Amdahl EnVista Frontline Server

EnVista FS works effectively as a standalone or in a cluster

Amdahl's EnVista Frontline Server is a fast, reliable server that is easily upgradeable. Amdahl, well-known for its mainframe-size systems, offers three enterprise systems to the NT market: EnVista Frontline Server (FS), EnVista FS/R, and EnVista Server Model ES. This review looks at EnVista FS, a system for datamart,groupware, and intranet applications. Amdahl sells Envista FS as a standalonesystem or in a cluster configuration.

EnVista FS is an excellent component in a cluster solution because it hasbuilt-in fault-tolerant features, such as two 420-watt power supplies (you canadd a third power supply), error controlling and correcting memory,hot-swappable Ultra Wide SCSI-3 drive bays, and two embedded SCSI controllers tocontrol the drive bays. These features also make EnVista FS a superb standalonesystem for mission-critical applications.

You can easily upgrade a standalone system to a cluster solution usingMicrosoft's Wolfpack, VERITAS FirstWatch, or NCR's LifeKeeper clusteringsolutions. In fact, EnVista FS is one of the few systems certified for MicrosoftWolfpack. (For information about clustering solutions, see Joel Sloss, "ClusteringSolutions for Windows NT," June 1997.)

Performance Features
EnVista FS offers many performance features, including four 200MHz PentiumPros (each with 512KB of cache), dual PCI buses, and dual embedded Adaptec UltraWide SCSI-3 adapters. Other system features include support for up to 1GB ofmemory, 6 PCI slots, 4 EISA slots, 12 hot-swappable drive bays, a video graphicsadapter (VGA) video connector, a 3.5" floppy drive, a CD-ROM, 2 RS-232serial ports, a printer port, a PS/2 keyboard port, and a PS/2 mouse port.

A nice-looking beige case with doors houses all these components. The 3.5"floppy and CD-ROM drives hide behind one door, and the 12 hot-swappable drivebays hide behind the other. The system I tested also included a 17"monitor, a mouse, and a keyboard.

Amdahl pre-installs Windows NT 3.51 or 4.0 and includes Intel LANDeskServer Manager in the EnVista FS package. You can get the system preconfiguredfrom Amdahl with SQL Server, SMS Server, SNA Server, Symantec pcANYWHERE32, orAmdahl's EnVista Database Gateway (which lets you connect two existing mainframedatabases).

A Solid Performer
In the past several months, I've used EnVista FS for various projects in theWindows NT Magazine Lab. The system was a solid performer. Initially, Iused this system as a bundled cluster solution. Later I used it as the host forfibre channel testing. (For more information on fibre channel testing, see myarticle "Fibre Channel, SCSI, and You," September 1997.)

The only problem I encountered was when I installed a RAID controller on theprimary PCI bus. After I installed the RAID controller, the system insisted oninitializing it before initializing the embedded SCSI controllers. Thisinsistence prevented the system from booting from its internal hard drive.

To solve this problem, I simply moved the RAID controller to the second PCIbus. A nice feature would be a BIOS option to let you control the initializationsequence of the embedded SCSI controllers and the PCI card buses.

A Thumbs UP
I was impressed with the Amdahl EnVista FS. I recommend that you give itserious consideration if you are looking for a fast, reliable server that youcan easily upgrade. The price is comparable to similarly equipped systems fromother vendors, and Amdahl is a reputable company.