. The product will be available for general distribution by August 23, 1993. SPARC SBUS DATAKIT HOST INTERFACE FOR SUN SOLARIS 2.2 ANNOUNCED BY PACIFIC ACCESS COMPUTERS Rancho Cordova, Calif.: Following the introduction of its widely accepted PAC SPARC SBUS Datakit VCS host interface, Pacific Access announces that an SBus Solaris 2.2 interface for multiplexed data transfer between AT&T's Datakit VCS/Datakit II VCS and Sun Microsystems SPARCstations and SPARCservers will be available for general distribution August 23, 1993. With the host interface package, an SBus configured desktop or server (running SunOS 4.1.2 or higher and solaris 2.2) including the Sun IPC, IPX, SPARCstation 1, SPARCstation 2, SPARCstation ELC, SPARCclassic, SPARCsystem 10 SPARCserver 600MP series, and SPARCcenter 2000 can access the vast Datakit VCS network via a direct fiber optic connection. The SBus host interface for Solaris 2.2 transfers packets of information substantially faster than Pacific Access' VME version of the host interface due to the increased performance of the SBus technology. With potential interface speeds exceeding the current transfer rates of the Datakit II VCS computer port module (CPM-HS), the SBus host interface has been limited by the CPM-HS to a maximum transmission rate of 5.2 Mbps and a maximum aggregate rate of 3.5 Mbps. Some advantages of the interface include: LAN to WAN connectivity via a high-speed fiber link for multiplexed data transfer; multi-vendor connectivity through the Datakit VCS node for true open systems computing; and high volume multi-tasking for increased office productivity. With the services offered by the interface, a Sun host can access information on remote systems and perform tasks across the network quickly and efficiently. The SBus interface currently supports up to 512 channels for simultaneous tasks from a single Sun system on one interface board. The SBus host interface for Solaris 2.2 is the latest product introduced to the line of host interfaces developed by Pacific Access including the Sun VME bus host interface. Each fully featured interface has all basic login features plus remote execution file sharing, remote printer sharing and pooling, enhanced server table and more. Extended warranties and service programs are available from Pacific Access for both hardware and software functionality. Pacific Access Computers is a nationwide developer and systems intergrator of computing systems and high-speed networking products for open systems technologies and protocols. Additional services offered including consulting, system design and analysis, porting, installation, support, maintenance, leasing and remarketed equipment. For more information on the SBus Host Interface for Solaris 2.2 or other Pacific Access host interfaces contact Pacific Access Computers at (800) 648-6161 ext. 214. All brands, products and services mentioned are the trademarks or the registered trademarks of their respective owners. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: Book: "High Performance Computing" From: Brian Erwin Org: O'Reilly & Associates Address: 103A Morris Street, Sebastopol CA 95472 Phone: 707-829-0515 Fax: 707-829-0104 High Performance Computing by Kevin Dowd 350 pages; ISBN 1-56592-032-5, $25.95 We have just released this guide to such RISC-based workstation architectures as Sun's SuperSPARC, the DEC Alpha/AXP, the IBM RS/6000 and the HP 9000/700 series. It covers the basics of modern workstation architecture, benchmark structuring, and maximizing critical applications' performance. It also explains how optimizing compilers work: it discusses what a good compiler can do for you and, more important, what a good compiler _can't_ do--and what you have to do yourself. The book closes with a look at the high-performance future: parallel computers, including exotic distributed memory multiprocessors, and the more "garden-variety" shared memory processors that are already appearing on people's desktops. Tricks are revealed that have been used in supercomputer labs for years, such as loop unrolling, loop interchange, and other tricks to improve memory access patterns and to help take advantage of parallelism latent in code code. _High Performance Computing_ pays special attention to memory issues, including the increasing disparity between CPU speeds and memory speeds. Another valuable section of the book discusses the benchmarking process: how to evaluate a computer's performance. Kevin Dowd discusses several of the "standard" industry benchmarks, explaining what they measure and what they don't. He also explains how to set up your own benchmark: how to structure the code, how to measure the results, and how to interpret them. Table of Contents I. What Engineering Workstations Are 9. Loop Optimizations 1. RISC Computers 10. Memory Reference Optimiz. 2. Memory 11. Language Support for Perf. 3. What an Optimizing Compiler Does III. Evaluating Performance II. Structuring Code for Performance 12. Industry Benchmarks 4. Coding for Clarity 13. Running Your Own Benchmarks 5. Finding Portability Problems 6. Timing and Profiling IV. A Look At the Future 7. Understanding Parallelism 14. Large Scale Parallel Comp. 8. Eliminating Clutter 15. Multiprocessors ------------------------------------------------------------------------ This and other O'Reilly books are available through bookstores or directly from the publisher. For a list of our overseas distributors or US bookstores or to order, FAX (707/829-0104), e-mail (order@ora.com), phone (800/998-9938 in US or Canada; 707/829-0515), or mail, O'Reilly & Associates, 103 Morris St., Sebastopol, CA 95472. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: Control Data's E-Mail Suite of Services Now Available On Sun Phone: 1-800-257-OPEN (1-800-257-6736) Contact: Jim Payne Email: James.Payne@pigeon.cpg.cdc.com Contact: Dave Folsom Email: dbf@mercury.udev.cdc.com. Control Data Systems, Inc. announces the availability of its Mail*Hub suite of E-mail integration services and products on the Sun Sparc platform. Based on open systems and standards-based technology, Control Data offers a robust "backbone" or infrastructure designed to integrate all of a company's existing E-mail systems and directories into a cost-effective messaging solution which incorporates all of the current standards in electronic mail and directory services, including X.400, SMTP and X.500. Added to this "backbone" is a set of gateways, add-on features and services which allow end users to use their own E-mail systems to communicate with people using different E-mail packages running on desktop, department and mainframe computers from a variety of vendors -- including local area network (LAN)-based PCs and UNIX-based systems. As an industry leader in network integration, Control is able to combine a suite of multi-media and multi-vendor connectivity products to build a customized electronic mail solution for virtually any computing environment. Mail*Hub supports direct connections to: - Systems supporting X.400. X.400 provides connectivity with ISO/OSI-based electronic mail services, including those offered by commercial carriers such as AT&T, MCI, and European PTTs. - Personal computers on PC LANs using cc:Mail, Beyond Mail, Microsoft Mail, Lotus Notes, Word Perfect Office, Higgins. - Personal computers supporting the POP protocol. - Macintosh computers using QuickMail. - Systems supporting the SMTP and UUCP mail protocols. SMTP provides TCP/IP-based connectivity with Internet sites worldwide. UUCP provides connectivity with UNIX systems worldwide. - Systems supporting IBM PROFS and OfficeVision Mail. - Systems supporting DEC Mail 11 and ALL-IN-1 Mail. Mail*Hub directly interconnects all of these types of mail systems by serving as a generalized gateway, relay, and message translator. In addition, other X.400 and SMTP gateways can be integrated with Mail*Hub to provide transparent exchange of E-mail with virtually any type of proprietary mail product, including other LAN-based PC mailers or other types of PC LANs. Mail*Hub also provides unparalleled extras -- placing it on the leading edge of electronic mail technology. They include: - Integrated support of X.500 directory services. Mail*Hub uses X.500 directory services to resolve mail aliases, expand distribution lists, perform generalized lookup of recipients, and facilitate the management of electronic mail configurations. - Directory management. Directory management synchronizes the proprietary directories of dissimilar systems with Mail*Hub's X.500 directory. - SNMP network management support. Mail*Hub queues can be monitored and managed from SNMP-based network managers. Mail*Hub's X.500 directory can also be monitored and managed using SNMP. By integrating a network management system such as SunNet Manager along with Mail*Hub into your overall computing environment, you can monitor and manage Mail*Hub queues using SunNet Manager's network management capabilities with an X Windows graphical interface. - Integrated fax support. You can send and receive faxes using Mail*Hub. This service is available to all hosts in a network, including LAN-based personal computers, UNIX hosts, IBM hosts, and DEC hosts. - A greatly enhanced version of sendmail called TurboSendmail. TurboSendmail is a faster, easy to configure, X.500-based router for SMTP messages. Prices for Control Data's E-mail Integration products and services are based on the number of users in an organization and the type of services they need. A basic Mail*Hub "backbone", which includes X.400, SMTP, X.500 and directory synchronization, plus two PC gateways ranges from $18,000 to $45,000 in the U.S. Additional services range in cost from $2,000, in the U.S., for the installation of an additional PC gateway to $20,000, in the U.S., for a complex needs analysis at a 50,000+ user installation. Control Data Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:CDAT) is a global systems integrator, applying the skills and experience of its computer professionals -- Control Data Brainware -- to the implementation of open systems solutions for the operational problems of customers worldwide. The company focuses its expertise on integrating computer solutions to business specific problems, primarily in manufacturing design, network communications, and database management. ********************************************************************** For information about SunFlash send mail to info-sunflash@Sun.COM. Subscription requests should be sent to sunflash-request@Sun.COM. Archives are on solar.nova.edu, ftp.uu.net, sunsite.unc.edu, src.doc.ic.ac.uk and ftp.adelaide.edu.au All prices, availability, and other statements relating to Sun or third party products are valid in the U.S. only. Please contact your local Sales Representative for details of pricing and product availability in your region. Descriptions of, or references to products or publications within SunFlash does not imply an endorsement of that product or publication by Sun Microsystems. Send brief articles (e.g. third party announcements) and include contact information (non-800#, fax #, email, etc) to: John McLaughlin, SunFlash editor, flash@Sun.COM. +1 305 351 4909