23/02/95
A new fileserver has been developed at Acorn as a joint venture with
Software Solutions, called the Level 4 Fileserver.

The new Fileserver, running on any Archimedes computer that has at least
1MByte of memory and some appropriate disc storage, may be run as a
RISC OS desktop application, or in standalone mode for maximum performance
and security, to provide users with file access and mail facilities.

The fileserver can transfer file from any standard media type, including
Winchester or floppy disc, SCSI or ADFS, CD ROM (Compact Disc with CDFS), or
use the Internet Protocols to communicate to a remote host via Econet or
Ethernet and NFS. Activity monitoring is included to improve the quality of
information the System Manager requires.

Compatible with existing Acorn fileservers, the Level 4 Fileserver offers
the advantages of RISC performance, flexibility and economy. allowing the
server to double up as a user machine on lightly loaded networks and
encouraging the sharing of data between work groups.

Also included in this software-only product is an advanced Printer Spooler
which can support multiple printers and RISC OS Management software that
simplifies the task of setting up and day to day management of the server by
using the user friendly RISC OS desktop environment.

Another important development that will be supplied as part of the Level 4
fileserver is the Broadcast Loader. Leading where many high performance
networks such as Ethernet fail to follow, Acorn has tackled head-on the
performance problems encountered in many of today's schools. 

Classrooms can provide one of the severest test of a network when all
pupils need to download the same application at the start of a lesson; they
can cause network loading far in excess of the levels conceived of by the
network industry, and it often results in frustrating delays.

To go a long way in alleviating this problem, Acorn has developed the Acorn
Broadcast Loader program. Designed by Digital Services Ltd, this elegant
software module is transparent to the user and enables the broadcast of
files that are required by several users.

Independent of fileserver type, the module is loaded to all client users and
utilises a new broadcast packet type to ensure that multiple requesters of a
file are all loaded simultaneously.

Although BBC and Master 128 machines may not participate on broadcast
transmissions, they may co-exist on the same network as the data hungry
Archimedes computers.

There are now a number of 440, 440/1 and R140 owners who have fitted 8MBytes
memory expansion cards to their computers and now find that their PC
Emulators do not work. Acorn have developed a patch for the PC Emulator to
enable it to work with machines with more than 4MBytes of memory. This patch
can be obtained from SID (Acorn's Support Information Database) or from any
SID registered dealer. The patch only makes the PC Emulator work again and
offers no advantages in speed or memory availability under PC Emulation.