Sun Raises the Bar for Network
Software Environments with
Introduction of 64-Bit Solaris 7
Targets Departmental, Data Center and ISP Customers With Enhanced
PC Interoperability, Ease-of-Administration and Mainframe-Class Features NEW YORK-October 27, 1998 - Raising the bar for operating
systems in the network age, Sun Microsystems, Inc., today unveiled the SolarisTM
7 product line which includes the Solaris 7 Operating Environment and three server
software extensions aimed at departmental, data center and ISP customers. With Solaris
7, Sun delivers the highly scalable, reliable, 64-bit environment based on Internet
standards that its competitors have only been promising. For SPARCTM and Intel computers,
the new Solaris 7 product line provides full binary compatibility with previous
releases of Solaris software, enhanced Windows NT interoperability, ease-of-administration
and mainframe-class capabilities. It gives customers a new opportunity to deploy
a single operating environment, where in the past they typically had to use MVS
at the high-end, UNIX® in the mid-range and Windows at the low-end.
"Sun has been 100-percent focused on making Solaris the premier operating
environment for the network age. Years ago we recognized the potential of the network
and today with Solaris 7 software we are taking it to new heights," said John
McFarlane, president of Solaris Software for Sun. "While the competition hedged
their bets and gambled on NT, Sun's dedication is paying off big time. The Solaris
Operating Environment has emerged as a leading network operating environment. The
introduction of Solaris 7 software propels it even further ahead of the pack. It
makes the Solaris Operating Environment the safe choice, the logical choice, and
I dare say the only choice for customers requiring anytime, anywhere access to their
data."
Enormous Capacity for Superior Performance
and Scalability
The Solaris 7 Operating Environment provides enhanced performance
and scalability for both SPARC and Intel platforms via a full 64-bit kernel, which
can deliver four billion times the maximum capacity of 32-bit operating environments.
The 64-bit capacity allows many more applications to be consolidated onto a single
server running the Solaris Operating Environment and adds increased headroom to
existing hardware. Because the Solaris 7 Operating Environment is fully binary compatible
with previous releases, all existing applications can run unmodified and side-by-side
with 64-bit applications. When these same applications are extended to take full
advantage of the 64-bit capabilities, customers can achieve record-breaking performance.
For example, Sun demonstrated world- record on-line transaction processing (OLTP)
performance results on the Transaction Processing Performance Council Benchmark
C (TPC-C), topping all competitive results of single node SMP systems, including
HP, DEC, IBM and Sequent (see accompanying Sun and Sybase TPC-C release). Further,
the enormous capacity of the Solaris 7 Operating Environment removes limitations
for software developers, allowing them greater flexibility when designing new software
and laying the groundwork for a new class of high- performance applications.
Sun also announced record-breaking performance of its JavaTM technology based on
the VolanoMark benchmark, a measure of server performance. Sun outpaced its nearest
competitor by more than 300 percent. Simple Installation and Administration Plus
PC Interoperability The Solaris 7 software environment makes it easier for administrators
familiar with PC systems to install and manage Solaris software and third-party
applications. It provides a familiar graphical user interface that takes advantage
of the same installation technology used in PCs, as well as a central point-and-click
console for installing, configuring and administering local and remote servers.
These features increase customer productivity and eliminate the need for specialized
personnel to install, configure and manage the operating environment. In addition,
the Solaris 7 Operating Environment can seamlessly and transparently interoperate
with virtually any computer on the market today, including Windows NT, 98, 95, 3.x,
NetWare clients, OS/2 and Macintosh clients. Sun's network computing heritage means
Solaris 7 software is also compatible with Internet standards - LDAP, TCP/IP and
DNS - which enables multi-vendor interoperability.
Mainframe Capabilities at a Fraction
of the Cost
Committed to making reliable computing available to everyone,
Sun has enhanced Solaris 7 software with mainframe-class RAS (reliability, availability,
serviceability) features, many of which were developed in conjunct with such allies
as Fujitsu, NCR and Siemens. Additionally, dynamic reconfiguration, alternate pathing
and hot plug support enable on-line repair and reconfiguration of system resources,
minimizing downtime. With the Solaris 7 Operating Environment, these features become
ubiquitous, available from low-end desktop systems to mainframes. Solaris 7 software
also provides state-of-the-art security through authentication, data integrity,
data privacy and single sign-on capabilities. Sun provides the professional service
expertise, comprehensive educational tools, and flexible support services for the
Solaris 7 software environment. Sun's industry-leading training, consulting and
support help to ensure the high availability of the Solaris 7 product line, making
it a leading software environment for network computing today.
Global Support for the Millennium
Solaris 7 provides Euro Currency support and is Year 2000
compliant. It is a global product with support for up to 37 languages, which represents
95 percent of the world's markets, including the complex text formats of Arabic,
Thai and Hebrew. All localized versions of the product are binary compatible, enabling
easy deployment and mixing of language versions. Expanded Unicode support allows
for development of true multilingual applications.
The Solaris 7 Product Line: Mapping
to the Needs of Diverse Customers
The Solaris 7 product line is composed of the base Solaris
7 Operating Environment and three modular software extensions - SolarisTM Easy Access
Server, SolarisTM Enterprise Server and SolarisTM ISP Server. Each extension runs
on the base Solaris 7 Operating Environment and delivers expanded capabilities for
departments, data centers and Internet Service Providers (ISPs), fulfilling the
needs of these customers more directly. Included in the Solaris Operating Environment
are the kernel (the core of the operating system), application programming interfaces
(APIs), and commands and libraries. It also includes networking software based
on open standards like TCP/IP to ensure interoperability with other platforms; a
Java virtual machine with the JavaTM Development Kit for writing and optimizing
applications written in the JavaTM programming language and running on Solaris;
and a CDE/Desktop, which includes the windowing environment and graphical user interface
(GUI).
Solaris Easy Access Server
SolarisTM Easy Access Server -- formerly Solaris for IntranetsTM--is
designed for workgroup, departmental and branch computing for customers who need
to integrate a variety of clients into their network. It also provides ease-of-administration
and reliable network services, and when used with the base Solaris 7 operating environment,
offers SolarisTM Web Start with Solaris Web Start WizardsTM for simple, web-based
installation; InstallShield technology, used in Solaris Web Start Wizards, for Solaris
application installation with the same interface used to install Windows applications;
Solaris Management ConsoleTM for centralized, simplified configuration and administration
of local and remote servers running the Solaris Operating Environment; SunLinkTM
PC to connect PC desktop clients to Solaris servers without any changes to the client's
desktop; Sun directory services with full support for Lightweight Directory Access
Protocol (LDAP) version 3; and Sun WebServerTM with full support for servlets incorporating
Java technology and Secure Socket Layer (SSL) security.
Solaris Enterprise Server
Solaris Enterprise Server extends the capabilities of the
Solaris 7 Operating Environment for customers running business critical applications
such as enterprise resource planning (ERP), data warehousing and e-commerce solutions.
It uses SunTM Cluster software for high availability; Solaris Resource ManagerTM
to balance system performance for individual users and application resource allocation;
bandwidth allocator to prevent IP congestion and regulate mission critical IP traffic;
Solstice DiskSuiteTM, for management of large numbers of disks and the data on those
disks; and Solaris Enterprise Authentication Mechanism¬, based on Kerberos V5,
to provide an extra layer of security that prevents unauthorized access inside an
enterprise's firewall.
Solaris ISP Server
Solaris ISP ServerTM is a new, enhanced release of what was
previously known as Solaris for ISPsTM. It provides a robust, powerful foundation
for rapid deployment of value-added services and efficient operations management.
The software simplifies administration and management of large numbers of distributed
servers by optimizing the use of existing resources and maximizing the number of
users supported on a single system, resulting in a low total cost of ownership.
Solaris ISP Server is a carrier-grade extension to the core Solaris 7 Operating
Environment designed to meet the high-performance, 24x7 demands of Internet Service
Providers. Solaris ISP Server also can be used as a platform for an outsourced
business model to host applications such as mail, calendar, remote access and e-commerce
for corporations. It includes Sun Internet Administrator for web-based installation,
unified remote administration and easy management of distributed ISP services; host
configuration for quick, repeatable installation and security hardening for superior
protection against hackers and intruders; Sun Internet Services MonitorTM for problem
prevention through performance monitoring; SunScreenTM, SunScreenTM SKIP and Secure
Socket Layer (SSL) technology for secure communication over public networks; Sun
directory services for common user authentication. Core internet services -Sun WebServerTM,
Sun Internet News ServerTM and Sun Internet FTP ServerTM - take advantage of the
extended Solaris 7 Operating Environment, are integrated around a common directory
server, and can be managed by a common front end incorporating Java technology;
and enhanced servlet support for session and cookies management via JSDK 2.0, which
allows ISPs to develop interactive applications like "shopping carts."
Solaris Road Map: Extending Suns Technology
Lead
Sun has a well-defined vision of how network computing will
improve business and that vision is driving the enhancements Sun will make to the
Solaris product line over the next three years. These enhancements will further
widen the technology gap between Solaris and other operating environments and reset
the standard for network operating environments. The next generation of Solaris
- Solaris 8 - will meld advanced clustering technology into the foundation of Solaris,
eliminating the problems that occur when clustering technology is added on top of
the operating system. Sun's approach makes clustering dramatically easier to use,
better uses the computing power in the cluster and simplifies the development of
a new class of "cluster-aware" applications. Solaris 9 will emerge as
the operating environment that, with the incorporation of its Java technology, will
complete the promise of a true, ubiquitous computing. With JiniTM and JavaTM technology
embedded in Solaris 9, customers will have the ability to easily plug devices into
their networks, allowing them to create true information utilities powered by Solaris.
Further, integrated APIs for the Java platform will make it possible for developers
to design powerful, large-scale Java applications without the need for detailed
knowledge of the UNIX® operating environment.
Pricing and Availability
Prices for the base Solaris 7 Operating Environment start
at US$450 for the desktop version and US$695 for the server version. Both versions
will ship in November. Solaris Easy Access Server is priced at US$595 and will also
ship in November. Solaris ISP Server sells for US $5,995. Shipments begin in January.
Solaris Enterprise Server will be available in the first half of 1999.
About Sun Microsystems, Inc.
Since its inception in 1982, a singular vision, "The
Network Is The ComputerTM", has propelled Sun Microsystems, Inc. (NASDAQ: SUNW),
to its position as leading provider of high-quality hardware, software and services
for establishing enterprise-wide intranets and expanding the power of the Internet.
With more than $10 billion in annual revenues, Sun can be found in more than 150
countries and on the World Wide Web at http://sun.com.
Sun, the Sun logo, Sun Microsystems, Solaris, Java, Jini, Solaris Easy Access Server,
Solaris Enterprise Server, Solaris ISP Server, Solaris for Intranets, Solaris Web
Start, Solaris Web Start Wizards, Solaris Management Console, SunLink, Sun WebServer,
Sun Cluster, Solaris Resource Manager, Solstice DiskSuite, Solaris Enterprise Authentication
Mechanism, Sun Internet Services Monitor, SunScreen, SunScreen SKIP, Sun Internet
News Server, Sun Internet FTP Server and The Network Is The Computer are trademarks
or registered trademarks of Sun Microsystems, Inc. in the United States and other
countries. All SPARC trademarks are used under license and are trademarks or registered
trademarks of SPARC International, Inc. in the United States and other countries.
Products bearing SPARC trademarks are based upon an architecture developed by Sun
Microsystems, Inc.
Press announcements and other information about Sun Microsystems are available
on the Internet via the World Wide Web using a tool such as Netscape or NCSA Mosaic.
Type http://www.sun.com at the URL prompt. @Macarlo, Inc. @Macarlo's Shareware & Web OS/2 Java Lobby Member
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