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1990-09-17
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Gary Wolfe or Jennifer Jester
Corporate Relations
Banyan Systems
(508) 898-1000
BANYAN ANNOUNCES NEW "RAM-CRAM" SOLUTION
FOR USE ON VINES NETWORKS
Frees DOS Client Memory Space To Run Memory-Intensive
Network Applications On VINES-Based PC Networks
WESTBORO, Mass., September 17, 1990 -- Banyan Systems today
announced a new VINES solution to "RAM-CRAM", a logical software
phenomenon that restricts the amount of memory available to run
applications on DOS-based PCs, especially in network environments.
The new solution allows a portion of the VINES code in the client
memory to be relocated, thereby making additional space available
for applications programs to run.
As part of the company's continuing effort to develop solutions to
RAM-CRAM, Banyan engineers utilized Microsoft's industry-standard
Extended Memory Specification (XMS) application programming
interface (API) to transport 37 KB of VINES redirector code from
the portion of DOS client memory needed for running DOS
applications into the 64KB High Memory Area (HMA) of 286, 386, and
i486-based DOS PCs. (HMA refers to the first 64 KB beyond 1 MB.)
The VINES solution works with any memory manager for these systems
that supports the High Memory Area of XMS, such as Microsoft's
HIMEM.SYS or Quarterdeck Systems' QEMM version 5.
"The ability for VINES administrators to move this code ... at
their discretion... out of the critical memory area when
configuring VINES on a given PC frees a corresponding amount of
memory to accommodate today's larger applications," noted Banyan
Senior Vice President James Allchin.
Developers Praise Banyan Solution
Independent software developers have responded enthusiastically to
Banyan's new RAM-CRAM solution, as it will allow VINES users to run
a variety of powerful network-based applications to their fullest
potential:
Frank King, Vice President, Software Business Group, Lotus
Development Corporation:
"We applaud Banyan's continued successful efforts to use RAM more
efficiently. As Lotus applications -- such as 1-2-3, Symphony,
Freelance and Manuscript -- have grown and become network-aware,
the issue of finding additional RAM space has become progressively
more important for users who want to use these applications to
their fullest potential on their networks. Banyan's latest effort
has gone a long way to alleviating the limitations RAM-CRAM
formerly placed on VINES users who wanted to run our most powerful
applications software."
- more -
BANYAN OFFERS RAM-CRAM SOLUTION FOR VINES/ Sept. 17 / Page 2
Tom Thurston, Manager of Development, WordPerfect Office,
WordPerfect Corporation:
"Banyan's new memory reduction capability is an important step
forward for our mutual customers who want to use powerful network-
based applications, like WordPerfect Office, on their corporate-
wide VINES networks. With only a limited amount of RAM available on
individual PCs, it's vital that both the applications vendor and
the network operating system vendor devise innovative new
strategies to use the available RAM space as efficiently as
possible. In fact, like VINES, Release 3.0 of WordPerfect Office
also provides the capability to reduce memory usage, in addition to
improved support for StreetTalk global naming."
Tom Brandtonies, Vice President, Sales, Microrim:
"We have long been aware that Banyan provides a strategic PC
network capability required by large corporations. Banyan's just-
announced capability to reduce RAM use makes it possible for R:BASE
applications to run on VINES without the need for other memory
management solutions. This will be exciting and reassuring news for
our customers who have wanted to run R:BASE in the VINES
environment."
Banyan's extended memory solution for RAM-CRAM complements the
company's growing array of memory reduction solutions, including:
* Ability to relocate the code or data portions of the VINES
drivers, independently, into real memory located in the Upper
Memory Block (UMB), the memory mapped area above 640 KB and
below 1 MB.
* Ability to selectively load and unload TSR (Terminate and Stay
Resident) system programs such as asynch, SNA, etc.
* Ability to configure system buffers, communications connections,
etc.
Why RAM-CRAM Has Become So Important
As applications have grown in functionality, so too have their
memory requirements. Today, many large DOS applications (some
needing over 528 KB of available memory on the PC) are unable to
operate in conjunction with many network operating systems. As a
result, many customers are limited from exploiting the power of
their PCs to the fullest because certain programs cannot be
implemented on their PC network.
In general, networks themselves typically require an additional 70
KB to 200 KB of the same memory space on the PC, contributing to
the memory constraints faced by the large application programs.
(For example, Banyan's VINES falls in the low end of this range,
requiring only 83 KB when the new RAM-CRAM solution is
implemented.) Consequently, being able to relocate a significant
portion of the network code can have a big payoff in terms of
customers being able to run wanted programs.
- more -
BANYAN OFFERS RAM-CRAM SOLUTION FOR VINES/ Sept. 17 / Page 3
With regard to VINES, it is noteworthy that the memory required by
the DOS component of VINES has essentially not increased for the
past six years, though functionality has been boosted more than
three-fold.
Reducing memory overhead for VINES is an ongoing goal for Banyan.
As a first step, in Release 4.0 of VINES, the company rearchitected
its resident drivers to allow them to be relocated partially or
totally into Upper Memory Block (UMB) of DOS PCs (between 640 KB
and 1 MB). The addition of the support announced today complements
this by utilizing the first 64 KB of RAM beyond 1 MB to offer even
more options for reducing memory overhead. In some situations, as
much as 604,000 bytes can be made available for DOS applications
while running VINES on DOS 3.3.
Banyan's new RAM-CRAM solution will be delivered as a software
enhancement to VINES Version 4.0. It will be shipped to all
Domestic and International Banyan Resellers on September 21, 1990.
Banyan-supported end-user customers can request the enhancement
directly from Banyan on or after September 21. Customers should
direct requests to their respective Banyan Authorized Support
Centers.
###
About Banyan Systems
Banyan is the leader in corporate-wide PC networking. Its flagship
product, VINES, is a standards-based distributed network operating
system for local or global internetworking of personal computers,
minicomputers, and mainframes. VINES is recognized for its ability
to make multivendor networks of any size easy to use and manage.
Banyan products are marketed worldwide through a network of
authorized value-added resellers (VARs) and country partners.