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Sun Announces New AMD-Based Product Line
Transfan76 writes "Today Sun Microsystems has officially announced an alliance with AMD. They "have formed an alliance to deliver a broad range of AMD Opteron[tm] processor-based systems, Sun also announced it plans to offer its Java Enterprise System on the AMD Opteron processor and is significantly extending the reach of its Solaris Operating System (OS) and leadership in the 64-bit space." You can read the official press release from Sun here. And the AMD release here." We previously reported rumored plans to this effect a few days back.
I think it's great that Sun is finally breaking into the commodity hardware business, while still optimizing their syndicated dynamic solutions marketbase through enhanced Solaris offerings. While this may be true, they have a long way to go to true cross-media functionalities, as the AMD processor is currently unable to support XDML enhanced DSS encryption, which is required in order to implement enterprise-level mindshare paradigms. As AMD states in their press release,
Sure, this all sounds good on paper, but how do they possibly intend to complete this task without relying on a steady influx of new-media, leading-edge partnerships that can emphasize one-on-one integrated infomediaries? For my money, it's just not possible.
Don't get me wrong. I wish them all the best. But still, good luck, Sun and AMD...you're going to need it.
I assume that AMD at this point in time has no plans for any SPARC CPUs, but I wonder how much AMD could do if they got all Sun's SPARC resources and basically bodged together a next gen SPARC from the Opteron. But something tells me that x86-64 is the way of the future if Sun don't want to slip behind more.
Air conditioning manufacturers specialising in cooling server rooms will be delighted with Sun's switch...
This is good for AMD, giving them additional credibility and sales in the short term. But it doesn't address Sun's long-term problems: they aren't competitive in terms of hardware and they can't make money from Java.
The Java Desktop they could create some serious revenue. Imagine a large company with Opteron workstation for engineering and scientific appilcations and SunRays as e-mail/web/StarOffice boxes.
Sun, the company who is now renowed for their expensive systems could use "commodity" computing to bring themselves back and Linux to the desktop. Who would have thought.
IBM is a major competitor of Sun. And since Sun has SPARC, it has all it needs in the way of non-x86 processors. It needs a good x86-compatible offering.
Why not Intel? I think Sun & Intel are old enemies over the SPARC/x86 competition.
Learning HOW to think is more important than learning WHAT to think.
That doesn't even make sense! Java is a language, not an OS! Yes these systems will have Java installed on them, but so will StarOffice, GNOME and other pieces of software. The reason why Sun went with the Opteron is simple, they can present a unified software solution to the customer. Run Linux or Solaris in 64bit mode no matter how large the machine is. Whether its single cpu Opteron, or 64way SPARC box. Makes alot of sense...
Interesting, I could not find the paragraph you mentioned in the release.
This is the original paragraph:
"By running the current version of the Solaris OS on the AMD Opteron processor platform, we are experiencing substantial improvements in kernel performance for Solaris over other x86-based systems, " said John Fowler, chief technology officer, software, Sun Microsystems. "With the Solaris OS running on the AMD Opteron processor, our customers and partners can take advantage of unique features such as containers delivering virtualization and high levels of security. Solaris has led the industry in proven military grade security built-in to the OS, and with Trusted Solaris OS, offering unmatched levels of privacy."
Either you added some creative additions (likely) or Sun changed it.
(If you never had doubts about Opteron's ultimate prospects, consider Alpha. It had more going for it than Opteron ever did, and generations earlier. Current Alphas (EV7 and EV79) are fully competitive with current Opteron and Itanium, even without a proper engineering team for several years, yet the Alpha is "dead".)
Intel could do a lot worse than to revive it. It may need to, to stay competitive with Opteron.
Good god man! You've created a Content Black Hole! You're dragging down the Scores of every post in the vicinity!
- Old Man of the Mountain ---- "I want to disturb my neighbor"
The AMD64 ( or x86-64, whatever we're calling it this week ) architecture is very promising, and Sun is still an excellent vendor ( despite numerous blunders...they've made some horrible mistakes, but they've also had some great successes ).
This has the potential to breathe new life into both vendors, and gives us all an alternative, which is important in a marketplace that has such a dynamic history but is currently being choked to death by certain vendors that think marketing is more important than quality.
Now who should I get my next worksation from, IBM w/ SUSE or RHWS, or Sun w/ their desktop Linux stack? Hmm...
PC moderators can suck my White pierced, tattooed dick. If you think pride == hate, s/dick/Aryan meat mallet/g.
Well, IBM is one of Sun's largest competitors, so it wouldn't make a whole lot of sense to jump in bed with them. There probably isn't a whole lot of reason to not choose Intel, other than the fact that Sun operates on religious principles rather than business ones.
Sun likes to think they have the power to stick it to anyone they want. So, they are going after Intel by partnering with AMD. These practices haven't played out well for them in recent years.
Sun stuck with UNIX in a time when everyone was getting away from it. This paid off well for them a few years back. However, they have since used the same philosophy and have been digging a big hole. They tried to ride out on Solaris and SPARC, but the shift is towards Linux and x86. This move is a step in the right direction, but it might be too late. They have Java, but while Sun has been moping around, IBM jumped on the Linux bandwagon, and took a lot of the Java momentum away from Sun.
In short, if Sun would have played their cards right, they could be where IBM is today. Now, however, they have 2-3 years of catchup to do, and not many people are going to wait around.
-- Fighting mediocrity one bad post at a time.
What we all want to know is, when do we get to see 106 CPU Opteron systems!? Tiny little 8 cpu systems just don't cut it any more!
Wow, did they really just say what I thought they said? Lacking an OS? How could HP be lacking an OS for a processor (Itanium) it virtually built? How could IBM's usage of Linux be taken as anything but having an OS for those platforms. What a load.
stands as a beacon for HP and IBM customers facing a dead-end Unix, and Microsoft customers frustrated with security and fragility
I wouldn't be surprised if they kicked a dog on the way off the stage...
PC moderators can suck my White pierced, tattooed dick. If you think pride == hate, s/dick/Aryan meat mallet/g.
>Considering that these are JAVA based systems, why
>pick the processor that bent over backwards to be
>x86 compatible?
Because despite the Java branding, Sun's Java Desktop System is really an x86 Suse-based Linux distribution, complete with Gnome. (Java Enterprise System is Solaris with Gnome.)
Of course, Java is also included, and is a key part in Sun's strategy with these systems. But the "Java Desktop..." and "Java Enterprise..." names are pure marketing.
I wish the both of them the best of luck, and one of these days, may good engineering prevail. I hope.
We previously reported rumored plans to this effect a few days back.
Where "previously reported" means "we linked to the article on news.com".
Credit where credit is due?
Never approach a vast undertaking with a half-vast plan.
Second to .NET's security? I have a bad feeling about this...
One line blog. I hear that they're called Twitters now.
Could be because the Opteron is one of the fastest chip in the world at executing Java code right now, and that's when running in IA-32 (aka 32-bit x86) mode?
Check out the results for SPEC JBB2000. On a per-processor basis, AMD's Opteron chips are second only to Intel/HP Itanium2 based systems, and the Opterons are quite a bit cheaper. Actually, when combined with the new x48 Opteron chips announced alongside the Sun deal, AMD should make up most of the current 8% difference between the two chips.
So, they get better performance than anything IBM has to offer (even the full-fledged Power4 can't match the Opteron in Java if the above test is to be believed) and a much lower price tag than what Intel is looking for. Seems like a pretty good choice if you ask me.
The Java part is a red herring, it can be made to run on just about any platform. Also the Jave Enterprise System offerings from Sun are not written in Java - yes, they do have some Java components, but the majority of the code is C/C++. the Java labeling is just Sun marketing stupidity.
The real reason for the choice of AMD is the 64 bit architecture of the chip. If you have been following the news about the rival AMD and Intel 64 bit offereings, you will have noticed that any somewhat unbiased observer gives the AMD chip a big edge over the Intel chip.
Intel have problems with their 64 bit architecture, which is sowing in the low adoption rate of that device.
AMD on the other hand, is doing very well.
Sun chose the best architecture, and thus the best (potential) performance. The fact that it also sticks one in the eye of intel is a fortuitous by-product.
Sounds like they're really taking a big RISC.
Sun offers a fairly advanced compiler and, perhaps more importantly, "performance libraries" on their Sparc machines. Intel is doing the same on their machines -- Linux, FreeBSD (via port), and Windows. Will Sun do likewise with AMD or will they just help GCC in the amd64 optimization area(s)?
In Soviet Washington the swamp drains you.
And on the other side of the anecdotal and completely irrelevant evidence fence, I've never once had a problem with AMD's processors on the very large number of installs that I've done and supported. Not a single one.
Of course, I've also been smart enough to make sure each unit either comes equipped with a set of quality fans, or to pass along the order for the same to staff. And we don't select for substandard motherboards either. The smart professional will spend the few extra bucks to avoid the problems inherent in cheap knock-off equipment, especially if the units are running 24/7.
Leaving these sorts of decisions to manufacturers - who're quite likely to give you the worst parts available - is just begging for trouble. No matter who produces the actual CPU.
Max
My god carries a hammer. Your god died nailed to a tree. Any questions?
I don't know what you were doing wrong, but i've build HUNDREDS of machines based on AMD products, from Duron 700's to current generation Athlon XP/MP's. I have NEVER had a problem with one of their chips. If your fan is locking up you might want to look into your environment. Where do you have the damn servers, in a woodworking shop or something?
Opteron is cheaper, faster, and requires less power than Itanium. AMD's 64-bit ISA is a hell of a lot cleaner than Itanic's. And AMD appears to be making the switch to 90nm technology faster and better than Intel, which will further help their power/cooling story.
- Old Man of the Mountain ---- "I want to disturb my neighbor"
'Java64' architecture based ...
According to the Inquirer:
AMD IS LIKELY to get a boost from Hewlett Packard today, with reports saying the firm will start selling a Presario 8000Z as soon as Wednesday.
According to the report on cnet.mp3.com, HP will offer a variety of different options with the desktop, which will be available in retail this week.
The machine, the report says, is just one of a family of Athlon 64 desktops HP will sell, and costs $1,239 for a basic machine.
But HP won't start using the Athlon FX - a sort of Opteron - for a little while, it appears. If and when it does, it will be offered as a gaming machine.
The announcement is a boost for AMD, coupled with Sun's expected endorsement of its Opteron microprocessors today.
Peace and love, y'all
The obvious Good Thing about this announcement is that SUN will need to provide a heavily optimised, 64-bit Java implementation for the Opteron.
--
Adam Sherman
Freelance Geek
The meat in "Java-based systems" is good old C and C++ software. Sun's "Java desktop" is Gnome with a Java runtime shipping with it. Sun's "Java server" stuff is a C kernel with C userland stuff and a Java runtime.
Sun loves to attach the name "Java" to anything they can, to cover up the fact that what people actually do with Java is pretty limited. In that sense, they aren't all that different from Microsoft and ".NET".
I've been an AMD fan for quite a while
You must be very dizzy. My AMD fan goes 5000 RPM.
Sorry, couldnt resist. I like AMD too, and yes, Anand could take Tom any day.
Im dreaming ofa big bndwdth, That can resist the
Their only strength was hardware and support. Now they will ship commodity hardware and compete with a company that kicks ass in support (IBM). I kinda feel sorry for them, they should have fired Scott McNealy LOONG time ago.
Not true. It's not like Sun is going to stop doing what it normally does. It is simply expanding it's product offerings in the same way that IBM has.
People that were going to buy AMD or x86 now have the option of going with Sun, where they would have had to chosen a different vendor before.
The reason that it can be true that 1+1 > 2 is that very peculiar nonzero value of the + operator
Sun Operating System... am I the only one that instantly thought of S.O.S. as an acronym?
As it turns out, Sun did release Solaris 9 for x86...and I stayed on Solaris 8 anyway.
I guess that's is the beauty of an open market where we aren't cornered into a propriety solution. If one vendor does something we really don't like we have options.
Only big ligs use sigs.
Ding! Right.
Bzzzt! Wrong.
Java Enterprise System is the re-branding of the Sun ONE server stack -- web, application, directory, identity portal and a few more things --, with a fixed, yearly per-employee license price and a synchronized quarterly upgrade schedule.
If I'm not mistaken, Java Desktop System will become the default desktop for Solaris as well.
Always keep a sapphire in your mind
This could be one of the final nails in itanic's coffin (or maybe the iceberg that finally sinks it.)
When will Carly wield the axe? And what will intel do now?
Stick Men