UnixWare 2 Product Announcement Questions & Answers

1) What are the key enhancements in UnixWare 2 over UnixWare 1.1?

A:
1. Fully multithreaded: UnixWare 2 operating system, I/O subsystem, TCP/IP, NFS, IPX, and user level threads, to dramatically increase performance and scalability from small desktop machines to very large MIS SMP servers. UnixWare 2 Application Server (AS) and Personal Edition (PE) packages support dual-processor machines "out-of-the-box," with the AS expandable to many processors via simple Processor Upgrade kits.

2. Dramatically improved installation and configuration.Installation routines have been simplified, hardware detection automated, installation over LANs is more flexible (TCP/IP or IPX), setup of video monitors is graphical, and total install time is reduced significantly.

3. Improved PC LAN integration. Single login to UnixWare 2 and NetWare LAN, printer sharing from clients to either UnixWare or NetWare servers, built-in NVT2 DEC VT220 and Host Presenter terminal emulation for NetWare clients, access to more LAN cards via the NetWare ODI driver interface, NFS included in the Personal Edition.

4. Improved administration and management. Many enhanced graphical administration functions, graphical performance monitor and tuning, C2 Auditing included, MIB II compliant SNMP network management agent in both TCP and IPX networks, new Dynatext browser for on-line documentation, dynamic start-up and shut-down of processors in SMP configurations via the graphical interface.

5. Expanded hardware support. A broad array of Intel uniprocessor and SMP machines, including those designed for the Intel MP Spec v1.1, Corollary CBUS II, an other proprietary architectures. SMP platform support is simplified by a Platform Support Kit (PSK) which abstracts many interfaces and provides examples of working code for different implementations. Many new peripherals including ODI LAN adapters, high resolution video cards, CD ROM drives, SCSI adapters, sound cards, and many others.

2) What are the key competitive distinctions of UnixWare 2, especially with respect to Sun's new release (i.e., Solaris 2.4 for x86) and SCO UNIX?

A:
1. UnixWare 2 is easier to install and administer. UnixWare 2 installation is very easy, intuitive, fast, and flexible. The system can be installed from CD, Tape, or over a LAN from a UnixWare OR NetWare(R) server running TCP/IP or IPX. PC WEEK recently declared "We found this operating system easier to set up than Windows 3.1."

More administrative functions are performed via the graphical interface in UnixWare 2 than in the competition.

2. UnixWare 2 integrates better into PC LAN environments and UNIX operating system that is best integrated with NetWare. With TCP/IP, NFS, IPX, and other NetWare functionality built-in, UnixWare fits well in either environment and easily acts as an application server and information bridge between UNIX TCP/IP environments and NetWare IPX/SPX.

3. UnixWare 2 runs many more applications. As the next major release of the UNIX System V Release 4 (SVR4.2 MP) technology, UnixWare 2 is designed to maintain compatibility with both SVR4 Intel UNIX and SCO UNIX systems. This yields a catalog of more than 3,000 applications from nearly 1,200 vendors that will run on UnixWare 2.

4. UnixWare 2 offers greater performance and scalability.UnixWare 2's multiprocessing technology has been in development, testing, tuning, and optimization for Intel SMP platforms since 1991, when it was originally designed as SVR4 ESMP in cooperation with Sequent, Pyramid, and other industry leading SMP platform providers. The result is an operating system which offers outstanding performance and scalability that will be demonstrated to outperform the competition using industry standard independent benchmarks in cooperation with our partners. As an initial example of this power, Tricord Systems submitted a Tricord ES/4000 running AIM 7 benchmarks on a pre-beta version of UnixWare 2 last summer, and they were awarded a "Hot Iron Award" for "Best Throughput in a File Server" category.

5. UnixWare 2 is better value for the money. Integrated networking, better performance and scalability, ease of installation and administration, and support for thousands of applications, all translate into savings for the customer in time to install and learn, reduced technical expertise, freedom to choose multiple hardware and application solutions, and protection of investment in existing application and hardware environments.

3) How has NetWare integration increased, and what are the plans for further integration?

A: Single login to UnixWare 2 and NetWare LAN, printer sharing from clients to either UnixWare or NetWare servers, built-in NVT2 DEC VT220 and Host Presenter terminal emulation for NetWare clients, access to more LAN cards via the NetWare ODI driver interface. During 1995, NetWare file and printer sharing services and also the Novell Directory Service (NDS) will be implemented on UnixWare 2.

4) Which customers have taken delivery of UnixWare 2?

A: UnixWare 2 began shipping to OEMs and developers in December 1994. We are planning a series of separate announcements with our OEM partners over the next few months regarding their plans for UnixWare 2. The demand appears to be very strong from large end user accounts who see the multiprocessing capability providing them with a highly scalable, very cost-effective application server platform.

5) Why is UnixWare 2 shipping 3 or 4 months later than Novell announced last summer? (i.e., "UnixWare 2 will ship in December").

A: The English language version of the UnixWare 2 Application Server began shipping to OEMs and developers in December 1994, as promised. Versions of UnixWare 2 for other languages were always scheduled to ship in the first quarter of '95. A lot of work is under way to prepare Novell sales, support, technical training, distribution of demo systems, Resellers, NAEC education courses, and fully translated product in 5 languages (EFIGS), to ensure a successful launch of the final red-box distribution of the product via all Novell channels worldwide in March, 1995.

6) When will the J Version be available?

A: We are actively working with Novell Japan Ltd. to manage the production of the J product. It will ship within a few weeks of the EFIGS products.

7) Why did you ship to OEMs first and the to the broader distribution channel later? Was the product really ready?

A: OEMs generally require more time to ensure their product configurations and sales and support infrastructures. They are less dependent on Novell's readiness in the traditional distribution channel. We are working to make sure that we produce a product that can address a worldwide market in multiple languages, that our sales and support infrastructure is trained and ready, and that education courses for Novell NAEC are ready, before we begin broad distribution of the red-box product.

8) What is going to become of UnixWare 1.1? Will the product still be supported?

A: UnixWare 1.1 continues to be a very effective solution for many of our customers. We intend to continue to provide support and maintenance updates for UnixWare 1.1 during 1995. We have spent a lot of engineering attention to assure that UnixWare 1.1 applications will run unmodified on UnixWare 2 to ease migration. We have also incorporated an upgrade utility in 2 that preserves the UnixWare 1.1 system and data files while replacing the 1.1 OS with UnixWare 2. We are offering very attractive promotions to encourage customers to migrate to 2.0.

9) What will be the target market for UnixWare 2? Who wants it?

10) Explain your claim that UnixWare 2.0 is the next generation of SVR4 ?

A:UnixWare 2.0 is built on the UNIX SVR 4.2 MP kernel which was released by USL to OEMs in 1993. We have added significant networking, graphical administration, ease of installation, and hardware platform support, amongst other features, to produce UnixWare 2.0.

11) What OEMs are signed up for UnixWare?

A: ICL, Unisys, and Compaq have all announced plans for shipping UnixWare 2. We are working with many other prominent Intel-based OEMs that will be as these partners are ready to make public announcements.

12) Will UnixWare 2 pass X/OPEN branding?

A: We have already passed X/Open XPG4 Base branding. Most of the Spec1170 APIs have been implemented and this work will be completed in 1995.

13) What is Novell doing to prepare the channels for this product and the growing portfolio of Novell products?

A:Novell has long been the envy of the industry with its leading reseller distribution channels. We are actively developing and delivering training, support material, demo systems, etc., to prepare for the broad distribution of this product. We will be directly focusing on developing VAR, system integrator, and reseller relationships for UnixWare 2. In addition, UnixWare 2 will receive much greater acceptance in the OEM and ISV communities because of its increased performance and scalability.

14) What exactly is SuperNOS and what is the role of UnixWare in SuperNOS?

A: SuperNOS is a program to integrate NetWare, the leading networking services platform, with UnixWare, the leading application server platform into a single set of modular, configurable software. The first step in the process has already begun with NetWare technology being integrated in UnixWare 2, including IPX/SPX and ODI device driver support, and NetWare 4.1 implementing the same SMP threads technology as offered in UnixWare 2. Subsequent steps will involve integrating NetWare file and printer sharing and NDS with UnixWare and, ultimately, development of a common, modular, microkernel based architecture capable of supporting either NetWare or UnixWare services or both and configurable by the user.

15) How does UnixWare(R) 2 deal with the Pentium(R) floating point bug?

A: The best way for customers to remedy this problem is to contact Intel to obtain a FREE replacement Pentium processor. However, UnixWare 2 includes floating point emulation as a user-selectable feature. This allows customers who are unable to take advantage of Intel's free processor upgrade offer to protect their applications against the error. However, there is a small performance penalty for executing floating point intensive programs in memory when compared to the same function executing on the Pentium processor directly. Novell USG will shortly be releasing a software workaround as a fix to both UnixWare 2 and existing UnixWare 1.1 customers. This fix will allow floating point operations to execute on the Pentium processor, while trapping and correcting the error condition in the operating system in a manner transparent to the application.

16) How will Novell support Pervasive Computing now with NetWare and UnixWare and later with SuperNOS?

A: The network operating system will serve as the foundation for Pervasive Computing. Today's product offerings from Novell will continue to evolve and be built to support the kind of network applications and services that are needed for Pervasive Computing to become a reality. NetWare will continue to evolve as the best-of-breed network services platform and UnixWare will continue to evolve as the best-ofbreed application server platform. Pervasive Computing presents challenges not addressed by any offerings on the market today. Novell's SuperNOS initiative directly addresses those challenges. It will incorporate the best of what is available today, including UnixWare, NetWare, and new technologies. It will be a common code base for future versions of Novell's operating system product family.

17) Will SuperNOS be available in source form to current UNIX source OEMs?

A:Yes. The UnixWare source program embodies some components of SuperNOS today (for example, APIs, core NetWare services). Novell will continue to offer our system OEMs the source level support they need to productize SuperNOS on their hardware.

18) What common elements of UnixWare and NetWare will contribute to SuperNOS?

A: UnixWare and NetWare have common symmetric multiprocessing, common ODI support, as well as support for both SPX/IPX and TCP/IP. By the end of 1995, they will have common management, security, and directory services. In 1996, they will be fully distributed, fault tolerant and clustered. NetWare and UnixWare will be two separately sold specialized personalities of SuperNOS.

19) How will UnixWare fit into and evolve to support pervasive computing?

A: One of the key environments involved in Pervasive Computing is corporate data processing. UnixWare directly addresses this environment. It offers the best line-of-business application server platform. UnixWare will evolve to be very broadly scalable (including SMP), very highly distributed (including clustering and microkernel technology), and with an emphasis on reliability, availability, and serviceability (RAS). It is cost effective as it runs on industry standard hardware. As such, it provides much of the enabling technology for Pervasive Computing.