Design engineering is Sun's core competency. Our relentless
focus on design engineering excellence in a single
microprocessor architecture allows ONLY Sun to offer its
customers 15 years of binary compatibility in a proven 3rd
generation, award-winning
64-bit processor.
Sun is THE leader in network computing design.
Sun's 64-bit UltraSPARC®-based systems have been shipping
since 1995.
Currently, the UltraSPARC Cu III processor is fully deployed
across Sun's entire line of SPARC and Solaris OE systems, ranging from the Sun
Blade 2000 high-performance workstations to the scalable
high-end multi-processor Sun Fire servers.
DESIGNED WITH CUSTOMERS IN MIND
UltraSPARC processors are designed to address specific
customer challenges, not just performance metrics.
Designed in concert with Solaris OE and Sun
systems, UltraSPARC processors are optimized for
world-record performance, while delivering
real-world applications and the industry's lowest total cost
of ownership (TCO).
One of Sun's design engineering obsessions is binary
compatibility,
so it is not surprising that Sun designs UltraSPARC
processors with binary compatibility in two directions so
our customers can protect their huge investments in the
SPARC and Solaris platform.
First, UltraSPARC is designed with backwards compatibility.
That means customer applications running on any previous
generation SPARC/Solaris-based server, going back to
products released in 1987, will run with enhanced performace
on the latest generation of Sun systems. Additionally,
customers using a 1-way SPARC and Solaris system can scale
up to any of Sun's larger systems with the same application,
including the flagship Sun Fire 15000 server with up to
106 processors.
Sun also recognizes the massive investments its customers
make in software licensing,
management and maintenance costs as well as training users
and administrators.
MAKING THE RIGHT INVESTMENTS FOR THE FUTURE
The SPARC® architecture is a key component of the
intellectual property portfolio that differentiates Sun from
the system repackagers.
Sun is making strategic and dramatic investments in the
future as evidenced by the size and experience of our
microprocessor design team which is 1,400 engineers
strong and includes some of the brightest chip designers in
the world.
We develop "Sun-On-Sun" at our Best-in-Class EDA Compute
Ranch
accelerating the design, simulation and verification of our
UltraSPARC processors. The EDA Ranch comprises 3 sites
utilizing over a thousand Sun systems running UltraSPARC processors.
The High Availability (HA) clusters in the infrastructure
use SunTM Cluster 3.0 software to achieve FIVE 9s (99.999%)
uptime. The Ranch runs at a 98% utilization 24x7x365 - an
unprecedented number!
Sun's Betting on UltraSPARC at the Ranch
Sun's expertise and experience in computer design includes designing its own
singular architecture processors based on open standards from SPARC
International, Inc.. Sun has been producing industry-leading, high-performance processors by focusing on the system requirements for enterprise-class network computing. To meet the compute needs of the
processor design team, Sun has built a state-of-the-art server ranch to
support the second largest design team in the world, with over 1400+ processor
design engineers running nearly 7500+ SPARC processors in Sun systems running
24x7 365 days a year.
 SPARC Design - We've Left It Wide Open!
Overall, Sun believes that open standards and open
programming interfaces increase the value of Net-based
solutions and create a larger market for all players. Sun
cooperates on standards and competes on implementation.
The SPARC architecture (IEEE 1754) is owned by SPARC
International, Inc., an independent, open standards board.
www.sparc.org
The SPARC V9 architecture, upon which all UltraSPARC
processors are based and the SPARC V8 architecture (32-bit),
are both available for license from SPARC International for
just $99 each.
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UltraSPARC/Sun ONE Studio Compiler Collection - A SPECtacular Combination!
Sun offers a complete and integrated set of products to design and build
enterprise-class systems that are tuned for optimum performance. The
UltraSPARC III processors, Solaris Operating Environment, and Sun ONE
Studio Compiler Collection are tightly integrated to take advantage of the core features of each product offering. Together this solution set produces dramatic improvements in performance. Check out the latest performance benchmarks.
SPARC/Solaris - Get Real!
Performance optimization at Sun means focusing on real world applications.
Sun has proven its leadership with a number of real-world application
benchmarks.
SUN/TI - FAB-u-LESS!
Sun has been partnering with Texas Instruments for thirteen years to provide
the process and manufacturing technologies needed to implement Sun's
processor designs, like the most recent UltraSPARC III Cu Cu processor with
copper interconnects. The relationship with Texas Instruments allows Sun to have the best of
both worlds. Sun brings the world-class processor design team and Texas Instruments provides
access to leading-edge process technologies and works with Sun to guide
development of world-class manufacturing technology, while tapping into a
high volume, competitive production source.
Texas Instruments dedicates hundreds of engineers exclusively to UltraSPARC
processor development to create industry-leading packaging, testing, and
manufacturing processes and designs.
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