Benchmark Shows HP ProLiant Servers Running Linux-Based Sendmail Email Solutions Outperforms Multiple Sun Solaris Platforms

October 31, 2002


Testing Demonstrates Price and Performance Benefits of Running Linux-based Mail and Messaging Solutions on Industry-Standard ProLiant Servers

LINUXWORLD EXPO, FRANKFURT, Germany

HP (NYSE:HPQ) and Sendmail, Inc. today announced the results of a performance benchmark testing Sendmail, Inc.'s email software on industry-standard HP ProLiant servers, vs. proprietary Sun systems. The results show that significant price/performance benefits and better message throughput are achievable when Sendmail's software is deploying mail and messaging solutions on industry-standard hardware running Linux, as compared to more expensive Sun servers running Solaris.**

Performance testing indicated that Sendmail, Inc. software running on 2 and 4-way HP ProLiant servers, with SUSE Linux Enterprise 7 and the Reiser Filesystem, was significantly better than Sun servers, running Solaris, in message throughput, price and performance.

For example, the next-generation 2-way, IA-32 HP ProLiant DL380 server running Linux outperformed and has a lower acquisition price than a 2-way, 64-bit, Sun Fire 280R running Solaris. The next-generation HP ProLiant DL380 running Sendmail SwitchTM delivered 30 messages per second* while a Sun Fire 280R delivered only 19 messages per second * (*100 KB message size). In terms of price, the HP ProLiant DL380 costs $6,463 while the Sun Fire 280R costs $16,490 (price includes Veritas file system).***

Additional tests revealed that the next-generation HP ProLiant DL580 server running Sendmail Advanced Message ServerTM and Linux was capable of serving 14,000 users at approximately 100 % concurrency (with all users logged in and working at the same time). By comparison the Sun Fire V880 server running Solaris was only capable of serving 9,000 users at approximately 100 % concurrency. The price of the HP ProLiant DL580 server, including fibre channel storage, is $48,603 while the Sun V880 including T3 storage and the Veritas file system is $190,095.***

"With this proven solution from HP and Sendmail, running Linux on ProLiant servers, MobileCom has now in its hand a highly performing and reliable, email service," says Mickael Ghossein, CEO of Mobilecom, a leading Wireless Provider in the Middle East. "This solution will allow to serve our rapidly growing customer base with the innovative services needed to stay ahead of our competition."

"HP is seeing a growing number of customers adopting Linux on industry-standard HP ProLiant servers as an alternative to more expensive Sun systems running Solaris," said Judy O. Chavis, Worldwide Director of Linux, HP Industry Standard Servers. "HP is committed to providing these customers with tested, proven, Linux-based solutions, like Sendmail's email products, allowing them to deploy cost-effective, reliable Linux solutions with confidence in their enterprise infrastructure."

"Sendmail's email software on HP ProLiant servers provide customers with a secure, flexible and high-performance email solution that is optimized for Linux," said Greg Olson, chairman and co-founder of Sendmail, Inc. "This solution delivers the best price-performance when compared against Sun systems."

**Results found were based on collaborative testing by HP, Intel, Sendmail, and SUSE at internal labs and at customer sites.

***Prices as published on the respective company web site on October 21, 2002.


About Novell
Novell, Inc. is a leading provider of information solutions that deliver secure identity management (Novell® Nsure™), Web application development (Novell exteNd™) and cross-platform networking services (Novell Nterprise™), all supported by strategic consulting and professional services (Novell NgageSM). Active in the open source community with its Ximian and SUSE Linux brands, Novell is firmly committed to open source and offers comprehensive Linux products and services for the enterprise, from the desktop to the server. Novell's vision of one Net - a world without information boundaries - helps customers realize the value of their information securely and economically. For more information, call Novell's Customer Response Center at (888) 321-4CRC (4272) or visit http://www.novell.com. Press should visit http://www.novell.com/pressroom.

Novell is a registered trademarks; Nsure, exteNd and Nteprise are trademarks; and Ngage is a service mark of Novell, Inc. in the United States and other countries. SUSE is a registered trademark of SUSE Linux AG. * All third-party trademarks are the property of their respective owners.