sunflash-Distributed to mailing list sunflash@suntri sunflash-Send requests and problem reports to owner-sunflash@suntri.east.sun.com ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Florida SunFlash SUNSOFT ANNOUNCES ENHANCEMENTS TO SOLARIS SunFLASH Vol 51 #34 March 1993 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Contact: Laura Ramsey Org: SunSoft Inc. Phone: (415) 336-7039 Contact: Claudia Carasso Org: Hi-Tech Communications Phone: (415) 904-7000 New Features For Enterprise-Wide Computing Market SANTA CLARA, Calif., March 29, 1993 -- SunSoft, Inc. today announced major enhancements to the Solaris 2 software environment specifically designed to address the needs of enterprise-wide computing. The software now offers increased performance and new system administration, graphics and desktop features, delivering the industry's most powerful 32-bit commercial software solution to customers worldwide. The Solaris 2 enhancements include a 60 percent performance increase in the area of multiprocessing over the previous version, giving users more power across the network and a set of user-accessible threads further accelerating mission-critical applications. The new version boasts a suite of robust graphics products, many of which will be a part of the recently announced common open software environment being developed by HP, IBM, The Santa Cruz Operation, SunSoft, UNIX System Laboratories and Univel. In addition, it offers new features on the desktop, giving users a more intuitive and easier-to-use computing environment. Sun Microsystems Computer Corp.(SMCC), the world's largest supplier of UNIX systems, will make the enhanced Solaris 2 available on its entire product line beginning in May. Fujitsu, Hyundai, ICL, Tadpole, Tatung, Toshiba and others will also use the software in their systems. Customers using Solaris for enterprise-wide computing include Amoco Production Company, AT&T, DuPont, Federal Express, Philip Morris and Salomon Brothers in the United States; Swiss Bank, Barclay's Bank and the Munich Airport in Europe; and Cathay Pacific, Nomura Securities and Mitsubishi in Asia. "Solaris -- with its robustness, performance and features -- is designed to be the software engine to run global enterprises," said Jim Billmaier, vice president of product marketing at SunSoft. "The new version increases user productivity across the network and facilitates centralized system management for the lowest possible cost." NEW SOLARIS FEATURES The Solaris software provides several new enhancements in the areas of performance, system administration, graphics and the desktop environment to make enterprise computing easier and more cost-effective for global businesses. Performance: Power Boost on all Systems Multithreading - user-accessible threads to speed up I/O processing and concurrency, particularly for database applications. The technology enables application developers to write software that takes full advantage of the power of symmetric multiprocessing machines and also speeds up application performance on uniprocessor systems. Symmetric Multiprocessing - more than a 60 percent performance increase as measured in transactions per second on an eight-way processor system. Systems such as SMCC's SPARCstation 10 and future machines will take advantage of this feature. Networking - 10-15 percent improvement in networking operations per second, speeding up the transfer of data across networks anywhere in the world. The ONC+ networking technology, a part of the common open software environment, provides powerful software for accessing data across heterogeneous computers. On-Demand Data Access: Making the Complex Simple New automation provides users with transparent access to local and network data without any action by system administrators. This feature saves users time by providing on-demand access to CD-ROM and floppy disks as well as remote file systems. Getting access to data is now easy, making the complex task of mounting CDs as simple as popping a disk into the drive. System Administration: Lowering Cost of Ownership These new features save hours of work and reduce downtime for system administrators, leading to significant cost savings every year. The number of machines managed by each system administrator increases significantly, lowering company's overhead costs and enhancing overall network and system management. Network Profiling - feature allowing system administrators to remotely tailor machines for particular types of users, automatically giving each one the right hardware, software and applications needed to run their business. Upgrades - facilities that automatically upgrade hundreds of systems across the network to new Solaris releases as well as third-party application software without requiring any user interaction. JumpStart - "hands off" automatic network installation of Solaris has been extended to cover a wide range of systems and configurations. Installations and upgrades for hundreds of systems across the network simultaneously are now as simple as turning on the machines. Online: DiskSuite 2 - commercial-grade I/O features previously available only on proprietary systems. Disk Mirroring - maintains ongoing operations of the systems and its databases even in the event of disk or controller failures, providing users uninterrupted service. Disk Striping - increases throughput by utilizing multiple disks simultaneously, accelerating I/O-intensive applications such as graphics and data search software. Large File System - allows on-line growth of file systems up to a terabyte, giving users and system administrators additional flexibility in managing their data. Networked Desktop: Greater Ease-Of-Use and Flexibility Image Tool - new DeskSet application that allows users to create, load, view, rotate, zoom and crop images for use in documents. The tool supports more than 40 file formats including PICT, PostScript and TIFF. Network File Manger - major enhancements that enable users to utilize icons and "point and click" features to access CDs, floppies or files across the network from their desktop. Multimedia Mail - enhancements that allow users to receive messages using the new MIME protocol. Full MIME capabilities will be incorporated into future Solaris releases. Multimedia mail, a part of SunSoft's Solaris LIVE! technology, also offers tighter integration with workgroup calendar manager, allowing users to move information from one to the other using simple "drag n' drop" actions. Keyboard Accelerators - feature that gives users the ability to use keystrokes to perform quick menu operations and navigate the screen without the use of a mouse. Workspace Management - enhancements that allow users more control over the desktop with the ability to change background patterns, colors, fonts and add items to the menu. Graphics: Powerful Imaging and Video Integration XIL - an imaging foundation, consisting of application programming interfaces and libraries, for imaging and digital video. This is the industry's first imaging and video library bundled within a major operating environment and is a part of the Solaris LIVE! technology. XGL - a foundation library for 3D graphics applications fine-tuned for performance. It is also a part of Solaris LIVE! PEX - new version of the industry-standard PEX implementation that provides a uniform extension to the X Window System, Version 11 for 3D graphics. It will be a part of the common open software environment. Direct XLib - a faster version of the XLib library, providing increased performance for 2D graphics applications. The library will be incorporated into the common open software environment. Motif Toolkit SunSoft will also make a Motif toolkit available to software developers. The company will acquire the toolkit from IXI, a company of The Santa Cruz Operation, Inc. SunSoft and IXI have signed a letter of intent to make IXI's OSF/Motif Developer's Kit available for Solaris SPARC and x86 platforms. SunSoft distributed promotional copies of IXI's Motif Developer's Kit to developers here today. PRICING AND AVAILABILITY The new Solaris version, Solaris 2.2, will ship on a single Compact Disc (CD) with documentation, and will be generally available in 60 days. Upgrades are available through OEMs and distributors. New system prices are as follows: Solaris Desktop for the client desktop priced at $795 in single quantity. The package contains the Solaris system software including SunOS 5.0, ONC+ networking, multiprocessing, system and network administration, installation, security, the OpenWindows development environment, graphics, ToolTalk, Solaris LIVE! and the DeskSet suite of productivity tools. Solaris Workgroup Server for the small network of 50 users at $1,995 in single quantity. The package includes all of the Solaris Desktop features and technologies such as server networking, naming services and remote system administration. Solaris Enterprise Server for thousands of users across the world priced at $5,995 in single quantity. This edition incorporates all of the Solaris Workgroup technologies and adds advanced system administration, commercial grade I/O security and enterprise-wide installation. Online: DiskSuite 2 will be available as an unbundled product priced at $2,495 in single quantity. Pricing and availability for SunSoft's Motif toolkit will be announced within the next 30 days. Product inquiries should be directed to SunSoft at 510-460-3267 in the United States and to local SunSoft offices in Europe and Asia. SunSoft, headquartered in Mountain View, Calif., is a subsidiary of Sun Microsystems, Inc. The company has offices in North America, Europe and Asia. SunSoft is a leading supplier of 32-bit system software solutions for SPARC and Intel 80386/486-based computers. The products are licensed by SunSoft and distributed through major computer manufacturers and resellers worldwide. ### (c) 1993 Sun Microsystems, Inc. SunSoft, Solaris, ONC+, JumpStart, XGL, ToolTalk, Open Windows, Online: DiskSuite DeskSet, Solaris LIVE! are trademarks or registered trademarks of Sun Microsystems, Inc. UNIX is a registered trademark of UNIX System Laboratories, Inc. SPARC is a registered trademark of SPARC International, Inc. Motif is a trademark of the Open Software Foundation in the U.S. All other products or service names mentioned ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ For information send mail to info-sunflash@Sun.COM. Subscription requests should be sent to sunflash-request@Sun.COM. Archives are on solar.nova.edu, ftp.uu.net, sunsite.unc.edu, src.doc.ic.ac.uk and ftp.adelaide.edu.au All prices, availability, and other statements relating to Sun or third party products are valid in the U.S. only. Please contact your local Sales Representative for details of pricing and product availability in your region. Descriptions of, or references to products or publications within SunFlash does not imply an endorsement of that product or publication by Sun Microsystems. John McLaughlin, SunFlash editor, flash@Sun.COM. +1 305 351 4909. herein are trademarks of their respective owners.