The Ultra Enterprise 1 and 2 Server Architecture

The Ultra Enterprise 1 and 2 

Server Architecture 

Technical White Paper

© 1996 Sun Microsystems, Inc. 

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Contents 

1. Ultra Enterprise 1 and 2 — 

The Next Generation of Workgroup Servers from Sun . . . . . 1 

Workgroup Server Requirements. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 

Ultra Enterprise Workgroup Servers from Sun . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 

2. System Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 

Features Standard on All Models. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 

Performance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 

3. The Ultra Enterprise 1 and 2 Architecture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 

The UltraSPARC-I Microprocessor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 

UltraSPARC Processor Modules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 

Memory Subsystem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 

The UPA Interconnect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 

SBus Connectivity, Peripherals, and Back Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 

4. Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 

The Solaris Operating Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 

Open Firmware . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 

i

Diagnostics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 

5. Ultra Enterprise 1 and 2 Networking and Peripherals . . . . . . 37 

Networking Technologies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 

Storage Solutions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 

6. References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 

ii The Ultra Enterprise 1 and 2 Server Architecture — April 1996

Ultra Enterprise 1 and 2 — 

The Next Generation of 

Workgroup Servers from Sun 1 

Workgroup Server Requirements 

Workgroups are not a new idea. Enterprises have long recognized the value of 

organizing workers into small, specialized groups and then giving them the 

resources they need to accomplish their goals quickly and efficiently. With the 

introduction of powerful desktop systems, workgroups obtained even greater 

freedom and power. Today, the scope of workgroups have been greatly 

expanded, creating a demand for ever more refined computing technology 

capable of better integration with the enterprise, greater economy, and higher 

performance. 

The new Ultra Enterprise 1 and Ultra Enterprise 2 servers from Sun 

Microsystems Computer Company represent a giant leap forward in 

workgroup computing. With exceptional performance, reliability, economy, 

and capacity, the UltraSPARC-based Enterprise 1 and Enterprise 2 are 

evidence of Sun’s commitment to the development of world-class workgroup 

computing products. 

As workgroups have emerged as an important tool of business, a set of 

computing requirements unique to workgroups has also materialized. No 

longer just a set of PCs connected by a LAN, workgroup servers must enable 

easy connectivity to other workgroups, as well as to mainframes, PC’s, 

minicomputers, servers, and the Internet. Armed with the sophisticated, 

resource-intensive applications needed to complete their tasks, workgroup 

systems must have high compute, file service, networking, and database 

performance, as well as greater memory and disk capacity. 

1

1 

Because workgroups are themselves a business strategy to improve efficiency 

and economy, workgroup servers must support this strategy by being 

inexpensive to own, quickly deployable, and easy to administer. With a 

newfound importance to the smooth operation of modern enterprises, 

workgroup systems must meet requirements for scalability, reliability, 

availability, and serviceability once confined only to data center and 

departmental systems. 

These new requirements often outstrip the ability of personal computers to act 

as workgroup servers. Instead of attempting to remake a PC into a missioncritical 

server, it is far more appropriate to package mature, established 

commercial computing technology into a platform that addresses the unique 

needs of workgroups — and that is what Sun Microsystems has done. 

UltraComputing for Workgroups 

Over four years ago, Sun engineers began to define a set of technologies that 

would enable the creation of an entirely new line of advanced computing 

platforms. Together they developed a vision of UltraComputing — practices 

that would set a new standard for workgroup computing for the remainder of 

the decade: 

• Supercomputing Performance 

Sun engineers knew that the first measure of any server system is 

performance. To meet the needs of UltraComputing, they believed that 

database, compute, and I/O performance nearing that of supercomputers 

would be required. 

• Network Computing 

To support the future needs of both workgroup interaction and advanced 

enterprise computing, Sun engineers knew that traditional LAN 

performance would be wholly inadequate. Future systems would require at 

least 100 Mbps of network throughput. In addition, UltraComputing 

workgroup servers would need extensive connectivity options to 

mainframes, servers, PCs, as well as to external networks like the Internet. 

• Reliability and Serviceability 

Understanding that workgroups are often needed to play mission-critical 

roles, Sun engineers committed themselves to set data-center standards for 

reliability and serviceability with their UltraComputing workgroup servers. 

2 The Ultra Enterprise 1 and 2 Server Architecture — April 1996

1 

• Manageability 

Ultra Enterprise Workgroup Servers from Sun 

The essence of workgroup computing is efficiency. Meeting those goals in an 

UltraComputing workgroup platform meant access to administration tools 

that made them as easy to manage as they were to use. 

• Capacity 

Modern applications in business, engineering, publishing, and science have 

unprecedented requirements for memory and mass storage. Acknowledging 

this, Sun engineers specified memory and mass storage capacities measured 

in gigabytes and terabytes. 

• Economy 

One of the principal attributes of UltraComputing is that it defines a 

standard for both entry-level and high-end systems. The goals just 

mentioned — performance, networking, capacity, reliability, and 

manageability — would need to be accessible by workgroups large and 

small. UltraComputing workgroup technology would have to be affordable. 

Uniquely suited to tackle the complex needs of modern workgroups, Sun's 

vision has taken shape in the form of the Ultra Enterprise 1, Ultra Enterprise 2, 

and Ultra Enterprise 150 lines of workgroup server systems (figure 1-1). Based 

on new UltraSPARC processor technology, Sun’s Enterprise workgroup servers 

deliver the performance, reliability, and flexibility needed by a host of 

advanced commercial and technical workgroup applications: 

• Database Management 

• Workgroup Compute and File Service 

• Multitiered Commercial Applications 

• Publishing 

• Financial Modeling 

• Image Management 

• Interactive Services 

Ultra Enterprise 1 and 2 — The Next Generation of Workgroup Servers from Sun 3

1 

This paper describes in detail the architectures of the Ultra Enterprise 1 and 2 

workgroup servers, compact systems packaged in low profile, desktop 

enclosures. To find more information about the deskside Ultra Enterprise 150, 

refer to the References section at the rear of this document. 

WG Server 

Figure 1-1 

Sun's vision for servers designed to support the needs of workgroups has 

taken shape in the form of the Ultra Enterprise 1 , Ultra Enterprise 2, and 

Ultra Enterprise 150 systems. 

Using much of the same technology found in Sun’s highly successful line of 

Ultra workstations, all Enterprise 1 and 2 systems are configured with the 64- 

bit SPARC Version 9 compliant UltraSPARC-I processor. Binary compatible 

with existing software, the UltraSPARC processor can accelerate existing 

applications as well as provide even higher levels of performance for those 

programs prepared to exploit its design. 


1 

All Ultra Enterprise workgroup servers also employ UPA, a new low-latency 

system interconnect capable of very high levels of performance and scalability. 

Other features include support for numerous SBus expansion options, 

internal and external SCSI peripherals, and Ethernet networking technology. 

Like their predecessors, every Ultra Enterprise server runs Solaris, Sun’s 

benchmark implementation of System V Release 4 (SVR4) of the UNIX ® 

operating system, and enjoys full binary compatibility with other SPARCbased 

Sun systems. In addition, both Enterprise 1 and 2 systems feature a 

standard complement of serial and parallel ports, a quad speed CD-ROM 

drive, 16-bit audio capabilities, and new, space-efficient desktop enclosures 

using 100% recycled plastic materials. 

To support the unique needs of server environments, all Enterprise workgroup 

servers include Solstice AdminSuite, Solstice Disksuite, and Solstice Backup, 

a proven suite of tools for managing workgroup, departments, and enterprises. 

Ultra Enterprise 1 

Designed to provide potent entry-level workgroup computing capabilities, the 

Ultra Enterprise 1 workgroup server is ideally suited for use in small to 

intermediate-sized workgroups, PC LANs, or for use as an application, 

compute, or file server. The Enterprise 1 can also act as a highly affordable 

solution for those requiring a high performance Lotus Notes server or as an 

Internet gateway. 

Model 140 and Model 170 

Designed to support the needs of those needing 64-bit technology with 

maximum economy, the Enterprise 1 Model 140 features a 143 MHz 

UltraSPARC processor benchmarked at 4.66 SPECint_95 and 7.90 SPECfp_95. 

The Enterprise 1 Model 170 employs a faster, 167 MHz UltraSPARC processor 

benchmarked at 5.56 SPECint_95 and 9.06 SPECfp_95.With support for one 

gigabyte of memory, 10 Mbps Ethernet, and fast 10 MB/sec. SCSI, both systems 

offer high performance at an entry-level price. 

Ultra Enterprise 1 and 2 — The Next Generation of Workgroup Servers from Sun 5

1 

Model 170E 

The Enterprise 1 Model 170E systems offer users even higher levels of 

performance for those needing to more fully explore the potential of 

UltraComputing. To complement its high performance 167 MHz UltraSPARC 

processor, and to ensure more balanced performance, Enterprise 1 Model 170E 

systems offer standard autosensing 10/100 Mbps FastEthernet and 5, 10, and 

20 MB/sec. SCSI. 


With its modular, multiprocessing architecture, the Enterprise 2 is the highest 

performance workgroup server available from Sun. With unprecedented 

scalability and capacity, the Enterprise 2 is an ideal platform for high 

throughput file and compute service; as a host to popular RDBMS’s from 

Oracle, Informix, and Sybase; or as a key component in a multitiered business 

solution like those available from SAP, Dun and Bradstreet, or PowerSoft. 

The Enterprise 2 can be configured with one or two UltraSPARC-I processors 

clocked at 167 Mhz and 512 KB of external cache or 200 Mhz and 1 MB of 

external cache. Enterprise 2 users will experience outstanding integer, floating 

point, and multiprocessing throughput (7.88 SPECint_95, 14.7 SPECfp_95, and 

an estimated tpm of 3107 1 ). Memory capacity in the Enterprise 2 is also 

doubled to 2 GB, and includes autosensing 10/100 Mbps Fast Ethernet and 5, 

10, and 20 MB/sec. SCSI interfaces. With a greater number of SBus expansion 

than the Enterprise 1, the Enterprise 2 can accommodate up to 1 terabyte of 

external storage. 

1. 200 Mhz dual processor system 


System Overview 2 

Features Standard on All Models 

The Ultra line of workgroup servers use advanced materials, electronics, 

software, and fabrication technologies in their packaging, board design, 

subsystems, and components. This chapter briefly describes features of both 

the Enterprise 1 and Enterprise 2 systems. Table 2-1 describes many of the 

important features found in the Enterprise workgroup server models. 

More detailed discussions of the processor, interconnect, networking, 

peripheral, and I/O architectures can be found in subsequent chapters. 

The UltraSPARC -I Processor 

Implementing the new SPARC version 9 architecture, the UltraSPARC-I 

processor retains complete backwards compatibility with the 32-bit SPARC V8 

specification, ensuring binary compatibility with existing applications. Capable 

of 64-bit data and addressing, UltraSPARC-I adds a number of other features to 

improve operating system and application performance: 

• Better cache management and greatly reduced memory latency 

• Built-in, low cost multi-processor support 

• Graphics and imaging support on chip 

• Implemented using 0.5 micron, 4-layer metal CMOS technology operating at 

3.3 volts. Packaged using a 521-pin plastic Ball Grid Array (BGA) 

• Nine stage pipeline that can issue up to four instructions per cycle 

7

2 

Ultra Enterprise 1 Ultra Enterprise 2 

Processor 

Memory 1 

Networking 

Interfaces 

Storage 

Interfaces 

Expansion Slots 

64-bit UltraSPARC processor with 512 KB of 

external cache, operating at 143 or 167 MHz. 

32 - 1 GB ECC protected memory using 5V 

DRAM SIMMs with 60 ns access time. 

Model 140 and 170: 10 Mbps IEEE 802.3 

Ethernet using 10 Base-T or AUI interfaces. 

Fast Ethernet expansion card available. 

Model 170E: 100 Mbps IEEE 802.3 Fast Ethernet 

using twisted pair category 5 interfaces, 

downward compatible with 10 Mbps Ethernet 

(autosense). A Media Independent Interface 

(MII) is provided to allow use with ThickNet, 

twisted pair, ThinNet, or Fiber interfaces. 

Model 140 and 170: Up to seven fast, 10 

MB/sec. single-ended SCSI-2 devices. Fast 

and wide SCSI expansion card available. 

Model 170E: Fast and wide, 20 MB/sec. singleended 

SCSI-2, downward compatible with fast 

10 MB/sec. as well as standard 8-bit 5 MB/sec. 

SCSI peripherals. Up to 15 SCSI devices are 

allowed. 2 

Model 140 and 170: Three 64-bit IEEE 1496 

(SBus) expansion slots. 

Model 170E: Two 64-bit wide IEEE 1496 

(SBus) expansion slots and one UPA interface 

connector. 

One or two 64-bit UltraSPARC processors 

operating at 167 MHz with 512 KB of cache or 

200 MHz with 1 MB of cache. 

64 MB - 2 GB ECC protected memory using 5V 

DRAM SIMMs with 60 ns access time. 

100 Mbps IEEE 802.3 Fast Ethernet using 

twisted pair category 5 interfaces, downward 

compatible with 10 Mbps Ethernet (autosense). 

A Media Independent Interface (MII) is provided 

to allow use with ThickNet, twisted pair, Thin- 

Net, or Fiber interfaces. 

Fast and wide, 20 MB/sec. single-ended SCSI- 

2, downward compatible with fast 10 MB/sec. 

as well as standard 8-bit 5 MB/sec. SCSI 

peripherals. Up to 15 SCSI devices are 

allowed. 2 

Four 64-bit wide IEEE 1496 (SBus) expansion 

slots and one UPA interface connector. 

Mass Storage 

and Mass Storage 

Expansion 

Supports either one 1.6" (Model 170E only) or 

two 1" drives using Jiffy drive brackets. Up to 

324 MB of external storage using SPARCstorage 

Arrays. 

Supports one or two 1" drives using Single 

Connector technology. Up to 1 terabyte of 

external storage using SPARCstorage Arrays. 

3.5” 1.44 MB floppy supports three popular formats. Internal 5.25” quad speed SCSI CD-ROM. 

Supports external QIC, 8-mm or 4-mm tape drives, and 4-mm tape stacker units, Digital Linear 

Tape drives, disk arrays, hot-plug disk storage units, and tape library systems. 

1. All Enterprise workgroup servers can use the same memory modules as those used in SPARCstation and SPARCserver 20 systems. 

2. The six meter cable length restriction may impose a smaller maximum number of devices 

Table 2-1 

Standard features of the Ultra Enterprise 1 and 2 workgroup servers 


2 

UPA Interconnect 

Networking and I/O 

• On-chip 16 KB Data and 16 KB Instruction cache, with up to 4 MB of 

external cache allowed 

• High performance — up to SPECint_95 > 5.5 and SPECfp_95 > 9.0 

(Enterprise 1) and SPECint_95 > 7.8 and SPECfp_95 > 14.5 (Enterprise 2) 

• New UPA interconnect architecture permits high speed memory transfers 

(1.3 GB/sec. on 167 Mhz systems, 1.6 GB/sec. on 200 Mhz systems) 

• High efficiency trap management 

Also key to the performance of the Enterprise workgroup server product line is 

all-new Ultra Port Architecture (UPA) interconnect technology. Implemented as 

a cache-coherent connection between processor, memory, graphics, and I/O 

subsystems, UPA offers several advantages over existing interconnects: 

• Greatly increased performance over previous designs 

• Packet switched for low latency memory access and precise interrupt 

processing 

• Buffered cross bar memory interface for increased bandwidth and greatly 

improved scalability 

• Wider paths to memory — 288 bits on Enterprise 1, 576 bits on Enterprise 2 

• More economical implementation through centralized coherence and 

memory controller functions 

• Integrated support for symmetric multiprocessing (SMP) configurations 

The Enterprise 1 Model 140 and Model 170 comes equipped with I/O facilities 

similar to those found on earlier Sun systems, including 10 Mbps Ethernet, and 

10 MB/sec. Fast SCSI. The Enterprise 1 Model 170E and all Enterprise 2 models 

provide standard 100 Mbps Fast Ethernet which can autosense and drop to 10 

Mbps operation. In addition, they also incorporate Fast and Wide SCSI (20 

MB/sec.) using a standard connector. Completely compatible with earlier Fast 

(10 MB/sec.) and standard 8-bit (5 MB/sec.) SCSI peripherals, they can 

accommodate up to 15 SCSI devices subject to cable length limitations. 

System Overview 9

2 

Enterprise workgroup server systems provide other comprehensive expansion 

options: 

• Support for additional hard drives using Jiffy drive brackets (Enterprise 1) 

or Single Connector technology (Enterprise 2) 

• Standard internal quad speed SCSI CD-ROM drive 

• 3.5” 1.4 MB floppy supports three popular diskette formats 

• Supports external disk expansion, QIC, 8-mm, and 4-mm tape, and 4-mm 

tape stacker units 

• Enterprise workgroup server systems support external disk array (RAID) 

and tape library systems for high reliability storage and backup needs 

• Both systems include support for 64-bit SBus connectivity, yet retain 

compatibility with existing SBus products 

• Selected peripherals from earlier Sun servers, such as the SPARCserver 10 

and 20, can be used on both models to preserve existing investments in 

hardware 

• 16-bit, 48 KHz audio with line-out, line-in, microphone-in, headphone-out, 

and internal wide-range speaker 

• Two RS-232/RS-423 serial ports and a Centronics-compatible parallel port 

Enterprise 1 and Enterprise 2 back panels include a number of other standard 

input/output connectors for external connection to networks, SCSI, parallel 

and serial peripherals, and audio equipment. All systems use full-sized 

connectors, precluding the need for special “splitter” cables. 

Reliability, Availability, and Serviceability (RAS) Features 

Acknowledging the increasingly important role played by servers in sustaining 

enterprises, Sun has incorporated a number of important features designed to 

ensure outstanding reliability, availability, and serviceability in all its 

workgroup servers: 

• Extensive power-on self test 

• ECC or parity on all major UPA data busses 

• Software memory scrubbing 

• Parity on cache RAMs 

• Temperature sensitive variable-speed fans 

• Internal thermal sensors control cooling 

• Thermal faults result in customer alerts and/or shutdowns to avoid 

component damage 

• SunVTS diagnostics can be run at scheduled times to periodically 

validate system functionality 


2 

• Simple clamshell enclosure for easy access to system components 

• Easily replaceable disks and SIMM memory modules 

• Minimal internal cabling 

• Common fasteners used throughout for easy servicing 

• Minimal use of jumpers 

• No I/O or SIMM slot dependencies 

Software 

Solaris 2.5 or 2.5.1 standard. OpenWindows and Motif windowing systems. 

CDE desktop environment. ONC+, NIS+, NFS, TCP/IP, and IPX/SPX 

networking technologies. Solstice Backup, AdminSuite, and DiskSuite 

standard. 

Boot Configuration 

Flash PROM for boot-time configuration. Can be reprogrammed in the field 

from the CD-ROM or over a local-area network. 

Enclosure and Power 

Enclosures for Enterprise 1 systems are only slightly larger than the familiar 

SPARCserver 20 enclosure (just 2.3 centimeters higher and 1.5 centimeters 

deeper). Peripheral expansion is accommodated through two 1" drive bays (or 

one 1.6" disk bay), a half-height 5.25" peripheral bay, and one half-height 3.25" 

bay for a floppy drive. 

The desktop enclosure for Enterprise 2 systems is designed to allow easy 

access, ample room for upgrades, optimized system board layout, and space 

for standard connectors on the back panel. Measuring 5.1” high by 17.7” wide 

by 17.3” deep, the Enterprise 2 enclosure includes space for two 1" drive bays, 

four SBus modules, a UPA slave expansion module, 16 SIMM slots, a halfheight 

5.25" peripheral bay, and one half-height 3.25" bay for a floppy drive. 

The power supplies in Enterprise systems are designed with better powerdissipation 

characteristics and to support 3.3V operation for UltraSPARC. They 

also support programmable core voltage. 

System Overview 11

2 

Sun has also recognized the need for environmentally-sensitive construction 

and operation with Enterprise workgroup servers. All plastic materials used 

are 100% recycled, and are themselves recyclable. 

Performance 

Performance of the Enterprise 1 and 2 systems leads all other workgroup 

servers in their class. Throughput has been improved in raw compute 

performance, as the SPEC benchmarks testify, but also in disk, networking, and 

memory access. Table 2-2 compares typical performance gains of selected 

models over a 75 Mhz SPARCserver 20 in several key areas. 

Architectural 

Component SPARCserver 20 


Model 170E 


Model 2200 Gain 

CPU 

32-bit 75 Mhz 

SuperSPARC-II 

64-bit 167 MHz 

UltraSPARC-I processor 

Two 64-bit 200 MHz 

UltraSPARC-I processors 

>2X 

CPU to External 

Cache 

72-bit data— stalls on 

cache miss 

144-bit data — no stall on cache miss >2X 

CPU/System 

Interface 

Circuit-switched MBus 

running at 50 Mhz 

400 MB/sec. peak 

Packet-switched UPA 

Interconnect running at 83 

Mhz — 1300 MB/sec. 

peak 

Packet-switched UPA 

Interconnect running at 

100 Mhz — 1600 MB/sec. 

peak 

3X to 5X 

Memory 

144-bit, 600ns Latency to 

CPU 

20 MB/sec. Bcopy BW 

288-bit 170 ns Latency to 

CPU. 170 MB/sec. Bcopy 

BW 

576-bit path, 170 ns 

Latency to CPU 

180 MB/sec. Bcopy BW 

2X to 4X 

Graphics 

32-bit SBus running 

at 25 Mhz 

64-bit UPA Interconnect running at 83 Mhz 

2X to 6X 

Disk Interface 10 MB/sec. Fast SCSI 20 MB/sec. Fast and Wide SCSI 2X 

Network Interface 10 Mbps Ethernet 10/100 Mbps Fast Ethernet (autosense) 10X 

Table 2-2 

Ultra Enterprise workgroup systems offer significant performance 

improvements over a 75 Mhz. SuperSPARC-II equipped SPARCserver 20. 

Particularly important in the role of database or file service is the tpm and 

LADDIS performance of the Enterprise workgroup servers. Estimated tpm performance 

for a single-CPU system is 1705 and 3107 for a dual-CPU system. 

Running the LADDIS synthetic benchmark, a dual-CPU Enterprise 2 system 

has scored a peak rating of 4303 SPECnfs_A93 Ops/sec. 


The Ultra Enterprise 1 and 2 

Architecture 3 

The UltraSPARC-I Microprocessor 

The Ultra Enterprise 1 and Ultra Enterprise 2 architectures were designed to 

provide high performance, scalability, reliability, and flexibility without 

compromising economy. The very high levels of integration achieved with 

Enterprise systems through the use of application specific integrated circuits 

(ASICs) have resulted in a greatly reduced part count, high reliability, and low 

cost without compromising access to a full complement of expansion options 

through high performance, standardized interfaces. 

The following pages describe the architecture of both models in detail, 

beginning with a system block diagram (figure 3-1). Because many of the 

subsystems of Enterprise systems are integrated directly into the UltraSPARC-I 

microprocessor, considerable attention is given to it. In addition, the memory 

subsystem, UPA, significant ASICs, and standard peripherals are described. 

The Version 9 Architecture 

SPARC has been implemented in processors used in a range of computers from 

laptops to supercomputers. SPARC International member companies have 

implemented over twenty different compatible microprocessors since SPARC 

was first announced — more than any other RISC (reduced instruction set 

computing) microprocessor family. As a result, SPARC today boasts the 

support of over 10,000 compatible software and hardware products. SPARC 

13

3 

Version 9 maintains upwards binary compatibility for application software 

developed for previous SPARC implementations, including microSPARC, 

hyperSPARC, and SuperSPARC. 

UltraSPARC 

Processor 

(1 or 2) 

UPA Processor 

Data Bus 

UPA Address 

Bus 1 

UPA Expansion Slot 

(Enterprise 1 Model 170E 

and Enterprise 2 only) 

UPA Address 

Bus 0 

144 bits 

System 

Controller 

ASIC 

64 bits 

RISC & 

Clock Control 

SYSIO 

ASIC 

72 bits 

UPA Data Bus 

SBus 

BMX 

Chips (18) 

Memory 

Data Bus 

(288 or 576 bits) 

Memory SIMMs 

(8 or 16) 

SBus Slots 

Enterprise 1 

Models 140 & 170 (3) 

Model 170E (2) 

Enterprise 2 (4) 

Peripheral 

Interface 

ASIC 

SCSI, 

EtherNet, & 

Parallel Port 

APC & 

CS4231 ASIC 

Audio 

Interfaces 

Slavio ASIC 

EBus 

TOD/ 

NVRAM 

Flash 

PROM 

Keyboard, 

Floppy, & 

Serial Port 

Figure 3-1 

Architecture of the Ultra Enterprise 1 and Ultra Enterprise 2 system 

SPARC-V9 represents a significant advance for the microprocessor industry. It 

provides 64-bit data and addressing, fault tolerance features, fast, context 

switching, support for advanced compiler optimizations, efficient design for 

superscalar processors, and a clean structure for emerging operating systems. 

And all of this has been accomplished with 100-percent binary compatibility 

for existing SPARC-based application programs. 


3 

UltraSPARC-I 

The UltraSPARC-I is a high-performance, highly-integrated superscalar 

processor implementing the SPARC Version 9 architecture. Capable of 

sustaining the execution of up to four instructions per cycle even in the 

presence of conditional branches and cache misses, UltraSPARC-I uses a 

decoupled Prefetch and Dispatch Unit to feed the Execution Unit. Load and 

Store buffers on the output side of the Execution Unit completely decouple 

pipeline execution from data cache misses. Instructions predicted to be 

executed are issued in program order to multiple functional units where they 

can execute in parallel. To further increase the number of instructions executed 

per cycle, instructions from different blocks (for instance, instructions before 

and after a conditional branch) can also be issued in the same group. 

UltraSPARC-I also has a powerful array of graphics processing instructions, 

including those that support 2-D and 3-D graphics, image processing, video 

compression and decompression, and video effects. This instruction set 

supports high levels of multimedia performance including real-time H.261 

video compression/decompression and MPEG-2 decompression at full broadcast 

quality without external hardware support. 

UltraSPARC-I Functional Units 

In a single chip implementation, the UltraSPARC-I processor features a very 

high level of integration which include the following components (figure 3-2): 

• A prefetch, branch prediction, and dispatch unit 

• Instruction and data caches 

• An MMU composed of a 64-entry instruction translation lookaside buffer 

(TLB) and a 64-entry data TLB 

• An integer execution unit with two ALUs 

• One load/store unit with a separate address generation adder 

• A load and store buffer which decouples data accesses from the pipeline 

• A floating-point unit with independent add, multiply, and divide/square 

root sub-units 

• A graphics unit with two independent execution pipelines 

• An external cache controller 

• A unit responsible for main memory and I/O accesses 

The Ultra Enterprise 1 and 2 Architecture 15

3 

Prefetch and Dispatch Unit 

Instruction Cache and Buffer 

Memory Management Unit (MMU) 

Grouping Logic 

Int. Reg. and Annex 

Integer Execution Unit (IEU) 

Load Store Unit (LSU) 

Data Cache Load Queue Store Queue 

FP Reg 

Floating Point Unit (FPU) 

FP Multiply 

FP Add 

FP Divide 

Graphics Unit (GRU) 

External Cache Unit 

Memory Interface Unit (MIU) 

External 

Cache RAM 

UltraSPARC-I Bus 

Figure 3-2 

UltraSPARC-I functional block diagram. 

Prefetch and Dispatch Unit 

The prefetch and dispatch unit fetches instructions before they are actually 

needed in the pipeline so that the execution units do not starve for instructions. 

Instructions can be prefetched from all levels of the memory hierarchy, 

including the instruction cache, the external cache, and main memory. To 

prefetch across conditional branches, a dynamic branch prediction scheme is 

implemented in hardware. The outcome of a branch is based on a two-bit 

history of the branch. A next field associated with every four instructions in the 

instruction cache (I-cache) points to the next I-cache line to be fetched. The use 

of the next field makes it possible to follow taken branches and provide the 

same instruction rate as running sequential code. Prefetched instructions are 

stored in the instruction buffer until they are sent to the rest of the pipeline. Up 

to 12 instructions can be buffered. 


3 

Instruction Cache 

The instruction cache is a (pseudo) 16 KB two-way set associative cache with 

32-byte blocks. The cache is physically indexed and contains physical tags. The 

set is predicted as part of the next field so that only the index bits of an address 

are necessary to address the cache (13 bits which matches the minimum page 

size). The instruction cache returns up to 4 instructions from an 8 instructionwide 

line. 

Data Cache 

The data cache (D-cache) is a write-through, non-allocating 16 KB direct 

mapped cache with two 16-byte subblocks per line. It is virtually indexed and 

physically tagged. The tag array is dual ported to ensure that tag updates due 

to line fills don’t collide with tag reads for incoming loads. Snoops to the D- 

cache use the second tag port to allow incoming loads to proceed without 

being held up by a snoop. 

Memory Management Unit (MMU) 

The MMU provides mapping between a 44-bit virtual address and a 41-bit 

physical address. This is accomplished through a 64-entry translation lookaside 

buffer for instructions and a 64-entry TLB for data, both fully associative. 

UltraSPARC-I provides hardware support for a software-based TLB miss 

strategy. A separate set of global registers is available whenever an MMU trap 

is encountered. Page sizes of 8K, 64K, 512K, and 4 Mbytes are supported. 

Integer Execution Unit (IEU) 

Two ALUs form the main computational part of the IEU. An early-out multicycle 

integer multiplier and a multi-cycle integer divider are also part of the 

IEU. Eight register windows and four sets of global registers are provided 

(normal, alternate, MMU, and interrupt globals). The trap registers 

(UltraSPARC-I supports five levels of traps) are also part of the IEU. 


3 

Load/Store Unit (LSU) 

The LSU is responsible for generating the virtual address of all loads and 

stores, for accessing the data cache, for decoupling load misses from the pipe 

through the load buffer, and for decoupling the stores through a store buffer. 

One load or one store can be issued per cycle. To further optimize data stores, 

a store compression capability allows two or more stores to be “compressed” 

together if they are in the same 16-byte block, so that a single data transfer 

occurs between UltraSPARC and the second-level cache. This frees up the data 

bus allowing load misses and instruction misses to be processed more rapidly. 

Floating-Point Unit (FPU) 

The separation of the execution units in the FPU allows UltraSPARC-I to issue 

and execute two floating-point instructions per clock cycle. Source data and 

results are stored in a 32-entry register file, where each entry can contain a 32- 

bit value or a 64-bit value. Most instructions are fully pipelined, (throughput of 

one per cycle) have a latency of three cycles, and are not affected by the 

precision of the operands (single or double precision operations have the same 

latency). The divide and square root instructions are not pipelined. They 

require 12 cycles (single precision) or 22 cycles (double precision) to execute 

but do not stall the processor. Other instructions following the divide or square 

root instructions can be issued, executed, and retired to the register file before 

the divide or square root instructions finish. A precise exception model is 

maintained by synchronizing the floating-point pipe with the integer pipe and 

by predicting traps for long latency operations. 

Graphics Unit (GRU) 

UltraSPARC-I provides a comprehensive set of graphics instructions that 

provide fast hardware support for 2-D and 3-D graphics, image manipulation 

and compression, and video and audio processing. 16-bit and 32-bit partitioned 

add, boolean, and compare are provided as are 8-bit and 16-bit partitioned 

multiplies. Single-cycle pixel distance, data alignment, packing, and merge 

operations are all supported in the GRU. 


3 

External Cache Unit (ECU) 

It is the responsibility of the ECU to efficiently handle I-cache and D-cache 

misses. The ECU can handle one access per cycle to the external cache. 

Accesses to the external cache are pipelined, taking three cycles and returning 

16 bytes of instructions or data per cycle. Such performance can make the 

external cache a part of the pipeline, meaning that for programs with large 

data sets, data can be held in the external cache and instructions scheduled 

with load latencies based on the external cache latency. Floating-point 

applications can use this feature to hide D-cache misses. The size of the 

external cache can be 512 KB, 1 MB, 2 MB, or 4 MB, all with a 64-byte line size. 

A MOESI (modified, own, exclusive, shared, invalid) protocol is used to 

maintain coherency across the system. 

The ECU provides overlap processing during load and store misses. For 

instance, stores that hit the external cache can proceed while a load miss is 

being processed. The ECU is also capable of processing reads and writes with a 

turn-around penalty of only two cycles. Snoops are also handle by the ECU. 

Block loads and block stores, which move a 64-byte line of data from memory 

to the floating-point register file are processed efficiently by the ECU, 

providing high transfer bandwidth without polluting the external cache. 

Memory Interface Unit (MIU) 

All transactions to the system, such as external cache misses, interrupts, 

snoops, and writebacks, are handled by the MIU. The MIU communicates with 

the system at a frequency lower than UltraSPARC-I frequency (either 1/2 or 

1/3 of the UltraSPARC-I frequency). 

Visual Instruction Set (VIS) 

UltraSPARC is the first microprocessor to fully support advanced graphics and 

multimedia data manipulation. By introducing a comprehensive set of 

multimedia instructions, known as the Visual Instruction Set, or VIS, 

UltraSPARC provides fast hardware support for 2-D and 3-D graphics 

calculations, video and audio processing, and image manipulation. 


3 

The graphics unit in UltraSPARC relies on the integer registers for addressing 

image data and the floating point registers for manipulating image data. This 

division of duty between the integer and floating point registers enables 

UltraSPARC to make use of all available internal registers, maximizing 

throughput. 

Pixel information in UltraSPARC consists of four integer values. These four 

values represent the color (RGB) and intensity information for a color image. 

Nominally 8-bit are allocated for each value, but for higher resolution images, 

like those used in medical or color imaging, UltraSPARC also supports 16-bit 

components. Support is provided both for band-interleaved images, with the 

various color components stored together, and band-sequential images that 

have all of the values for one color component stored together. 

Intermediate results for advanced image manipulation are stored as 16- or 32- 

bit, fixed-data values. These provide an intermediate format with enough 

precision and dynamic range for filtering and image computations on pixel 

values. UltraSPARC has several single-cycle instructions specifically tailored 

for manipulating these 16- and 32-bit components. 

UltraSPARC also includes a variety of instructions that are essential for 

advanced image manipulation. For example, UltraSPARC supports a filtering 

operation for scaling, rotating, and smoothing images. The filtering operation 

processes four pixels at a time, giving UltraSPARC an order of magnitude 

performance advantage over other processors. 

UltraSPARC is able to perform motion estimation in support of motion 

compensation, a technique used to code real-time video for compression. 

Motion estimation takes advantage of the minimal changes in the position of 

images from one frame to the next. UltraSPARC performs hundreds of 

comparisons for a region of the image, searching for a motion value that 

minimizes the estimation error. The error is calculated by summing the 

differences for each pixel in the region between a reference frame and a newer 

frame. 

UltraSPARC minimizes this compute-intensive operation by operating on eight 

pixels at a time. The motion compensation process for eight pixels requires 

eight subtractions, eight absolute values, eight additions, a load of eight pixels, 

an align of eight pixels, and one final addition. UltraSPARC performs this 

complex set of operations for eight pixels in just one clock compared to the 

minimum of 48 instructions and numerous clocks typically required by other 

processors. 


3 

Although VIS was created to accelerate the manipulation of graphics data, it 

handles other types of partitioned data just as well. Server-based uses of VIS 

include the processing of audio data, encryption/decryption applications, and 

high performance compute clusters for ray tracing and rendering. 

UltraSPARC Processor Modules (Enterprise 2 Only) 

Memory Subsystem 

External Cache Memory 

In the multiprocessor Enterprise 2, each UltraSPARC processor is mounted on 

an independent module which plugs directly into the system board. With one 

processor per module, Enterprise 2 can accommodate two modules. To permit 

the mixing of modules with different power requirements, each module has a 

separately programmable core voltage, and module speeds up to 250 MHz are 

allowed. Modules of different speeds can be mixed, although the system will 

run at a frequency corresponding to the lower of the two. To ensure proper 

response to an over-temperature condition, each module has an independent 

sensor which can be used to issue both warning and shutdown signals. 

Enterprise 1 and 2 servers feature either 512 KB or 1 MB (Enterprise 2 with 200 

MHz processors only) or of external secondary cache with 64-byte line size. 

Synchronous SRAMs are used for data and for tag. The datapath to the 

external cache is 128-bits wide and is parity protected with 16 bits of parity (1 

bit per byte). 

Main Memory 

The Enterprise systems have a memory system which uses conventional 5V 

DRAM SIMMs with a 60 nanosecond access time. They are identical to the 

SIMMs used in the SPARCserver 20 systems, allowing the retirement or 

replacement of older systems without sacrificing large investments in memory. 

Eight SIMM modules are permitted in the Enterprise 1 and 16 modules in the 

Enterprise 2, with supported sizes including 16 MB, 32 MB, 64 MB, and 128 MB 

modules. Maximum memory capacity using 128 MB modules is one gigabyte 

in the Enterprise 1 and two gigabytes in the Enterprise 2. 


3 

SIMMs must be added to Enterprise 1 in pairs and to the Enterprise 2 in sets of 

four. It is recommended that each set be the same size, as the larger SIMM of 

the set will be treated as if its capacity were equivalent to the smaller SIMM. 

Enterprise systems feature adjustable memory timing to ensure near-constant 

latencies and bandwidth across the range of bus frequencies. 

The UPA Interconnect 

In order to provide maximum throughput for database and compute-intensive 

applications, Sun began to define the requirements for a new bus architecture: 

• Reduced memory latency and lower cost 

• Optimized price/performance for uniprocessor and 2-way multiprocessor 

systems 

• The need to reduce development time and cost by carefully identifying and 

implementing only those features which would be implemented in 

production systems 

Engineers responded to these requirements with the Ultra Port Architecture, or 

UPA, a new, cache-coherent, processor-memory interconnect. As implemented 

in Enterprise systems, the principal advantages of the UPA over existing 

interconnects are significant: 

• Scalable bandwidth through support of multiple bussed interconnects for 

data and addresses 

• Higher bandwidth (three times faster than MBus) 

• High performance graphics support with two-cycle single-word writes on 

the 64-bit UPA interconnect 

• Better economy through centralized coherence and memory controller 

functions 

Features of the UPA Interconnect 

Incorporating many features previously found only on mainframes and high 

performance servers, the UPA interconnect architecture incorporates several 

innovations designed to meet the ambitious requirements of Enterprise 

platforms. Unlike conventional cache-coherent systems which use a globally 

shared snooping address bus, the UPA interconnect architecture relies on 

point-to-point packet switched messages from a centralized system controller 


3 

to maintain cache coherence. Packet switching provides for much better bus 

bandwidth utilization by removing the latencies commonly associated with 

pure transaction-based designs. 

Unlike other directory-based systems which maintain the coherence states for 

each data block in main memory, requiring a read-modify-write penalty for 

every read transaction that reaches main memory, the UPA interconnect 

maintains a duplicate set of all cache tags in the system and performs duplicate 

tag lookup and main memory initiation in parallel pipelines for each coherent 

transaction. This departure from conventional approaches permits minimum 

latency on cache misses, and effective pipelining in the interconnect allows 

maximum, and often “bubbleless” utilization of address, datapath, and main 

memory. 

The design of the UPA interconnect was targeted to single processor and small 

multiprocessor systems. One result of this was the use of a centralized system 

controller, which removed the need to place cache coherence logic on each 

processor and DMA device, considerably simplifying the implementation. 

Other key features of the UPA interconnect include: 

• Independent Address and Data 

UPA was designed to support small SMP systems. As a result, it can 

accommodate multiple address and data busses to avoid throughput 

bottlenecks. This approach also produces significant improvements in 

uniprocessor implementations by removing the need to share address and 

data lines. 

• Independent Operation of I/O and Processor Busses 

Overall system throughput is increased by decoupling the operation of the 

I/O and processor busses. 

• Use of Precise Interrupts 

Like other transactions, interrupts in the UPA interconnect environment are 

also handled through the delivery of a packet from the interrupting device. 

The packet provides sufficient information for the processor and service 

routines to begin immediate processing of the interrupt, greatly reducing the 

interrupt service routine latency. 


3 

• Streaming Buffer 

A technology previously available only on more expensive server systems, 

the use of streaming buffers allows devices capable of Direct Virtual 

Memory Access (DVMA) to achieve much higher levels of performance by 

reducing the bus busy times during data acquisition and delivery. 

• Major Busses Protected by Parity or ECC 

SBus Connectivity, Peripherals, and Back Panel 

In an unusual move to ensure the highest reliability, Sun engineers have 

implemented parity protection on the UPA address bus, and ECC protection 

on the UPA address bus 0 as well as between the BMX crossbar and 

memory. 

Enterprise server systems support two (Enterprise 1 Model 170E), three 

(Enterprise 1 Models 140 and 170), or four (Enterprise 2) SBus slots accessible 

through the back of the enclosure. The SBus slots allow expansion to a variety 

of I/O options, including network interfaces such as ATM, ISDN and Fibre 

Channel, high capacity disk arrays and tape libraries, printer interfaces, and 

hundreds of third-party SBus cards. 

SBus specifications for all systems include: 

• 25 Mhz operation (independent of processor and UPA operating 

frequencies) 

• Conformant to IEEE 1496 standards for SBus operation — compatible with 

all existing SBus peripherals 

• Extended transfer mode (64-bit wide data bus) 

• Transfer sizes up to 64 bytes 

• Parity checking 

• Dedicated interrupt per SBus slot 

In addition to SBus connectivity, both models support a standard complement 

of I/O devices through connectors on the back panel (figure 3-3): 

• Ethernet 

• Audio port 

• Serial-ports and Centronics-compatible parallel port 

• SCSI 

• Keyboard/Mouse 


3 


Serial Connectors 

Keyboard/Mouse 

SBus Slots (4) 

UPA Slot 


Model 170E 

68-pin SCSI 

Connector 

MII 

Connector 

TPE 

Parallel Port 

Audio 

Connectors 

UPA Slot 


SBus Slot 1 

SBus Slot 0 


Models 140 and 170 

Parallel Port 

MII 

Connector 


TPE 

68-pin SCSI 

Connector 

Audio 

Connectors 

SBus Slot 2 


SBus Slot 1 

SBus Slot 0 

Parallel Port 

AUI 

Connector 


TPE 

50-pin SCSI 

Connector 

Audio 

Connectors 

Figure 3-3 

Ultra Enterprise 1 and Ultra Enterprise 2 backpanel connectors 


3 

Ethernet 

Like earlier machines, the Enterprise 1 Model 140 and Model 170 systems 

support standard 10 Mbps Ethernet featuring a standard 802.3 interface 

through an RJ45 connector to twisted-pair Ethernet. Because many installations 

still use ThickNet Ethernet, the Model 140 and 170 system provides an AUI 

(Attachment Unit Interface) connector. An optional adaptor cable is available. 

To support higher performance network connectivity, the Enterprise 1 

Model 170E and Enterprise 2 systems support 10/100 Mbps Fast Ethernet. Fast 

Ethernet technology from Sun is backwards compatible with 10 Mbps Ethernet, 

with the speed being autosensed by the interface. 

Fast Ethernet is a direct extension of the 10Base-T Ethernet standard, but is 

capable of supporting a wider range of applications requirements with its 

greater throughput. Particularly compelling is its compatibility with the 

installed base of wiring currently employed for 10Base-T, making it the most 

cost-effective migration path for most users. Like its predecessor, the standards 

for Fast Ethernet are well defined and accepted throughout the industry, and a 

large number of compatible products are available from a variety of vendors. 

The Ethernet interface on all models support access to Category 5 twisted pair 

through an RJ45 connector. To support a wider array of cabling options, they 

also feature access to a Media Independent Interface (MII). Accessible through 

a 40-pin, miniature “D” connector, the MII allows adoption to any other form 

of Ethernet, including ThickNet (AUI), twisted pair, ThinNet, or Fiber. 

Audio 

Enterprise systems include high-quality audio circuitry on the motherboard 

and an internally-mounted speaker. Both systems support a a variety of 

standard sampling rates, including: 

• 16-bit 48-KHz Digital Audio Tape (DAT) 

• 16-bit 44.1-KHz CD 

• 16-bit, 16-KHz medium-quality audio for applications such as speech 

processing 

• 8-bit 8-KHz standard telephony 


3 

The backpanel provides a variety of audio connectors allowing the systems to 

be connected to standard audio equipment such as amplifiers and tape 

recorders. A small mono external microphone is provided, making audio input 

and output more convenient. Keyboard controls are included for volume 

control. 

Parallel Port 

The utility of parallel ports on desktop machines has grown due to the 

increased availability of peripherals that use them, especially low-cost, highquality 

printers. Using Sun’s NeWSprint software, Ultra Enterprise servers 

can directly drive a variety of such printers. In addition, with data rates up to 

2 MB/sec., the bidirectional parallel port can be used for other applications 

such as data acquisition, scanning, and high speed communications. 

The parallel port can operated using programmed I/O or DMA. Its interface 

direction, timing, and protocol is programmable to meet the wide variety of 

Centronics interfaces that exist on peripheral devices. 

Access to the parallel port is through a DB25 connector located on the 

backpanel. 

Serial Ports 

RS-232C and RS-423 serial ports provide a convenient way to connect systems 

to devices such as modems and terminals. All systems include two serial ports, 

each with independent DB25 connectors with standard pinouts. Synchronous 

transfers can occur at 64 Kbps, while asynchronous transfers can occur at up to 

76.8 Kbps. 

SCSI 

The Enterprise 1 Models 140 and 170 include a fast, 8-bit, single-ended SCSI 

interface which supports 10 MB/sec. synchronous transfers with up to seven 

peripherals, as well as slower asynchronous SCSI common to earliergeneration 

disk drives. External access to the SCSI bus is through a 50 pin 

connector on the backpanel. 


3 

The Enterprise 1 Model 170E and Enterprise 2 systems provide a fast and wide, 

20 MB/sec. SCSI interface. Up to 15 internal and external SCSI peripherals can 

be connected to the same daisy chain, with external peripherals accessible 

through a 68-pin “D” type SCSI connector. (50-pin connectors can be used with 

the addition of an adaptor cable.) Maximum cable length is six meters, 

including 0.9 meters for internal cabling. 


Software 4 

The Solaris Operating Environment 

Every Ultra Enterprise server is licensed to run the Solaris 2 operating 

environment, ensuring stable programming interfaces, application 

compatibility across the SPARC/Solaris environment, effective use of 

UltraSPARC capabilities, and easy integration of emerging technologies. 

Designed to deliver the power, flexibility, availability, and compatibility to 

support enterprise-wide computing, Solaris 2 combines three key computing 

elements — operating system, networking, and security — into a stable 

foundation that enables the development, delivery, and management of a wide 

range of server-based solutions for Fortune 500 corporations. 

Operating System 

Solaris 2 is based on UNIX System V Version 4 (SVR4) and the SunOS 

operating system. It provides a rich applications development environment, 

and fully supports symmetric multiprocessing (SMP) and multithreaded 

applications on multi-processor machines. Multiprocessing Enterprise 2 

systems increase productivity by running tasks in parallel — speeding 

database queries, providing remote file service, and accelerating 

computationally intensive applications. 

29

4 

Enterprise 2’s symmetric multiprocessing capabilities include: 

• flexibility to add or upgrade capacity as needed—simply 

• binary compatibility across systems 

• tools and related technologies to enhance the effectiveness of 

multiprocessing systems 

With Sun’s multiprocessing technology, an enterprise can upgrade and add 

processors whenever it wishes. Often, the upgrade costs are low enough to be 

an expense rather than a capital cost, allowing MIS departments to make 

tactical decisions without affecting longer range, strategic direction. 

Standards 

Solaris ensures maximum portability across platforms by conforming to several 

important standards including SVR4 Generic ABI, SPARC ABI, DDI/DKI, 

CDE-compliant 1.2.3 Motif, X11R5, POSIX 1003.1b and 1003.2, X/Open (XPG4 

base functionality), EPA Energy Star, Kodak Color Management System, and 

ISO 9660. 

Built-in Networking 

Solaris represents more than a decade of engineering by the leader in open 

distributed computing software. It is the most powerful and flexible system 

software available for UltraSPARC platforms. Designed to support enterprise 

network computing, Solaris combines powerful, high performance server 

capabilities and the world’s most powerful network operating system that 

gives users access to any resource — without having to know where it is, or 

what type of machine it runs on — no matter how large or dispersed the 

network. 

TCP/IP 

Solaris uses the Internet TCP/IP protocol stack, sockets, and ONC RPC for all 

native networking. TCP/IP provides unrivalled flexibility and scalability of 

networking by supplying a logical client-server communications structure that 

transparently handles interprocess communication. Included with Solaris, 

TCP/IP is a general purpose protocol for the development of distributed 

applications that run in heterogeneous networks. Its power and flexibility has 

made it the protocol of choice for the Internet. Solaris extends TCP/IP to work 


4 

with the latest network hardware innovations, including FDDI, Ethernet, Fast 

Ethernet, ISDN, ATM and high speed modems via the Point-to-Point protocol 

(PPP). 

ONC+ 

The Solaris computing environment includes a popular family of networking 

protocols and distributed services used to build a heterogeneous computing 

environment. ONC technology has become the most widely used solution 

for heterogeneous connectivity and for the development of next-generation 

distributed applications (figure 4-1). The ONC+ family of protocols and 

distributed services is independent of transports, operating systems, and 

computer architectures, making it the ideal solution for heterogeneous 

enterprise networks: 

• Wide-area file sharing via NFS 

• Automatic remote file location and transparent network data access 

• Wide area printer sharing 

• Centralized administrative repository 

• Secure, high performance, extensible network naming/directory service 

• Remote window graphics and character access through Internet protocols 

• Remote system access with heterogeneous data exchange 

Application Programs 

NFS 

Auto- 

Mounter 

NIS+ 

PC 

NFSD 

Lock 

Mgr. 

TI-RPC 

XDR 

Transport Layer Interface (TLI) 

Low-level Network Protocols (TCP, IPX, OSI. etc.) 

Figure 4-1 

Solaris supports a family of advanced networking protocols and services. 

Software 31

4 

The Transport-Independent Remote Procedure Call (TI-RPC) distributed 

application development platform is a key component of ONC. TI-RPC makes 

RPC applications transport-independent by delaying the binding of the 

application to a specific transport until the program is executed. With TI-RPC, 

new transports can be used by the application when a system administrator 

updates network configuration information and restarts the program. 

The Network File System (NFS) is an industry standard distributed file system 

that provides transparent access to remote files and directories across the 

network. Because NFS protocols have been widely adopted in the industry, 

users can access files on PCs, workstations, minicomputers, and mainframes, 

independent of the underlying operating systems being run. NFS in ONC+ 

includes Kerberos authentication for additional security and multi-threading 

for better performance. 

NIS+ is a new enterprise naming service designed to replace the widely 

installed ONC Network Information Service (NIS) in customer environments. 

It is a secure and robust repository of information about network resources, 

such as users, servers, and printers, enabling efficient administration of 

multivendor enterprise client-server networks. Administrative tasks, such as 

addition, removal, or reassignment of systems and users, are facilitated 

through efficient modification of information in NIS+. NIS+ is also scalable. It 

simplifies administration of small networks and can seamlessly scale to 

manage enterprise-wide networks containing tens of thousands of systems and 

users. 

Security 

As the popularity of open, networked computing has grown, so has the need 

for securing and protecting information on the network. This need for software 

security is especially critical in commercial, government, and university 

installations. Solaris has many available security mechanisms to secure 

networks and their nodes: 

• Account expiration. Automatically locks expired accounts from the system. 

This eliminates the possibility of security breaches through inactive and 

unmonitored accounts. 

• Auto-logout. Terminates inactive sessions to limit unauthorized account 

usage. 


4 

• Auto-lockscreen. Automatically closes system window access to limit 

unauthorized usage. 

• Dial-Pass. Presents an additional level of security for modem or network 

access. When users attempt to log in to a protected port, the user must enter 

an additional password in order to log on to the system. 

• Password qualification. Allows sites to specify their own policy on passwords, 

including length and composition. 

• Login disabling. Deactivates an account after repeated invalid attempts, to 

help reduce password “cracking” and break-ins. After a specified number of 

consecutive unsuccessful login attempts, the account is locked for a 

specified period of time. 

• Access hours. Denies account access, and terminates active sessions outside 

of authorized work hours. Access hours can be specified on a daily basis. 

Installation 

Solaris installation is fully automated using the Solaris JumpStart technology. 

When the system is first powered on, JumpStart software locates the install 

information over the network or from a local CD drive. The software 

installation is driven by profiles customized by the system administrator, or 

from a default installation profile, called the SmartStart profile. The 

SmartStart profile intelligently determines the best Solaris installation based on 

heuristics such as the amount of installed memory and available disk capacity. 

Open Firmware 

All Ultra Enterprise Servers support the use of a standardized PROM-resident 

monitor program that is written in a special threaded-interpretive language. 

Called Open Firmware, this monitor is conformant to the IEEE 1275-1994 

standard, also known as Standard for Boot (Initialization Configuration) 

Firmware. Open Firmware can be brought up during the power-on process if a 

problem is encountered, or by executing a system shutdown followed by a level 

0 init. 

Software 33

4 

Once the Open Firmware monitor has control, a variety of diagnostics are 

available for key subsystems and peripherals: 

• Video graphics 

• SCSI interface logic on the system board 

• Ethernet interface and AUI 

• Internal and external disk drives 

• Tape, diskette, and CD-ROM drives 

• Serial ports 

• Keyboard 

• Memory 

The Open Firmware monitor also provides tools to allow the continuous 

monitoring of the network and selective probing of devices on the SCSI bus. 

Boot-time behavior and some diagnostics in Enterprise systems are controlled 

through 512 KB of flash PROM. The use of flash PROMs permit the 

reprogramming of specific code blocks to implement updates and 

enhancements without requiring physical access to the PROMs. 

Reprogramming may be done from a CD-ROM located in the system or 

remotely by a system administrator over a local area network. 

Diagnostics 

All Enterprise servers have been designed for easy diagnosis and problem 

repair. Supporting this are several PROM-resident and UNIX- based diagnostic 

programs that can be applied by end-users and service personnel. 

Power-On Self-Test (POST) 

Under user control, a power-on self-test (POST) can be automatically executed 

to test the system board, NVRAM, on-board I/O devices, and memory system 

each time power is applied to the system. While not intended to be a 

comprehensive diagnostic, POST can quickly establish that no severe problems 

exist with the system, and communicates that through a set of light-emitting 

diodes (LEDs) on the keyboard. POST tests may be monitored via a serial-port 

connection to another system or dumb terminal. 


4 

SunVTS 

The SunVTS system exerciser is a graphically-oriented UNIX application that 

permits the continuous exercising of system resources and internal and 

external peripheral equipment. Used to determine if the system is functioning 

properly, SunVTS incorporates a multi-functional stress test of the system 

through operating system level calls, and allows the addition of new tests as 

they become available. 

Software 35

4 


Ultra Enterprise 1 and 2 

Networking and Peripherals 5 

Networking Technologies 

Connectivity Products 

Often the strength of a server relies more on its connectivity and storage 

capabilities that it does on its processing power. In order to ensure that the 

Ultra Enterprise 1 and 2 systems have uniformly high capabilities in all of 

these areas, Sun has arranged for a broad offering of optional network and 

peripheral products. 

Local Area Networks, or LANs, provide a means for Enterprise servers to 

communicate with systems over a limited distance, facilitating information and 

resource sharing in a multivendor environment. In addition, with resources as 

likely to be remote as local, servers now need to support the rapid movement 

of large amounts of data, as well as support video multicasting, timesynchronous 

applications, and integration with wide area networks. All Sun 

servers support a wide variety of connectivity technologies in order to 

accomplish these goals. 

Ethernet 

Built into the Enterprise 1 Models 140 and 170, 10 Mbps Ethernet (10Base-T) is 

a ubiquitous, inexpensive technology which is simple and inexpensive to 

deploy. With performance that can be boosted through the use of Ethernet 

37

5 

switching technology, its low cost makes it ideal for many applications. Despite 

the trend towards faster alternatives, 10 Mbps Ethernet remains important, and 

its installed base is expected to grow as more desktops become connected to 

workgroup and departmental LANs. 

Enterprise server administrators needing to divide their local area networks 

into numerous smaller networks should consider Sun’s SBus Quad Ethernet 

Controller (SQEC). A low-cost multi-port Ethernet controller, the SQEC 

provides four fully-buffered twisted-pair Ethernet ports on a single-width SBus 

card. Each of its Ethernet channels can operate independently and concurrently 

at 10 Mbits per second. 

Fast Ethernet 

Standard on the Enterprise 1 Model 170E and Enterprise 2, Fast Ethernet (100 

MBps Ethernet or 100Base-T) is a direct extension of the 10Base-T Ethernet 

standard, but is capable of supporting a wider range of applications with its 

greater throughput. Particularly compelling is its compatibility with the 

installed base of wiring currently employed for 10Base-T, making it the most 

cost-effective migration path for most users. Like 10 Mbps Ethernet, the 

standards for Fast Ethernet are well defined and accepted throughout the 

industry, and a large number of products are available from a variety of 

vendors. 

For those users wishing to expand their server’s networking capacity, Sun’s 

own dual-speed Ethernet adaptor features both 10Base-T and 100Base-T 

operation, and is the first to offer a Media Independent Interface (MII) to 

support a wide array of cabling options. SunFastEthernet adapters deliver 10 

times the speed of 10-BaseT Ethernet without the corresponding increase in 

cost. SunFastEthernet adapters support 10 Mbps or 100 Mbps operation over 

Category 5 Unshielded Twisted Pair (UTP) wiring via an RJ45 connector. These 

single-wide SBus cards also provide buffered DMA and 64 kilobytes of SRAM 

for packet buffering. 

Token Ring 

As many businesses begin the process of expanding and reeingineering their 

information processing infrastructure, they are faced with the task of 

preserving their investments in IBM hardware and Token Ring networks. 

Connectivity solutions, such as SunLink Token Ring Interface/SBus (TRI/S), 


5 

allow enterprises to retain existing hardware and off-load or allocate new tasks 

to powerful distributed systems, like an Ultra Enterprise server, without 

sacrificing connectivity between the two. 

SunLink TRI/S provides transparent integration of Sun systems into Token 

Ring networks without changes to existing applications. The TRI/S connects 

Sun systems to either 4 Mbps or 16 Mbps Token Ring LANs with a single-slot 

SBus board, using IBM type 1 or type 2 cabling (STP). SunLink TRI/S can 

provide IP routing among Ethernet, FDDI, and Token Ring networks. It 

supports the SunLink SNA products, and is compatible with IBM Source 

Routing Bridges. 

Asynchronous Transfer Mode 

Sun believes that Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) is a very promising 

networking technology. ATM uses small, fixed-sized packets, or cells, and highbandwidth, 

low-latency switches to achieve high performance. With data rates 

scaling from 25 Mbps to over 2 Gbps, ATM offers the throughput needed by 

the most demanding interactive applications. 

Sun’s SunATM controllers are single-wide SBus cards that supply high-end 

users with technology to meet their need for more networking bandwidth. The 

SunATM-155/MFiber and SunATM-155/UTP5 adapters support 155 Mbps 

operations over multimode fiber or category 5 unshielded twisted-pair (UTP) 

wire. SunATM adapters are the first Sun products to support speeds in excess 

of 100 Mbps, and support SONET/SDH (Synchronous Optical 

NETwork/Synchronous Digital Hierarchy) physical framing. In addition to 

traditional text and graphics, these Sun products enable users to transmit voice 

and video information with low latency and high reliability. 

Integrated Services Digital Network 

Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) has addressed the growing needs 

of digital data communications in a variety of industries. ISDN allows 

traditional telephone lines to transmit up to 1.544 Mbps — a dramatic 

improvement over analog technology. Because it uses standardized long 

distance lines and switched network control, ISDN makes high performance 

networking and Internet access available to a large number of users at a 

relatively low cost. 

Ultra Enterprise 1 and 2 Networking and Peripherals 39

5 

An SBus card compatible with all Enterprise server systems, SunISDN 

adaptors enable new and existing TCP/IP application to run transparently 

over ISDN. The SunISDN expansion kit consists of the ISDN SBus card and an 

Enabling Kit software package. SunISDN hardware and software products 

make it easy for end users to deploy a growing number of applications capable 

of benefiting from ISDN technology. 

Fiber Data Distributed Interface 

As companies adopt distributed computing architectures, they often find that 

some segments of their networks become bottlenecks, slowing bandwidthintensive 

applications and the movement of data. Often, these performance 

problems can impact the ability of an enterprise to deliver service to its 

customers, or increase the cost of operation. Higher performance networking 

technologies are required to remove these bottlenecks. 

An SBus adapter that directly connects to FDDI networks operating at 

100 Mbps, the SunLink FDDI/S has a variety of connection options, allowing 

users choose the media and topology that best fits their needs. Single and dual 

attach FDDI connectivity over optical fiber, and single attach over copper wire 

are all available. 

Frame Relay 

Frame Relay is a networking technology frequently employed to transfer 

information efficiently and with minimal delay. Designed to handle data 

communication with large, bursty data packets, it uses a transmission channel 

only when there is data present. This offers significant advantages over LAN 

technologies that tie up lines for the entire duration of a session. 

SunLink Frame Relay provides high speed access to public or private Frame 

Relay networks, allowing UltraSPARC-based Enterprise systems to share 

resources over wide areas. It is an ideal solution for geographically dispersed 

enterprises, and users who require high-speed, cost-effective LAN connections. 

PC Integration Solutions 

Enterprises and workgroups often use PCs running Microsoft Windows or 

Novell Netware in local area networks. While these applications are often 

necessary to adhere to internal standards, they are frequently inadequate in 


5 

meeting the challenges of enterprise networking and information access. Sun 

has developed the SolarNet product line to help integrate PCs into enterprise 

networks and enable access to powerful Solaris-based applications and system 

resources. 

• SolarNet PC-Admin 

SolarNet PC-Admin provides a new level of collaboration that eases PC 

administration and management in heterogeneous environments using 

TCP/IP as the backbone network protocol, allowing PCs to easily integrate 

with enterprise networks. SolarNet PC-Admin users can manage 

multivendor networks of varying size and complexity through a graphical 

user interface (GUI) running on any Microsoft Windows PC, UNIX 

workstation, or X terminal, preserving existing PC LAN investments and 

lowering the cost of ownership. With SolarNet PC-Admin, PCs can be easily 

moved and automatically re-connected as business needs dictate through 

the use of its Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP). 

• SolarNet PC-X 

SolarNet PC-X is X-server software for PCs that enables Solaris and other 

UNIX applications to be displayed on, and controlled from, a PC running 

Microsoft Windows. It allows both local and remote PC users to simply 

“point and click” on desktop icons to transparently access Solaris 

applications. 

• SolarNet IPX Gateway 

SolarNet IPX Gateway provides TCP/IP access for multiple NetWare clients 

while eliminating the need for multiple IP addresses. The only IP address 

required is for the Solaris server with SolarNet IPX Gateway. Access to 

TCP/IP and the Internet is achieved through the server. With SolarNet IPX 

Gateway, there's no need for maintaining a dual-protocol stack (Novell IPX 

and TCP/IP) on each desktop, eliminating the downtime of configuring a 

dual network, extra management and administration, and increased 

memory and storage. Because SolarNet IPX Gateway resides on the Solaris 

server, there's no impact on the performance of Novell NetWare servers. 

• Solstice NW Server 

In networks employing both Novell NetWare and Solaris, SolarNet PC 

Server Services breaks down the barriers of protocol incompatibility. With 

SolarNet PC Server Services, NetWare clients can transparently access file, 

printer, terminal, and application resources on servers running Solaris. User 


5 

data can be transparently shared without concern for formats, transfer 

methods, or network protocols. Solaris files and resources appear to a 

NetWare client as if they are part of the NetWare environment. Likewise, 

Solaris users and applications have access to NetWare data. 

• Solstice LM Server 

SolarNet LM Server enables a Solaris server to seamlessly provide file, print, 

and application services to PCs in a Microsoft LAN Manager or SMBcompatible 

network. SolarNet LM Server is compatible with Microsoft's 

LAN Manager specification for LAN servers including IBM LAN Server, 

Windows NT, Windows for Workgroups v3.11, or Windows 95. Integrating 

these PC LAN networks with the Solaris environment is easy and quick 

since no modification of existing SMB-compliant servers, clients, or 

network-based applications is required. 

Mainframe Connectivity Solutions 

SunLink SNA Suite 

SunLink SNA Peer-to-Peer allows Sun systems to communicate and integrate 

with IBM and IBM-compatible mainframes that conform to IBM’s Systems 

Network Architecture (SNA). 

The SunLink SNA Peer-to-Peer gateway is a process that maintains a 

connection to an SNA host. It emulates both node type 2.0 or 2.1, and LU 0, 1, 

2, 3, and 6.2 support. Communicating over Token Ring, 802.3, FDDI, or SDLC 

connections, SunLink SNA connectivity offers a variety of features: 

• Advanced program-to-program communication 

• 3270 display and printer emulation 

• D770 remote job entry support 

• AS/400 connectivity 

• NetView/SNM network management 

SunLink DNI 

SunLink DNI (DECnet Interface) allows the integration of Sun systems into 

existing computer networks through support of de facto standard 

communication protocols. SunLink DNI enables Sun workstations and servers 


5 

to communicate and share resources with DEC systems as DECnet Phase IV 

endnode systems. It allows transparent communication between departmental 

users and the corporate DECnet-based environment. 

SunLink DNI has numerous applications: 

• Communication between Sun and VAX or PDP-11 systems 

• Bidirectional remote login between Sun and DEC systems 

• Windows-based VT100 emulation 

• Bidirectional file transfer between Sun and DEC systems 

• VMS Mail Gateway support 

• Network management 

Global/Remote Access Solutions 

SunLink OSI Communication Platform 

SunLink OSI is a network product designed to expand connections through 

internationally accepted ISO/OSI communication standards. SunLink OSI 

supports OSI protocols, from the physical to the application layer of the OSI 

model. 

SunLink X.25 

SunLink X.25 enables Solaris-based systems to act as X.25 gateways, allowing 

communication and resource sharing across public and private X.25 networks. 

It includes transparent IP connectivity, enabling TCP/IP based Solaris systems 

to share resources and applications with other systems or LANs across X.25 

networks. 

In addition to transparent connectivity, SunLink X.25 includes a Packet 

Assembler/Disassembler (PAD) capability that provides remote PC or terminal 

users with secure dial-in access to enterprise resources using the X.25 gateway. 

SunLink X.25’s application programming interfaces allows customers to build 

their own wide area network (WAN) services over X.25, such as financial 

applications, terminal emulators, email, or billing applications. 


5 

SunLink X.400 

Open Messaging products allow companies to use standardized products to 

connect people and organizations. SunLink X.400 is a software product that 

implements the ITU-T technology for Message Handling Systems. It allows 

Solaris-based systems to exchange messages with other messaging software 

connected to an X.400 network. SunLink X.400 supports concurrent 

connections over X.400, TCP/IP, Ethernet, or X.25 networks. 

SunLink FTAM 

SunLink FTAM (File Transfer Access Method) is a software product that allows 

Solaris-based systems to exchange files with other FTAM-based systems. It can 

operate simultaneously across both TCP/IP and OSI networks. 

SunLink VT 

SunLink VT allows Solaris systems to establish connections with remote VT 

servers and/or to act as a VT server. 

SunLink CMIP 

SunLink CMIP is an ideal solution for enterprises that want to develop and 

implement management solutions for their global telecommunication 

networks. The SunLink Common Management Information Protocol (CMIP) 

8.1 Standard Development Environment (SDE) and SunLink CMIP 8.1 Runtime 

(RT) products allow organizations to develop and deploy advanced network 

management solutions in a cost-effective manner. 

SunLink PPP 

SunLink PPP makes it easy for Enterprise server owners to communicate 

outside their local area network. It uses the Internet standard Point-to-Point 

Protocol (PPP) to route IP traffic over point-to-point networks. SunLink PPP 

interconnects Ethernet, FDDI, and Token Ring LANs using wide-area 

transmission facilities, such as dedicated synchronous point-to-point links or 

dial-up telephone lines. This allows packets to flow between systems on 

different networks, and is particularly important for nomadic users. 


5 

SunLink PPP, in concert with higher-level routing protocols, gives each Sun 

computer transparent, application-independent access to remote LANs and 

their resources. Each host running PPP provides one or more paths for packets 

bound for remote LANs. These paths can be used by all devices on the LAN to 

send packets to remote networks. PPP routing gateways can simultaneously 

transmit packets from many different sources. 

Network Management Solutions 

With the advent of distributed computing, individual users and departments 

have gained more power, flexibility and control from their desktops and 

servers. However, companies have found it difficult to centrally manage 

enterprise-wide networks, resulting in higher than expected administration 

costs. Sun’s Solstice product family addresses the need for powerful network 

administration tools by bringing together the needed disciplines to deliver 

comprehensive enterprise network management. 

Solstice AdminSuite 

Solstice AdminSuite is a unified suite of tools for running Solaris 2 distributed 

system administration applications. Included with all Enterprise workgroup 

servers, Solstice AdminSuite includes a User Manager for managing user 

accounts; a Database Manager to manipulate Solaris administration data; a 

Printer Manager to help administer printing subsystems; a Host Manager for 

connecting client systems to the network; a Software Manager for controlling 

the installation of SVR4 ABI-compliant software packages; and Serial Port 

Manager to allow the remote management of serial ports. All Solstice 

AdminSuite applications have a common look and feel and share the same 

network-aware features, including a centralized administration data repository, 

location independence, administration without superuser privileges, and name 

service independence. 

Solstice Site and Domain Manager 

With client-server computing's explosive growth, companies are faced with the 

dilemma of how to best manage complex, heterogeneous environments. This 

challenge is further complicated by the fact that there is no consistent set of 

management platforms to manage different size environments. Low-end 

platforms can manage small sites cost-effectively, but do not scale to manage 


5 

Internet Access 

large environments. Conversely, high-end enterprise management platforms 

can be cost-prohibitive to deploy in smaller sites. Furthermore, platforms 

typically do not offer distribution between platforms that allow administration 

expertise to be leveraged between sites. 

To meet these needs Sun offers Solstice Site Manager and Solstice Domain 

Manager, which together provide: 

• A consistent platform for all environments. The same tools, applications, user 

interface, request management features, agents, and topology database, are 

provided for both Site Manager and Domain Manager. This consistency 

minimizes the learning curve for administrators throughout an 

organization. 

• A low-end platform for small sites. Solstice Site Manager is an effective tool for 

managing small networks cost-effectively. The advanced features in Site 

Manager provide an excellent value for managing small sites or networks. 

• A high-end platform that can scale to large number managed nodes. Solstice 

Domain Manager agents, which utilizes distributed polling, can manage a 

large number of local or remote nodes. Domain Manager also provides the 

extra features and tools needed to manage large or multiple sites effectively. 

• Distribution between platforms. Solstice Site Manager can send topology and 

event or trap information to Solstice Domain Manager. Solstice Domain 

Manager can be configured as either a sender or receiver allowing it to 

receive information from multiple Site Managers or be set up as a sender 

and receiver to other Domain Managers. This platform distribution allows 

administration expertise to be leveraged across sites. 

• A reliable platform. Both Solstice Site Manager and Solstice Domain Manager 

are based on the field proven Solstice SunNet Manager and Solstice 

Cooperative Consoles products, the most widely installed network 

management platforms in the industry. 

The Internet is not a single network, but thousands of networks that are joined 

together by a common set of protocols and tools. Originally intended as a 

research tool, the Internet has become a vitally important means of 

communication for individuals, governments, businesses, and educational 

institutions. Today, well over millions of host computer systems in hundreds of 

countries are reachable through the Internet. As a medium for commerce, the 


5 

Internet and the World Wide Web represent a unique marketplace to sell 

products and services. In addition to offering access to millions of potential 

customers, the Internet permits vendors to precisely target customers and finetune 

their marketing initiatives. 

Sun has long been a major proponent of the Internet. In conjunction with 

advanced software and connectivity technologies from Sun, Ultra Enterprise 

workgroup servers are a complete and powerful vehicle for enterprises to gain 

access to the Internet. 

Netscape Communications Server for Solaris 

The Netscape Communications Server for Solaris is high performance server 

software that enables organizations to publish rich hypermedia documents on 

the Internet’s World Wide Web and on internal TCP/IP networks. The server 

uses a variety of technologies and standards to provide flexibility and 

extensibility to users: 

• Open Standards 

• High Performance Server Scheduling 

• Intuitive Server Management 

• Flexible User Access 

• Extensible Platform for Applications 

Netscape Commerce Server for Solaris 

The Netscape Commerce Server for Solaris is a high-performance web server 

for conducting secure electronic commerce and communications on the 

Internet and other TCP/IP-based networks. To ensure data security, the 

Commerce Server provides advanced security features such as server 

authentication, RSA Data Security encryption, data integrity, and user 

authorization. 

Solstice FireWall-1 

Solstice FireWall-1 software is a unique, flexible security system designed to 

protect organizations against unauthorized access from the Internet. An 

advanced, patent pending, generic filtering technology inspects each packet, 

promptly blocking all unwanted communication attempts. A powerful 

auditing and alerting mechanism identifies and flags any suspicious 


5 

communication. Authorized network users and applications are guaranteed 

full, transparent connectivity, while correct system operation is verified at all 

times. Packets can be blocked, forwarded, logged or used to activate alerts, 

according to customer specifications. 

Java Technology 

Sun’s Java technology makes the Internet come alive. Incorporated into Web 

browsers, Java adds the capability to add behavior to web pages, transforming 

static data into dynamic applications. While the data viewed in other browsers 

is limited to text, illustrations, low-quality sounds and videos, Java-charged 

browsers can access applications that range from interactive science 

experiments to games and specialized shopping applications. The possibilities 

are endless. 

Storage Solutions 

Storage and Backup Products 

Disk and Tape Subsystems 

SPARCstorage UniPack desktop storage products include external storage 

and back-up components for Enterprise workgroup servers. These products are 

easily connected through the built-in SCSI host adapter port or through a 

SCSI-2/SBus Host Adapter. Available peripherals include: 

• 1.05 GB Fast Wide SCSI-2 Hard Disk 

• 2.1 GB Fast Wide SCSI-2, 7200 RPM Hard Disk 

• 2.5 GB QIC Tape Drive 

• 4.2 GB Fast Wide SCSI-2 5400 RPM Hard Disk 

• 2/5 GB 4mm DDS1 Tape Drive 

• 7/14 GB 8mm Tape Drive 

• SunCD 4 quad-speed CD-ROM Drive 

All SPARCstorage UniPack components have a common set of features: 

• Fast Wide SCSI compatible 

• Auto SCSI termination 

• Narrow footprint 

• Acoustical engineering 


A 

+ 

5 

• Easy access packaging 

• Single connector (SCA) disks 

SPARCstorage MultiPack is a new desktop mass storage enclosure that 

accommodates either six 1.6-inch high or 12 one-inch high single connector 

Fast/Wide SCSI drives. Designed to permit the configuration of high 

performance, reliable, and compact mass storage subsystems, MultiPack 

features include: 

• Up to 25.2 GB capacity in a desktop enclosure 

• Fast Wide SCSI compatible 

• Auto SCSI termination 

• Up to twelve devices/spindles per SCSI bus 

• Single Connector and hot plug-ready drives 

• Hardwired (geographical) SCSI addressing 

• Locking mechanism to prevent removal of devices 

The SPARCstorage Array 

SPARCstorage Array subsystems provide an unmatched combination of 

capacity, performance, high availability, and manageability at surprisingly low 

prices. This line of disk arrays integrate a remarkable number of features -- 

RAID, hot spares, a high-speed fibre channel, and a dual-ported controller for 

system failover (figure 5-1). 

B 

SPARCstorage Array 

Figure 5-1 

The SPARCstorage Array Model 100 series is enclosed in a cabinet 20” wide 

by 21” deep by 9” high. It houses up to 30 disk drives, an intelligent array 

controller, LCD status panel, power supply, and three cooling fans. 


5 

Capabilities include: 

• 2000 two-kilobyte I/O operations per second 

• Greater than 15 MB/second sustained transfer rate 

• Total capacity over a terabyte 

• Simultaneous support for RAID 0, 1, 0+1, 5, and independent spindles 

• Full duplex, 25 MB/second Fibre Channel interface 

• GUI-based volume management 

• Reconfiguration without interruption 

• Available in a rack mount or free standing (Model 100 series), or data center 

(Model 200 series) packaging 

The latest SPARCstorage offering from Sun, the SPARCstorage Array 

Model 214 RSM addresses the need for highly available, hot-pluggable mass 

storage in the SPARCstorage Array series. Using specially designed disk trays 

and a single Fibre Channel interconnect to the host system, a SPARCstorage 

Array Model 214 RSM can store up to 176 GB of data. Featuring a full range of 

redundant and high available features, including hot pluggable disks, fans, and 

power supplies, as well as direct end-user serviceability, the SPARCstorage 

Model 214 RSM also includes environmental monitoring software and 

hardware to warn of impending problems. 

Employing the highest capacity SPARCstorage Arrays, the Model 210, the Ultra 

Enterprise 2 workgroup server can accommodate a terabyte of storage for very 

large file service and database applications. 

The SPARCstorage Library 

Designed for use with 8-mm helical scan tape, the SPARCstorage Library holds 

10 cartridges in a removable magazine for a average total capacity of 140 MB. 

Able to accommodate one or two drives, a 50 GB unattended backup can be 

completed in just seven hours. In either a tower or rack-mounted configuration, 

the SPARCstorage Library is an ideal backup device for large and midrange 

server systems (figure 5-2). 


5 

Features include: 

• 40-GB typical capacity 

• One 14-GB 8mm tape drive included (second drive optional) 

• Fixed cartridge location and robotic tape handler 

• Optional bar-code reader 

• LCD panel, operator button panel, and key lock 

• Support for all major data management software 

Figure 5-2 

The SPARCstorage Library is available in a tower or rack-mounted 

configuration, and can store 140 GB of data. 

Storage Management Solutions 

Solstice DiskSuite 

Companies are taking advantage of today’s small and fast disk drives by 

configuring network servers with increasing capacity. Enterprise workgroup 

servers, for example, can be configured to support dozens of disks. Such large 

numbers pose potential problems for system administrators: 


5 

• Greater probability of disk failure 

• More complex file system partitioning 

• Longer reboot times 

• Greater impact of server failure 

Included with Ultra Enterprise 1 and 2, Solstice DiskSuite is a disk 

management product designed to address the need for availability, scalability, 

and performance of networked servers. With tools for managing disks and file 

systems, Solstice DiskSuite addresses many of the needs routinely faced by 

system administrators: 

• Disk Striping 

By spreading the I/O load over several disks, striping increases the 

throughput available to a single process. With Solstice DiskSuite, striped 

disks can be easily mirrored for increased safety and data availability. 

• Disk Mirroring and Hot Spares 

Disk mirroring allows users to continue working when a disk or controller 

failure occurs. Solstice DiskSuite transparently maintains a “mirror” copy of 

data, and automatically uses the surviving copy in the event of a hardware 

failure. All mirrored disks have full automatic replication consistency that 

prevents data corruption when single or compound failures occur. Hot 

spares supplement the recovery scheme by automatically replacing failed 

partitions, migrating data, and generating new copies of mirrors. 

• Journalling UNIX File System 

After a reboot, UNIX first checks the integrity of all file systems. A 

potentially time-consuming operation, the journalling UNIX file system 

(UFS) included in Solstice DiskSuite eliminates the need for this process, 

enabling fast system recovery without compromising reliability and security. 

Solstice Backup 

Solstice Backup, Solstice Backup Single-Server, and Solstice Backup 

Advanced are a set of software products that deliver the best heterogeneous 

data protection available for distributed computing environments. Standard 

with Ultra Enterprise 1 and 2 server systems, Solstice Backup is suitable for 

small to medium size networks, where multiple client and medium scale 

storage support is required. Solstice Backup Single Server meets the needs of 


5 

small servers that support dataless or diskless clients, and small multiuser 

systems. For more advanced requirements, Solstice Backup Advanced supports 

any size network where large scale, autochanger support is needed. 

Important benefits of Solstice Backup products include: 

• Enterprise-wide Data Storage Management 

Solstice Backup allows all Ultra Enterprise server systems to provide high 

performance backup and recovery services to the network. Ranging from 

desktop PCs and UNIX workstations to multi-gigabyte UNIX and NetWare 

file servers, Solstice Backup ensures a consistent approach to data 

management for the entire network. 

Solstice Backup supports a variety of leading storage devices, including tape 

drives, optical disks, autochangers, and jukeboxes. Solstice Backup utilizes 

the same tape format across all platforms, allowing seamless tape 

interchange and flexible media management. 

• Consistent, Reliable Data Protection 

Solstice Backup provides comprehensive disaster data recovery. Automatic 

on-line backup preserves file consistency while users continue to work, and 

automatic verification of backups assures reliability. 

• Reduced Cost of Administration 

Solstice Backup provides simple, centralized administration through a 

single, unified view of the entire data management operation from any point 

on the network. New clients can be seamlessly integrated without any 

changes to the backup server. Intuitive user interfaces simplify 

administrative tasks. 


5 


References 

Sun Microsystems Computer Company posts product information in the form 

of data sheets, specifications, and white papers on its Internet World Wide Web 

Home page at: http://www.sun.com. 

Also, contact your local Sun sales representative for information on these and 

other Sun technology white papers: 

UltraComputing for Business Solutions, A White Paper, Sun Microsystems 

Computer Company, 1996. 

Ultra Enterprise X000 Servers, A Technology Overview, Sun Microsystems 


Ultra Enterprise X000 Server Family: Architecture and Implementation, Executive 

Overview, Sun Microsystems Computer Company, 1996. 

Ultra Enterprise X000 Server Family: Architecture and Implementation, Technical 

White Paper, Sun Microsystems Computer Company, 1996. 

Sun RAS Solutions for Mission-Critical Computing, Sun Microsystems Computer 

Company, 1996. 

Ultra Enterprise X000 Server Family: Reliability, Availability, and Serviceability, 

Executive Overview, Sun Microsystems Computer Company, 1996. 

Ultra Enterprise X000 Server Family: Reliability, Availability, and Serviceability, 

Technical White Paper, Sun Microsystems Computer Company, 1996. 

Solstice SyMON System Monitor, Executive Overview, Sun Microsystems 


55

Solstice SyMON System Monitor, Technical White Paper, Sun Microsystems 


Ultra Enterprise Server Performance Brief, 


April 1996, Sun Microsystems 

Ultra Enterprise 150 Server Architecture, Technical White Paper, Sun Microsystems 



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