[September 14, 2000]

RadiSys, LynuxWorks Develop Open Architecture High Availability Linux System For Telecom Apps

RadiSys Corp., a designer and manufacturer of building blocks enabling next-generation Internet and communications systems, and LynuxWorks announced plans to develop an Open Architecture High-Availability Linux system targeted for telecom and embedded system applications which require "five-nines" or better availability. "Five-nines" availability refers to system availability greater than 99.999% of the time, implying five minutes or less down time per year.

Implemented as an enhancement to LynuxWorks' BlueCat Linux and the Linux-compatible LynxOS real-time operating system (OS), the new OS extensions will provide full support for CompactPCI hot swap operations allowing on-line repair of standard peripheral controllers as well as completely dynamic system reconfiguration. The OS will also support failover between redundant system host processors in a CompactPCI system and advanced platform management through the Intelligent Platform Management Interface (IPMI).

In contrast to other high-availability operating systems tailored to use platform-specific capabilities of a particular manufacturer's systems, RadiSys and LynuxWorks will produce software which functions completely through open, standard interfaces. The key specification that makes this possible is IPMI, which has been adopted as the standard platform management interface for CompactPCI systems. By using IPMI for all platform management functions, the High-Availability BlueCat Linux system can operate on any manufacturer's platform that conforms to this specification.

LynuxWorks and RadiSys each bring significant relevant expertise to this project. Both are charter members of the High Availability on Intel Architecture Forum sponsored by Intel Corporation; active members of the PCI Industrial Computer Manufacturers Group (PICMG); and active Intel Applied Computing Platform Providers (ACPP) members. LynuxWorks has many years of experience in supporting high availability in their LynxOS real-time operating system as well as significant experience with using Linux in embedded and telecom systems with their standard Blue Cat Linux offering. RadiSys has led the CompactPCI industry in development of high availability systems managed via the IPMI specification, and chaired the committee that wrote the specification for standardizing the implementation of IPMI in CompactPCI systems.

"We are pleased to be working with LynuxWorks to create an open architecture high-availability Linux operating system," said Glen Myers, president and CEO, RadiSys. "By combining the wealth of experience LynuxWorks has with high-availability embedded operating systems and our expertise in building open architecture high-availability platforms, we are helping our customers solve the real problems they are facing in moving from proprietary to open systems."

"RadiSys is the industry leader in implementing IPMI for high reliability, availability and serviceability systems. They have a wide range of CompactPCI solutions including high availability system platforms, high performance Intel Architecture-based CPU platforms, and hot-swappable telecom peripheral cards," stated Inder Singh, CEO and chairman of LynuxWorks Inc. "The IPMI interface to our High Availability package gives us a unique ability to address all aspects of the system and cards including individual card temperature and status. Both LynuxWorks and RadiSys are completely dedicated to open systems, such as IPMI and embedded Linux, to provide OEMs with interoperable hardware and software solutions."

The initial technology exchanges have already begun and software developers from both companies are involved in the system development. The software will be developed and tested with RadiSys' systems, but the LynuxWorks IPMI extensions will work with other standard-compliant platforms. Similarly, RadiSys will retain rights to the technology it is contributing to the project, and may enter into similar arrangements with other OS vendors.

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