PROCESSORS

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, NC -- Red Hat, Inc. (Nasdaq:RHAT), a leader in developing, deploying and managing open source solutions, and SandCraft, Inc., a leader in the design of high-performance MIPS(R) processors, today announced that Red Hat has created a sophisticated tool chain that is optimized for SandCraft's family of advanced superscalar microprocessors SandCraft's high-performance processors, combined with Red Hat's GNUPro software development tools, results in maximum system performance and reliability, which are both increasingly critical to network equipment makers. This complementary solution lets advanced network equipment makers shorten their product development cycles, offer higher value and differentiate their products. SandCraft is developing a family of ultra-high-performance, highly integrated processors optimized for control and data plane applications for high-end core and edge switch routers. Red Hat has produced an advanced version of its GNUPro software development tools that takes advantage of SandCraft's 64-bit microprocessor core. "The functionality and flexibility of the GNUPro tools, including the ability to support user-defined instructions, dovetail nicely with SandCraft's innovative approach to superscalar microprocessor design and implementation," said Michael Tiemann, Red Hat CTO. "The level of expertise our two companies bring together through this partnership will enable customers to create breakthrough products using SandCraft's processors and Red Hat's GNUPro development tools." Specific pipeline descriptions, based on new technology produced at Red Hat, provide a much better model of processor characteristics than older GNU Compiler Collection (GCC) MIPS compilers. The ability to faithfully describe the exact processor architecture to the GCC scheduling passes is critical for producing maximum performance from SandCraft's deeply staged multi-pipelined implementation of the MIPS 64-bit instruction set. For further information visit www.redhat.com or www.sandcraft.com