sunflash-Distributed to mailing list sun/NC/north-carolina sunflash-Send requests, problems to owner-sunflash@suntri.east.sun.com ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Florida SunFlash SPARCcenter 2000 and SPARCserver 1000 News Flash Update on Performance and Options Supported SunFLASH Vol 58 #7 September 1993 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 58.07 SPARCcenter 2000 and SPARCserver 1000 News Flash Update on Performance and Options Supported ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- The SPARCcenter 2000 and the SPARCserver 1000 are demonstrating superior performance and price/performance in the industry and winning the mind share of the computer industry experts. Here are some quotes: "The computer [SPARcserver 1000] is an industrial engineering marvel, combining an amazing amount of computer power in a small package that should prove easy to maintain." - Mark Cappel, SunWorld "The SPARCserver 1000 alters the price/performance competitive landscape dramatically." - George Weiss, GartnerGroup "[the SPARCserver1000] is a great continuation of Sun's server story. The Scorpion is far above the industry in pricing and packaging. The price/performance of Scorpion is going to send the industry for a loop." - John Morrell, IDC ****************************************************************************** * * * - SPARCcenter 2000 is the fastest multi-user system, and compute engine * * in the industry * * * * - SPARCcenter 2000 is the second fastest NFS file server in the industry * * (was the fastest until Sun announced the SPARCcluster 1) * * * * - SPARCcenter 2000 is now shipping with 50-MHz, 2-MB Ecache SuperSPARC * * processors * * * * - Expanded disk capacity on the SPARCcenter 2000 -- up to 214 Gbytes * * * * - SPARCserver 1000 sets the new TPC-A price/performance record * * * * - Disktower 1000 is now shipping * * * ****************************************************************************** Several enhancements to the SPARCcenter(TM) 2000 and SPARCserver(TM) 1000 product line have begun shipping this week. All of these are supported with the Solaris(R) 2.2 operating environment. SPARCcenter 2000 ================ - Brings breakthough power to the enterprise o World's Second Fastest NFS File Server SPARCcenter 2000 Auspex NS6000 ---------------- ------------- SPECnfs_A93 ops/sec* 2,422 @ 35.4 ms (8-way) 2,037 @ 46.5ms o Industry's Best Compute Engine SGI DEC SPARCcenter 2000 Challenge 10000/660 ---------------- --------- --------- SPECrate_int92* 21,196 (16-way) 16,620 (20-way) 13,351 (6-way) SPECrate_fp92* 28,064 (16-way) 27,412 (20-way) 25,565 (6-way) o Leading Multi-user Results Encore Data General SPARCcenter 2000 Infinity Avion 6280 ---------------- -------- ------------ AIMs 408.4 (20-way) 366.8 (24-way) 175.3 Max Throughput 4,002 jobs/min 3595 jobs/min 1718 jobs/min - 50-MHz based SPARCcenter 2000 systems are now available and shipping o 50-MHz, 2-MB Ecache Viking Modules o Greatly enhance performance on many different benchmarks o 2-MB Ecache is unique to the SPARCcenter 2000 o Up to 8 CPUs are supported on Solaris 2.2 - Expanded disk capacity for SPARCcenter 2000 systems on Solaris 2.2 o More than 214 GB of capacity with 102 2.1-GB drives o Support for two expansion cabinets, up from one. One full disk and one combined tape and disk expansion cabinet o 17 disk controllers (DSBE) supported, up from 11 o 17 controllers X 6 drives per controller = 102 disks, up from 66 - SunCD(TM) Plus now shipping on every SPARCcenter 2000 system o Faster access times o Kodak Photo CD compatible SPARCserver 1000 Updates ======================== - SPARCserver 1000 system and Oracle set new TPC-A price/performance record breaking the US$5,000-per-transaction barrier o Eight-processor SPARCserver 1000 system running the Oracle7 Cooperative Server database delivers 400.47 transactions per second and US$4,972 per tpsA - Disk Tower 1000 is now shipping for external disk storage expansion on SPARCserver 1000 system o Supports four 2.1-GB disk cards for up to 8.5 GB of storage o Provides 8 to 16 high performance 535-MB disks with the innovative 2.1-GB disk cards. (Four disks per 2.1-GB disk card) o Only available on the SPARCserver 1000 systems o Shares the same enclosure design as the SPARCserver 1000 so the disk tower 1000 easily stacks with the system chassis, or may be used in the new Tower Stand - SunCD Plus now shipping on every SPARCserver 1000 system o Faster access times o Kodak Photo CD compatible - TurboGXplus(TM) is now shipping on the SPARCserver 1000 system o Offers the industry's fastest 2-D vectors/sec., ideal for applications that require fast wireframe graphics or fast windowing o Supports Sun's standard 1152 x 900 monitor resolution, 1280 x 1024 for federal and MCAD applications, and 1600 x 1280 for document imaging applications o 4 MB of VRAM offers double buffering for smooth rendering of complex wireframe objects o TurboGXplus is 100 percent hardware and software compatible with GXplus, allowing easy upgrades - Tower Stand for SPARCserver 1000 and disk tower 1000 will be available in mid-October o Increases configuration versatility by allowing for deskside orientation in the office environment Option Update ============= - ISDN SBus card now available on SPARCcenter 2000 and SPARCserver 1000 systems with Solaris 2.2 o Direct connection to telephony networks o Digital audio capable o To order, specify X1012A - NVRAM-SIMM Prestoserve(TM) for the SPARCcenter 2000 and SPARCserver 1000 systems will begin shipping in mid-October o Improves overall NFS performance by 50% o Offers a battery backup for power failures o Provides ECC memory protection o To order, specify X172A for SPARCcenter 2000 systems and X177A for SPARCserver 1000 systems Solaris 2.2 Update ================== - Solaris 2.2 supplemental CD is now shipping with every SPARCcenter 2000 and SPARCserver 1000 system o The supplemental CD contains a bundled set of patches for Solaris 2.2 conveniently packaged for one-step installation o Apply only to systems running Solaris 2.2 on SPARCcenter 2000 and SPARCserver 1000 systems QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS --------------------- Q. What level of system software is needed to support these new options? A. All of these options are supported by Solaris 2.2. Q. Do the 50-MHz SPARCcenter 2000 systems cost more? What about upgrades? A. Yes. However, the 50-MHz configurations deliver 30% more performance, twice the memory and disk as the 40-MHz configurations. No penalty module upgrades are available to the new 50-MHz, 2-MB Ecache SPARC(R) modules. Q. How will the use of the new CD affect software installation? A. There should be no effect. The new CD-ROM drive is completely compatible with the old one. Q. When will the new CD drive start shipping in the SPARCcenter 2000 and SPARCserver 1000 systems? A. New SunCD Plus is shipping today on both systems. Q. Why the increased disk capacity on SPARCcenter 2000 systems? A. Customer demand for configurations with greater than 138 GB of disk has been significant. We are attempting to meet some of that demand in the current (Solaris 2.2) environment. We will continue to increase the officially supported capacities of our systems in future releases of Solaris. Q. Since 17 DSBE cards are supported on the SPARCcenter 2000, are 17 Ethernet interfaces supported on the SPARCcenter 2000? A. No. On Solaris 2.2, we support at most 8 active Ethernet interfaces. This number will increase in subsequent releases. *NOTE: Sources for Benchmark Results SPARCcenter2000: Submitted to SPEC for September Newsletter Auspex: SPEC disclosure SGI Challenge: June 1993 SPEC Newsletter DEC: June 1993 SPEC Newsletter (c) 1993 Sun Microsystems, Inc. Sun, Sun Microsystems, the Sun logo, Sun Microsystems Computer Corporation, Solaris, SunCD, TurboGXplus, and Prestoserve are trademarks or registered trademarks of Sun Microsystems, Inc. All SPARC trademarks, including the SCD Compliant Logo, are trademarks or registered trademarks of SPARC International, Inc. SPARCcenter, and SPARCserver are licensed exclusively to Sun Mircosystems, Inc. Products bearing SPARC trademarks are based upon an architecture developed by Sun Microsystems, Inc. All other product or service names mentioned herein are trademarks of their respective owners. ********************************************************************** For information about SunFlash send mail to info-sunflash@Sun.COM. Subscription requests should be sent to sunflash-request@Sun.COM. Archives are on draco.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. Send brief articles (e.g. third party announcements) and include contact information (non-800#, fax #, email, etc) to: John McLaughlin, SunFlash editor, flash@Sun.COM. +1 305 351 4909