The Open Source Development Lab has released the Scalable Test Platform
(STP), a tool available to open source developers which will make testing of
Linux enhancements easy and automatic.  This tool promises to speed
development and greatly increase the quality and consistency of Linux
enhancements and patches.  If you'd like to interview OSDL's lab director,
Tim Witham, please call me at (818)364-8061 or contact my associate,
Cattaliya Snider at (310)407-7915 or cattaliya.snider@ogilvypr.com.

Thanks,
Leslie Proctor

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Press Contacts:

Leslie Proctor (818) 364-8061
Siobhan Lyons (310) 407-7911
Alexander Ogilvy Public Relations
lproctor@alexanderogilvy.com
slyons@alexanderogilvy.com

Open Source Development Lab Creates Linux Performance Testing Tool

Scalable Test Platform (STP) Fulfills A Critical Need in the Open Source
Developer Community

Portland, Ore.-October 15, 2001-In a move that will provide an invaluable
tool for open source developers, accelerating and enhancing Linux for data
center and carrier-class capability, the Open Source Development Lab (OSDL),
has added the Scalable Test Platform (STP) to the list of services provided
by the lab.  Until now, open source developers have not had a centralized
resource for stable, scalable testing of Linux kernel enhancements.  STP
allows for easy, automated testing of this work, filling a critical need in
the open source community.

STP allows developers to easily test Linux enhancements, selecting from a
variety of tests, kernel trees and server configurations.  This testing will
improve the characterization and quality of Linux advances, speeding the
development of open source software by providing a readily accessible means
for performance measurement and comparison.  All test data is archived and
users may choose to post their results on the OSDL web site, making this
valuable information readily available to the open source community.

Access to STP is available through the OSDL web site, www.osdl.org  , Kernel
patches or upgrades can be directed to OSDL’s large test lab, running a
variety of tests on 1-way up to 16-way systems.  STP will compile the
designated kernel with the user's changes, install Linux with the changed
kernel on an OSDL dedicated server, run the selected test, report the
outcome to the submitter and archive the results on the site for future
reference.

"The STP initiative provides developers with the stable environment required
for enterprise and carrier-class testing" said Tim Witham, OSDL lab
director. "Developers can test their code early with only minimal effort
required to configure and run the tests. It also ensures that system
configurations remain stable over time and that results are logged, allowing
developers to make decisions based upon these repeatable tests and past
performance information to compare against the current test results. The
archived results also provide the necessary data for retroactive analysis,
accelerating the development process and improving the quality of
intermediate output.  Everyone, from Linux developers to end users, will
benefit from STP."

STP will give developers access to a wide range of performance and
regression tests, including dbench, LMBench, Bonnie and the library of
performance tests developed and compiled by the Linux Test Project.  With
STP's stable, repeatable environment measuring changes across many
applications and environments, OSDL has created an indispensable tool for
developers worldwide.

About the Open Source Development Lab
Supported by a global consortium of industry leaders, the Open Source
Development Lab (OSDL) is an independent, vendor-neutral, non-profit
organization dedicated to enabling Linux and Linux-based programming for
enterprise and carrier-class functionality worldwide.  Headquartered outside
Portland, Oregon, OSDL fulfills a critical need in the open source
development community to have access to the high-end hardware for
programming and testing.  More information on OSDL is available at
www.osdlab.org.
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