HP COMPAQ TASKSMART W2200 User Manual

Executive Brief

Compaq TaskSmart Appliance Servers:

June 1999
0194-0699-A

Prepared by Industry Standard
Server Division

Compaq Computer Corporation

Contents

Accelerating Business
Advantage with Compaq

TaskSmart Servers.....................3

The Customer Challenge...........3

The Customer Advantage of

TaskSmart Servers...................3

Compaq TaskSmart Servers

for Internet Caching ...................5

Other TaskSmart Solutions........7

Conclusion .................................7

Compaq TaskSmart Appliance
Servers: Computing Paradigm
of the Future

Abstract: Compaq introduces TaskSmart Servers, a new family of
appliance servers tuned and optimized for specific applications.
These specialized servers, that include integrated and optimized
hardware, operating system and application, are easy to deploy and
manage, and offer fast, simple answers to current solution
deployment bottlenecks.

With this new line of servers, Compaq becomes the first vendor to
provide a comprehensive appliance server architecture to help
enterprise customers simplify and speed deployment and operation,
allowing them to achieve higher levels of performance and
reliability. The first products, to be launched in North America
within the next 30 days, will be a series of Internet caching appliance
servers. Other application areas under investigation or development
include file storage, directory, security, and database solutions.

Compaq brings the proven benefits of industry-standard computing
to this rapidly emerging market, offering scalable product ranges for
selected applications. Each new product will be offered under a new
appliance server brand and business architecture, incorporating:

• Powerful enterprise management

• Best-of-breed solutions

• Broadest range of integration and sales support

• Simplified service and complete accountability

empowering customers to achieve greater

competitive advantage

in the e-commerce world.

Compaq TaskSmart Appliance Servers: Computing Paradigm of the Future 2

Notice

The information in this publication is subject to change without notice and is provided “AS IS” WITHOUT
WARRANTY OF ANY KIND. THE ENTIRE RISK ARISING OUT OF THE USE OF THIS
INFORMATION REMAINS WITH RECIPIENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL COMPAQ BE LIABLE FOR
ANY DIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, PUNITIVE OR OTHER DAMAGES
WHATSOEVER (INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION, DAMAGES FOR LOSS OF BUSINESS
PROFITS, BUSINESS INTERRUPTION OR LOSS OF BUSINESS INFORMATION), EVEN IF
COMPAQ HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.

The limited warranties for Compaq products are exclusively set forth in the documentation accompanying
such products. Nothing herein should be construed as constituting a further or additional warranty.

This publication does not constitute an endorsement of the product or products that were tested. The
configuration or configurations tested or described may or may not be the only available solution. This test
is not a determination or product quality or correctness, nor does it ensure compliance with any federal
state or local requirements.

Product names mentioned herein may be trademarks and/or registered trademarks of their respective
companies.

Compaq, Contura, Deskpro, Fastart, Compaq Insight Manager, LTE, PageMarq, Systempro, Systempro/LT,
ProLiant, TwinTray, ROMPaq, LicensePaq, QVision, SLT, ProLinea, SmartStart, NetFlex, DirectPlus,
QuickFind, RemotePaq, BackPaq, TechPaq, SpeedPaq, QuickBack, PaqFax, Presario, SilentCool,
CompaqCare (design), Aero, SmartStation, MiniStation, and PaqRap, registered United States Patent and
Trademark Office.

Netelligent, Armada, Cruiser, Concerto, QuickChoice, ProSignia, Systempro/XL, Net1, LTE Elite,
Vocalyst, PageMate, SoftPaq, FirstPaq, SolutionPaq, EasyPoint, EZ Help, MaxLight, MultiLock,
QuickBlank, QuickLock, UltraView, Innovate logo, TaskSmart, Wonder Tools logo in black/white and
color, and Compaq PC Card Solution logo are trademarks and/or service marks of Compaq Computer
Corporation.

Microsoft, Windows, Windows NT, Windows NT Server and Workstation, Microsoft SQL Server for
Windows NT are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation.

NetWare and Novell are registered trademarks and intraNetWare, NDS, and Novell Directory Services are
trademarks of Novell, Inc.

Pentium is a registered trademark of Intel Corporation.
Copyright ©1999 Compaq Computer Corporation. All rights reserved. Printed in the U.S.A.
Compaq TaskSmart Appliance Servers: Computing Paradigm of the Future

Executive Brief prepared by Industry Standard Server Division
First Edition (June 1999)

Document Number 0194-0699-A

0194-0699-A

Compaq TaskSmart Appliance Servers: Computing Paradigm of the Future 3

Accelerating Business Advantage with
Compaq TaskSmart Servers

The Customer Challenge

Internet content continues to grow explosively, attracting ever-widening audiences. Nielsen
Media Research estimates the United States Internet population at 99 million, up 43% from a year
ago. According to the United Nations, the Internet will have 200 million users “within a year or
so.” At the same time, companies are drawn to the web by the potential for e-commerce. In a
recent Duke University study, 56% of companies surveyed claim they will be selling on the
Internet by next year. Analyst predictions for the size of the e-commerce market in 2000 range
from $66 billion (Forrester Research) to $153 billion (IDC).

This translates into a surge of data and applications, and therefore complexity. Enterprise
customers find themselves with proliferating server farms and many new applications awaiting
deployment. Also, industry-standard computing has created an ever-widening range of solution
choices. This range of choices, together with the continuing shortage of trained IT staff, means
that customers are now experiencing serious bottlenecks in deploying their solutions.

One approach to accelerating solution deployment is to deliver hardware, operating system, and
application software as a complete product: configured, tuned, and optimized. Using long
experience in application integration and partnering with leading software vendors, Compaq is
the first leading vendor to support this new computing architecture: appliance servers. These
products – to be delivered under the Compaq TaskSmart brand – are single-purpose systems,
tuned and optimized for one specific application. They include all the hardware and software
components necessary to deliver that specific computing function with extremely high
performance and reliability.

Appliance servers provide complete integration for key applications – essential building blocks
for customers to deploy complete business solutions, augmenting the current industry-standard
approach for specific applications.

Uniquely, TaskSmart Appliance servers support two complimentary directions of Compaq’s
innovation strategy:

• Driving high-volume, standards-based hardware innovation, such as Automatic Server

Recovery, redundant power supplies, PCI Hot Plug, VI Architecture, and PCI-X.

• Advancing smarter solutions, from the original SmartStart and Compaq Insight Manager

through activeAnswers and Intelligent Cluster Administration.

The TaskSmart appliance server family is another step forward, providing tools and techniques
that empower customers, system integrators, and others with smarter solutions at less complexity
and lower cost.

The Customer Advantage of TaskSmart Servers

Many customers see clear advantages in using TaskSmart servers. For Don Porter, manager of
network and information at Salt Lake City-based Utah Link EdNet, using CompaqTaskSmart
caching servers to speed Web access in schools was an easy choice.

0194-0699-A