Kontron Selected by Ciara and Eurologic as Hardware Provider for SAN-coupled Blade Server

Intel Developers Forum, San Diego, CA, September 2002 - Kontron, one of the leading global embedded computer technology companies, has been selected by Ciara Technologies (Pointe-Claire, Quebec, Canada) and Eurologic Systems, Inc. (Boxborough, MA) to provide the hardware in a new proof-of-concept system that integrates a CompactPCI Blade Server system with a Storage Area Network (SAN) subsystem. The new architecture is intended for storage-intensive heterogeneous operating systems environments, including distributed applications servers that provide web services.

The new system employs Kontron CompactPCI blade servers in a PICMG 2.16 packet switch 1 GB Ethernet backplane, coupled via 2 GB Fiber Channel to a Eurologic RAID SAN. The operating system and applications for each blade are hosted by the SAN, allowing heterogeneous operating systems to run on the blades and exchange data between applications. At the same time, front end and back end processes can also be consolidated using traditional clustering and scaled multiprocessing.

The new architecture was conceived by Ciara, a systems integrator and storage OEM for Eurologic, as a way to combine SAN storage consolidation with the growing need for server consolidation. The integrated blade server-SAN system concept is immediately applicable to the

rapidly expanding web services market, by providing distributed application servers with shared data access in a tightly coupled IT architecture; it also promises to be extremely useful to the data services and corporate markets.

The new proof-of-concept system illustrates heterogeneous operating systems, Windows 2000 Cluster Server and Carrier-Grade Linux (CGL), booting and running from a Eurologic 2 GB SAN. Windows 2000 is clustered on 3 server blades, with CGL running on two separate blades; separate partitions are established on the SAN for Windows data and Linux data. Future versions of this system will exchange and share data between heterogeneous operating systems.

Jan-Philippe DeBroeck, Kontrons CompactPCI Product Manager, said, "There was a growing need to bring server and storage consolidation together, and through the incorporation of Kontrons CompactPCI blade servers with Ciaras integration expertise and Eurologics SAN subsystem, system administrators now have access to an efficient storage solution that facilitates the exchange of data across applications."

Robert Ahdoot, President of Ciara stated, "The number of disparate servers within organizations has become unmanageable, leading to increased IT management costs and business inefficiencies. We saw an opportunity for a new systems architecture that would reduce these inefficiencies using the latest blade server and SAN technologies, and the technological leadership of both Kontron and Eurologic made them the ideal partners."

Mike Stolz, Vice President of Marketing for Eurologic, said, "By using a SAN as the data storage mechanism and blades accessing shared and individual data, modular computing takes on a new perspective. We are pleased to work with both Ciara and Kontron to bring cost-effective and state-of-the-art SAN products to this solution."

The prototype system demonstrating the new architecture will be showcased during the Intel Developer Forum (IDF Fall, 2002), San Jose Convention Center, San Jose, CA from September 9 - 12, 2002. Kontron/Ciara/Eurologic will introduce a final version of the system later this year, and lower cost versions of the blade servers and iSCSI SAN are also planned.

READER SERVICE INQUIRIES: Please forward all reader service inquiries to Jennifer Rodriguez, Marketing Communications Manager, Kontron America. Tel: 858-677-0877; Email: sales@us.kontron.com.

ABOUT KONTRON: Kontron is a leading global embedded computer technology company. Kontron supplies a diversified customer base of OEMs, system integrators and application provider

s in the communications, automation, transportation, medical, military, aerospace, and test and measurement markets. The company helps its customers to considerably reduce their time-to-market and to gain a competitive advantage with products including high-performance open computer platforms and systems, single-board computers, man-machine interfaces and mobile computers. Kontron is a member of the Intel Applied Computing Platform Provider Program (ACPP Program). Kontron employs over 1100 people worldwide and has manufacturing facilities in Europe, North America and Asia Pacific. The company is listed on the German Neuer Markt stock exchange under the symbol "KBC". For additional information on Kontron, please visit: .

ABOUT CIARA TECHNOLOGIES: Ciara Technologies offers a diversity of customized personal computers, servers and other IT products, configured with brand name, high quality peripherals. Ciara is a world-class computer systems manufacturer, with a reputation built on 17 years of experience. A wide range of OEM, corporate, and government organizations in web services, industrial, commercial, and enterprise applications use the companys products. The total solution mix offered by Ciara covers security, storage and data center requirements. Visit

ABOUT EUROLOGIC SYSTEMS: Eurologic Systems is the preferred provider of network storage solutions to the vertical, channel and server markets. From systems to software to global product support, Eurologic has for over a decade set the standard for storage technology, arriving early-to-market with state-of-the-art network storage technology optimized to meet the unique and demanding requirements of a wide range of storage-centric markets. Eurologic is dedicated to keeping its partners at the leading edge of their markets. The companys focus on innovation, combined with a strong commitment to partnership, makes Eurologic the network storage partner of choice for many of the worlds largest server manufacturers, channel partners and vertical applications solutions providers worldwide. For more information, please visit Eurologics web site at .

Contacts:
Media Relations
Jennifer Rodriguez
Kontron America
Marketing Communications Manager
Phone: 858.677.0877
jennifer.rodriguez@us.kontron.com

Technical & Pricing
Jan-Philippe De Broeck
Kontron America
CompactPCI Product Manager
450.437.5682
jan-philippe.debroeck@ca.kontron.com

Jeff Harris
Ciara Technologies
Account Executive
905.501.8697 x206
jharris@ciara-tech.com