Update: Nov. 20, 2001
Important!
The official site for Dacris Benchmarks 4.9 has moved here: http://benchmarks.dacris.com .
FAQ is still available here.
FAQ
Q: Why is this version such a big jump (4.1 to 4.9) when all it does is
fix bugs?
A: With this version, we have moved to a brand new architecture for our
products. Thus, Dacris Benchmarks is currently being rebuilt from scratch, using
none of the old code from version 4.1. Version 4.9 will be a stepping stone to
version 5.0 which will offer all of the features of the new architecture to end
users.
Q: How come you're not making version 5.0 and skip version 4.9?
A: We want to provide the stability of the new architecture of Dacris Benchmarks
to our users as soon as possible, and address their needs.
Q: So what will version 5.0 bring?
A: Version 5.0 will offer a SDK (Software Development Kit) which will allow
software developers to create test or optimization plug-ins for Dacris
Benchmarks. These are custom tests or optimizations that can be created as
extensions to Dacris Benchmarks. Also, version 5.0 will offer users a more
organized, professional user interface, with many more features than currently.
Q: Why have you waited this long to make an architecture overhaul?
A: Our product needed to mature. Version 3.1 was the first
commercially-available version of Dacris Benchmarks. It took 2 revisions (4.0
and 4.1) to get the product to grow enough to realize its true potential.
Q: How much, exactly, will the architecture change, and how much of the
old Benchmarks will you use?
A: We have decided to use as little of the older versions as possible. Only
benchmark test code will remain the same to provide backward compatibility. The
baseline format will be completely overhauled, causing the old baseline format
to no longer be supported, but we will offer an import utility. In short, Dacris
Benchmarks is being completely rebuilt from the foundation. This new foundation
will be much more flexible and reliable than the old foundation.