【Toshiba】 TP90/70

This was the top-end model of the TP90 Series, first marketed in 1990 by Toshiba. It was targeted at the market for central computers in firms and organizations. The lower-end models of the TP90 Series (the TP90/20, 30, 40, 50 and 60) were first marketed in 1991, thus consolidating the overall lineup.

The TP90 Series was developed based on the central concept of "co-operated distributed processing" -- where each of the computers distributed in a network took a part of the work and co-operated with others. The main features of the TP90 Series were as follows:

(1) Coverage of a wide performance range with a single architecture

The TP90 Series was a set of higher-end versions of the V-7000 Series and employed a single architecture, but the series achieved performance 13 times that of the V-7030 (a low-end model of the V-7000 Series) by, for example, increasing CPU speed and providing symmetrical multi- processor support. The series also achieved a performance range of 50 times by using a cluster configuration called add-on enhancement,

(2) Field upgrading

Staged expansion of hardware, to accommodate greater work volume or increased database capacity, could be done at the user operations site. Up to a maximum of 3 CPUs could be incorporated in the same cabinet, as before, and up to a maximum 4 computer main units could be configured in a cluster (called "add-on enhancement" in the TP90 Series).

(3) High reliability

Duplicated configuration (automatic degradation of multi-CPUs, and duplication of disk drives and access buses)
Automatic degradation of main memory
Fail-over capability based on add-on enhancement
Integrity of databases and files using journal recovery

(4) Inherited network capabilities of V-7000

Support for 130 communication protocols including OSI
Distributed processing using VNET

(5) Distributed OLTP

The series provided support for "distributed OLTP" functionality which enabled transaction processing by dynamically linking screen processing on a client computer (optimally designed for the end user) with transaction processing on a server, without making the user aware of the network or database. Distributed OLTP allowed distributed database access using two-phase commit.

(6) State-of-the-art semiconductor technology for high performance

The CPU employed newly developed CMOS LSI with 3-layer aluminum wiring and an effective capacity of 100,000 gates.

The TP90/70 series was comprised of 3 models -- the TP90/73, TP90/75 and TP90/77. The main specifications were as follows: