January 2003 Dear Customer, Thank you very much for taking the decision to go ahead with DEC/EDI V4.0 on OVMS Alpha, the latest version of the DEC/EDI software. The software and documentation that you have received with this kit consists of both the Server as well as Application components for the OVMS operating environment. This new version addresses the key market requirements of Performance (throughput), Availability and Scalability. Performance has been addressed by removing identified bottlenecks in the earlier version, and enhancing the database access algorithms to limit contention and unnecessary updates. Availability has been addressed by implementing clustering support. DEC/EDI v4.0 processes communicate clusterwide with each other using the IntraCluster Communication (ICC) calls. Access to common resources shared by these processes is managed using the Distributed Lock Manager (DLM) calls. Scalability will also be addressed through the use of clustering allowing DEC/EDI to have as close to linear performance curve when adding new systems to the cluster as possible. An extensive set of configuration and monitoring functions to manage the operational DEC/EDI system is provided by the Command Center, a Graphical User Interface which runs on Windows NT or Windows 2000. Multiple copies of the Command Center can be deployed across the enterprise to undertake the system administration and transaction management. This version is supported by OVMS version 7.2-1 and above. Please refer to the product documentation for additional information. You can also visit the product website at www.decedi.com for the latest information on product updates and releases. Sincerely, DEC/EDI Product Management decedi@digital.com 2002 Compaq Computer Corporation