SCIENCE

SANTA CLARA, CA –Auspex Systems, Inc. (Nasdaq: ASPX), a provider of Network Attached Storage (NAS) solutions, announced today that its new NS3010 enterprise data server is processing up to 19,755 I/O operations per second in SPECsfs97 benchmark testing -- more than 20 percent faster than the latest filers from its leading competitors. SPECsfs97 is the established standard for measuring Unix-based Network File Services (NFS) file server performance across different vendor platforms. NFS file server throughput and response time for the Auspex NS3010 were benchmarked at 19,755 IOPS in systems utilizing RAID 0 and 18,293 IOPS for RAID 5. The Auspex measurements reflect the performance of the NS3010 for a single I/O node, the equivalent of a single server from other vendors. A single Auspex system can expand up to three I/O nodes as workload increases in order to provide scalability. Speeds in full three-node configuration are expected to reach 46,900 IOPS when those systems are released later this year, again outstripping competitive network storage appliances of comparable size. The SPECsfs97 numbers demonstrate Auspex's ability to deliver data to large numbers of users on the same server in Unix environments without slowing response times. In addition: -- For Unix-based applications involving transfer of extremely large files such as seismic data, streaming media and supercomputer data sets, tests developed internally at Auspex indicate a 12-client aggregate throughput for a 1GB file of 61 MB per second for sequential NFS reads and 70 MB per second for sequential NFS writes. While there are no industry-standard benchmarks that permit direct comparison, Auspex customers are reporting a noticeable speed advantage in sequential I/O performance. -- For Windows-based Common Internet File Services (CIFS), performance is expected to equal or surpass competitive systems when Netbench/Diskmix benchmark testing is completed in the third quarter. Kindred Healthcare, an early adopter, has reported that the Auspex NS3010 is delivering Windows files 30 to 40 percent faster than its previous data server. -- For mixed NFS and CIFS environments in which both Unix and Windows files are accessed simultaneously, internal Auspex tests on a one-node NS3010 system indicate performance as high as 13,500 IOPS and 40 MB per second. These numbers compare favorably against the competition, demonstrating Auspex's ability to provide fast and seamless file sharing between Windows and Unix clients. "The results we've seen so far are far ahead of our current requirement curve, and the other advantage is that performance remains virtually constant," said Ian Batten, IT Director of Fujitsu Telecom. "From a user's perspective, there should be very little difference between being a sole user in the middle of the night versus one of 300 to 400 users on a Wednesday afternoon." Auspex file servers are used by industries and enterprises to optimize storage management infrastructures and provide fast, reliable access to multi-terabytes of consolidated Unix and Windows data. Designed for customers with traditional business applications as well as corporate Internet sites, including those with dynamic business-to-business e-commerce functions, Auspex filers include a full suite of data management tools that ensure high availability, high-speed backup and replication, and maximum uptime. They also facilitate Unix and Windows file sharing with a unique restricted file permission that prevents unauthorized users from accessing protected files across platforms and a "one-world" view that synchronizes security and permissions on both platforms. For additional information visit www.auspex.com