Performa Release Preview – Coming January 2005
Version 5.3 of the SCSItoolbox Suite will be shipping in Jan 2005 – be sure that you have renewed your annual Performa subscription so you don’t miss out! Also, if your contact and shipping information has changed, or if you just want to be sure it is accurate, contact us so we can keep contact information current. Here are just a few of the 30 or so new features, improvements, and fixes that will be available:
- More new test types added to the Tape and Disk Manufacturing Modules
- Official .NET support for Developers Toolbox
- Many new SAS-specific capabilities
- Trigger external test equipment
- New STB Plug-in tm Technology
The newest addition to the SCSItoolbox Suite – STB Plug-in™ Technology
Once upon a time there was the SCSItoolbox, with its pre-defined tests. For many customers this was plenty, but there were some who wanted to write their own tests using industry-standard programming tools. So two years ago we introduced the Developers Toolbox. And now, to start 2005 with a bang, we are introducing the next step in test technology – STB Plug-ins!
STB Plug-ins are a library of complete, stand-alone executable programs that you can “Plug-in” to any existing test process! Based on the proven Developer Toolbox libraries these programs enable instant, thorough high-level storage device testing. Here are a few highlights:
- STB Plug-ins programs are available for Windows and Linux environments
- STB Plug-ins programs can test multiple devices with a single call.
- Complete source code for the programs is included, for simple customization
- Examples of how to call or integrate the programs is included.
An example of one of the included examples:
Let’s say you manufacture a video on demand system and you need to test to insure that disk drive “A” meets your application throughput requirements. In a few minutes STB Plug-ins allow you to assemble a test that lets you specify a number of I/O streams writing to your drive simultaneously, plus a number of I/O streams reading from the same drive at the same time. The output of this is a report that shows the transfer rate for each I/O stream. Now you can run this test against each vendors drives, using various host bus adapters, etc. to determine which configurations meet your requirements. Your product is a blazing success, and you send us a postcard from Hawaii , thanking us for helping you get to market faster!
Ask Dr. SCSI – where did the time go?
Q. “Where did the time go?”
A. It seems like 2004 just flew on past – they say that’s a sign that we’re having fun, and speaking for us at SCSI Toolbox LLC the doctor can say that we really are! We are truly blessed to be able to work with such great customers!
So, from Doctor SCSI and all of us at SCSI Toolbox to all of our wonderful customers:
Thanks so much for your business, suggestions, and support in the past year!
Have a Merry Christmas and a safe New Year – we look forward to hearing from you all in 2005!
Holiday Hours at SCSI Toolbox
In keeping with our company tradition the STB offices will be closed the week between Christmas and New Year. Emails and voice mails will be checked in case of emergency needs. Merry Christmas!
November Survey winner announced
We’d like to thank all of you who participated in our November 2004 survey for the very cool LINKSYS Network Storage Link for USB 2.0 Disk Drives, Model NSLU2. The Survey was won by at Russell Brunson of Plexus Corp. Thank you for your feedback and input. Keep your eyes out for the next survey coming early next year!