NetNews Usenet Archive 1992 #26/NN_1992_26.iso/spool/comp/sys/next/hardware/2664

Text File | 1992-11-12 | 8.4 KB | 175 lines

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From: Monty Solomon <[e-mail]>
Subject: Re: New SPARC Classic
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Sender: [e-mail] (Monty Solomon)
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Date: Thu, 12 Nov 1992 11:30:08 GMT
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             SMCC INTRODUCES WORLD'S FASTEST UNIX SERVER


    SAN JOSE, Calif. -- November 10, 1992 -- Sun Microsystems
Computer Corporation (SMCC) today introduced the industry's most
powerful, expandable and affordable high-end UNIX(R) server. It is
based on the SPARC(R)/Solaris(R) platform. The SPARCcenter(TM)
2000 server, which offers unprecedented expandability -- up to 20-way
multiprocessing -- as well as storage capacity, begins at $95,000.
This is at least two to four times less expensive than comparable
systems from other vendors. SMCC's new server -- a mainframe-caliber
system for datacenter applications -- also delivers expansion
options from one-fifth to one-half the price of similar products
from other system vendors.

    "With the SPARCcenter 2000 server, we are aiming at
organizations that need the processing power and capacity of a
mainframe system, but demand the flexibility of a system that can
grow with them," said Larry Hambly, vice president of marketing at SMCC.

    The SPARCcenter 2000 server features a variety of
innovations, including an advanced new multiprocessing bus technology.
This system utilizes a single system board design, which can be
replicated up to 10 times to easily configure a larger, more
powerful system. The basic system board has capacity for up to two
SuperSPARC(TM) modules, 64 to 512 megabytes of memory, and provides
one high-speed SBus I/O channel with up to four expansion options. It
has 4.2 gigabytes of disk storage, which can be increased to more
than 100 times this capacity. Its modular design permits expansion
in multiple dimensions -- CPU, I/O, memory -- each time a new system
board is added.

    For example, a two-processor entry-level configuration can
be upgraded to a 20-way multiprocessing system by simply adding
processor modules and system boards to the original package. In its
maximum configuration, the system features up to 10 independent SBus
I/O channels, providing more than 500 megabytes per second of
dedicated I/O throughput.

    The new Sun(TM) server has higher performance than any other
UNIX server available today. In its 20-way configuration, it
delivers 2.19 GIPS (giga {billion} instructions per second) and 269
MFLOPS (million floating point operations per second). In just the
eight-way configuration, it is the SPECrate world champion,
performing at 8,047 SPECrate_int92 and 10,600 SPECrate_fp92.
Database performance for an eight-way system is expected to exceed
500 transactions per second(tps).

    The SPARCcenter 2000 server includes Solaris, the world's
highest-volume, 32-bit distributed computing environment. With its
multithreaded operating system featuring symmetric multiprocessing,
this scalable environment gives companies a robust,
super-high-performance solution upon which to build their
mission-critical applications.

Third-Party Relationships

    The SPARCcenter 2000 is an ideal platform for several popular
software products and services that address the needs of data center
users. All the leading relational database products -- from Cincom,
Informix, Ingres, Oracle, Software AG and Sybase -- will be available
for the SPARCcenter 2000 server.

    In addition, leading system administration tools available
or in development for the Sun platform include the Tivoli Management
Environment (TME) from Tivoli Systems and CA-UNICENTER from Computer
Associates. Legent Corp. and SMCC recently announced that they have
signed an agreement to port Legent's system management tools to the
Sun SPARCserver(TM) and SPARCstation(TM). SMCC also offers the
industry's best-selling distributed network management solution,
SunNet(TM) Manager, from SunConnect.

    There also are DB2 and Customer Information Control System
(CICS) emulators for the SPARCcenter 2000, such as XDB-Server from
XDB Systems, VIS/TP from VI Systems and UniKix from Integris. Also
recently announced was an agreement between SMCC and Universal
Software, which provides IBM System 36 emulation. Universal will
port its Open/36 software to the Sun platform.

    In addition, SMCC has signed an agreement with Storage
Technology Corp.(Storage Tek) and Epoch Systems to jointly market
mainframe-quality backup and retrieval solutions for the SPARCcenter
2000 server. These products will allow users to back up the
SPARCcenter 2000 network on tape silos and libraries provided by
Storage Tek, leveraging their existing data center investments in
Storage Tek systems. Storage Tek and Epoch Systems, a leading
supplier of UNIX system advanced storage management systems,
co-developed this backup and storage technology.

    SMCC has also partnered with Xerox PARC to develop the
XDBus(TM), technology making its debut in the SPARCcenter 2000
server. This dual, high-performance bus design uses high-bandwidth,
packet-switched technology that provides excellent connectivity,
throughput and data consistency for shared memory multiprocessing.
These buses work in parallel to provide in excess of 500 megabytes
per second of sustained throughput and 640 megabytes per second of
peak bandwidth, as well as increased system availability through
redundancy.

    SMCC also introduced Sun Service 2000(SM), a comprehensive
service and support package designed to provide SPARCcenter 2000
server users with all the services they need for maximum system
availability, including 99 percent guaranteed up-time. Sun Service
2000, which can be tailored to a customer's unique computing
environment, delivers a variety of services, including 7-day,
24-hour, around-the-clock support, on-site and system support and
on-site consulting and training. SunService 2000 is unique in the
industry in that it allows customers to set the priorities of
problems, so that they get the response they need -- when they
need it.

    When purchasing a high-end server, leasing options also
are important. SMCC is making available an innovative new leasing
program that simplifies acquisition.

Pricing and Availability

    The SPARCcenter 2000, which is available initially in
configurations from two to eight processors, will be generally
available in April,1993. The entry-level configuration, which
includes two SuperSPARC processors, 64 megabytes of main memory
and 4.2 gigabytes of disk, is priced at $95,000. An eight-processor
system, which contains eight SuperSPARC processors, 512  megabytes
of main memory and 16.8 gigabytes of disk, is priced at $266,200.
System boards, processors, memory and disks will be available in
flexible configurations, allowing virtually any configuration to
be built using standard components.

    SMCC is offering upgrade options for current owners of
Sun SPARCservers. Owners of the SPARCserver 690 system can upgrade
for $65,000; owners of the SPARCserver 490 or 390 systems can
upgrade for $70,000.

    Sun Microsystems Computer Corporation (SMCC), a subsidiary
of Sun Microsystems, Inc., is the world's leading supplier of open,
client-server computing solutions. SMCC has its headquarters in
Mountain View, Calif.

                ###

Sun, Sun Microsystems, Sun Microsystems Computer Corporation, the
Sun logo, SunNet, Sun Service 2000, and Solaris are trademarks,
registered trademarks or service marks of Sun Microsystems, Inc.
All SPARC trademarks, including the SCD Compliant logo, are
trademarks or registered trademarks of SPARC International, Inc.
SPARCstation, SPARCcenter, SPARCclassic, microSPARC and SPARCserver
are licensed exclusively to Sun Microsystems, Inc. SuperSPARC is a
trademark of SPARC International, Inc., and is licensed to Texas
Instruments, Inc. Products bearing SPARC trademarks are based on an
architecture developed by Sun Microsystems, Inc. UNIX is a
registered trademark of UNIX System Laboratories, Inc. XDBus is a
trademark of Xerox Corp. All other product or service names
mentioned herein are trademarks of their respective owners.

For reader inquiries, telephone [phone].

PR contact:  Carol Sacks  [phone].


--
# Monty Solomon / PO Box 2486 / Framingham, MA  01701-0405
# [e-mail]