SunSoft Delivers Solaris 2.0 for SPARC
Shrink-Wraps Multiprocessing, Multithreading, Networking For High Volume Markets
Bill Joy Golden Edition Delivered To Customers On Schedule
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., June 23, 1992 -- SunSoft today announced the on-schedule shipment of the Solaris 2.0 software environment, theculmination of one of the computer industry's most ambitious software undertakings. Requiring more than 1,000 man years of development time, Solaris is the first system software product to combine the features of high-performance computing -- such as multitasking, multiprocessing, multithreading and network security -- with the ease of use of a personal computer bringing traditionally expensive commercial and technical computing processes to mainstream desktop computers. In addition, it is the only software solution available today that provides a compatible path to next-generation object-based computing.
Solaris 2.0 will ship to customers worldwide in a special limited edition Compact Disc (CD) package -- the Bill Joy Golden Edition. Signed by UNIX pioneer and Sun cofounder, Bill Joy, the gold CD encapsulates 32-bit power, industry-standard networking, a robust developer environment and a 3-D multimedia desktop. The Bill Joy Golden Edition will be shipped to customers, including Toshiba, CompuAdd, Solbourne, Tatung and Sun Microsystems Computer Corp. (SMCC) beginning next week. These companies design computers based on the world's most widely used RISC microprocessor, SPARC.
"By combining the features of high-end computing -- multiprocessing, multithreading, security -- with the ease-of-use of personal computers, Solaris delivers the platform of choice for corporate rightsizing," said Edward J. Zander, president of SunSoft. "Our ongoing efforts to incorporate future breakthrough technologies, such as objects and nomadic capabilities, into Solaris will empower the interactive enterprise of the 1990s and beyond."
SunSoft also announced the shipment of the Solaris 2.0 OEM Multiprocessing Kit, a CD that allows system manufacturers to take advantage of the symmetric multiprocessing features offered in the Solaris kernel. The kit allows manufacturers to tune and verify the symmetric multiprocessing (SMP) features of Solaris for their specific hardware implementations. In addition, the Solaris 2.0 Multiprocessing Kit brings the power of symmetric multiprocessing to the volume commercial market, giving users the benefits of parallel processing at the desktop.
SPARC system manufacturers are aggressively moving to offer Solaris 2.0 on their computers. Sun Microsystems Computer Corp. today said that Solaris 2.0 is available for all Sun workstations being shipped. Solaris 2.0 support for the symmetric multiprocessor desktops and servers, including the SPARCstation 10, SPARCserver 10 and SPARCserver 600 MP series, is scheduled for later this year. All future SMCCworkstation and server products will be based on Solaris 2.0 and future Solaris releases.
Solaris is the volume leader in the 32-bit computing market in terms ofvolume and applications. It runs on the world's highest volume RISC and CISC microprocessors. According to International Data Corp.(IDC), a market research firm based in Framingham, Mass., SPARC owned 63.1% of the total RISC market in 1991. Intel X86-based systems accounted for 79.3 percent of total PCs shipped in 1991 according to IDC. Solaris has a run rate of more than 300,000 units per year.
In addition, Solaris 2.0 inherits more than 4,000 SPARC applications, including popular packages from Lotus Development Corp, WordPerfect, Borland, Autodesk, Informix, Frame Technology and Oracle. Currentlymore than 700 software applications are in the Solaris 2.0 migration program.
SOLARIS 2.0: THE KILLER ENVIRONMENT
Designed to address the needs of end users, software developers and system administrators, Solaris 2.0 is comprised of three components: the foundation technology the developer environment and the user environment.
SOLARIS FOUNDATION: Turbo-Charged UNIX With Heterogeneous Connectivity
* SunOS 5.0
SunOS 5.0, the foundation of Solaris 2.0, includes System V Release 4 (SVR4), the industry-standard UNIX operating system jointly developed by SunSoft and UNIX System Laboratories, Inc. Solaris is the culmination of the leading versions of UNIX -- Xenix, BSD, SunOS and System V-- that unites more than 80 percent of the over 10 million UNIX users. Solaris extends the base SVR4 kernel to feature numerous new technologies, designed to increase workgroup productivity. These include:
* Built-In Networking
With an installed base of more than 3 million nodes, Solaris ONC is the industry standard for enterprise-wide multivendor networks. More than 300 companies have licensed ONC, including IBM, Apple, DEC, HP and Novell. ONC implementations provide interoperability across all major types of computers from PCs to mainframes and across all major operating systems including MS-DOS, MacOS, UNIX, MVS and VMS. Solaris 2.0 includes a suite of enhancements for ONC. Called ONC+, these services enable system administrators, end users and developers to more effectively access, share and control information across heterogeneous networks. Enhancements include:
* Powerful Naming Service
NIS+ is a flexible and powerful naming service particularly suited for streamlined system and network administration that fully supports the global enterprise. It allows system administrators to easily access and manage information across multiple heterogeneous networks, increasing user productivity and lowering the cost of everyday system administration.
* Industry-Standard File Sharing
Solaris 2.0 takes the industry-standard NFS file system and ONC-based distributed computing mechanisms to the next level of computing with the incorporation of a number of technologies. It features a fully multithreaded NFS file system and support for new authentication and encryption technologies.
* Network-Independent Protocols
Solaris 2.0 features the transport-independent remote procedure, called (TI-RPC), which enables developers to create applications that run unmodified across different networking environments.
* Solaris Federated Services
The Solaris Federated Services allows third-party network services to plug into Solaris. These include Novell's NetWare, the Open Software Foundations's Distributed Computing Environment (DCE) and the International Standards Organization's Open Systems Interconnect (OSI). A technology demonstration of the naming, filing and security features of the federated services is offered in the Solaris 2.0 solution.
* Multithreading (MT)
This feature greatly speeds up I/O processing and concurrency, increasing the performance of mission-critical applications, such as commercial databases and simulation software packages. It serves as the base for system manufacturers to take advantage of symmetric multiprocessing. In addition, multithreading serves as an underpinning for SunSoft's future distributed object technologies.
* Symmetric Multiprocessing (SMP)
Symmetric Multiprocessing significantly boosts overall systemperformance. The multithreaded kernel in Solaris 2.0 allows hardware manufacturers to fine tune SMP support for their specific hardware implementations.
* Real-Time Support
Real-time capabilities make Solaris ideal for applications that require dependable and split-second response such as on-line transaction processing, telecommunications switching and military command and control. In addition, real-time provides an underpinning for SunSoft's multimedia desktop features.
* Security
Solaris 2.0 offers Kerberos and secure ONC RPC support for network authentication. It also supports SunSoft's ARM and ASET products for increased network security.
* Commercial Enhancements
Solaris features a suite of commercial enhancements, critical for managing large heterogenous networks in the commercial market. These products include disk mirroring, in which the system makes a "mirror" copy of a user's file on another disk and automatically uses it in case of a system failure; disk striping that increases application performance by spreading the I/O load across several disks; and disk concatenation that enables system administrators to easily move large files around the network without interrupting users; and a terabyte file system for rapid recovery from system folders.
* Internationalization
Solaris 2.0 offers international support, enabling software developers to localize their applications in different languages and giving users a familiar desktop environment. Solaris SunOS 5.0 provides 8-bit clean characters, international keyboards and local language formatting and messaging. It supports localization of Asian languages, including Japanese, Korean and two Chinese languages, and a host of European languages such as French, German, Dutch and Swedish.
* Standards
Solaris complies with all major industry standards and specifications including IEEE POSIX 1003.1, X/OPEN Portability Guide (XPG) 3, ISO 9660, AT&T System V Interface Definition (SVID) 3 and the SPARC Compliance Definition (SCD) 2.0. Support of SCD 2.0 means that software developers are able to create shrink-wrapped applications that will run on all SPARC-based UNIX systems without modification.
SOLARIS DEVELOPER ENVIRONMENT: Tomorrow's Applications Today
*OpenWindows Version 3
Solaris 2.0 also offers a new developer environment, called OpenWindows Version 3 (OWV3). It features technologies and products to accelerate user interface development and create distributed applications that are easier to use and adapted for the international market. These include:
* ToolTalk
ToolTalk is SunSoft's popular object-oriented software that enables multiple applications to share data across networks
regardless of hardware platform. Since its introduction last year, ToolTalk has become the de-facto standard for network-based interoperability between software applications. ToolTalk has been endorsed by more than 50 vendors including Lotus Development Corp., Cadence Design Systems, Frame Technology, Interleaf Corp., Centerline Software and Clarity. In addition, Silicon Graphics Inc. will bundle ToolTalk with its IRIS 4D systems by the end of 1992.
* OpenWindows Developers' Guide Version 3
DevGuide is a revolutionary user interface builder which significantly reduces development time and cost. The software allows developers to build and test interfaces using icons without writing a single line of programming code. Instead, DevGuide takes the writer's input and automatically generates code for the multiple toolkits supported in Solaris. These are the OPEN LOOK Intrinsics Toolkit (OLIT), which offers a programming interface based on the MIT X intrinsics definition and the XView Toolkit, which allows applications to move from the SunView interface to the OPEN LOOK interface.
SOLARIS 2.0 USER ENVIRONMENT: So Easy, It Can't Be UNIX
* DeskSet Version 3
The Solaris 2.0 user experience is defined by DeskSet Version 3, a full range of 15 productivity applications and utilities based on the OPEN LOOK graphical user interface. The Solaris 2.0 Deskset also allows users in international countries to tailor their desktops with date and time formats and local language messages. These international applications include:
* Multimedia Mail
The application offers users the ability to attach text, graphics, sound and video to mail messages and send them across networks.
* Audio Tool
The new product enables users to record and play back audio, as well as make, edit and listen to voice messages sent through
Multimedia Mail.
*Workgroup Calendar Manager
This features allows users to update and schedule their own appointments on-line as well as access colleague's calendars across the world to schedule times with them.
* Magnify Help
The application provides users with immediate help on the screen. Users need only click on a specific icon to get a brief help message. Users can also access the help handbooks that provide on-line detailed help on the use of specific icon or application.
PROJECT DOE (DISTRIBUTED OBJECTS EVERYWHERE)
Solaris provides the path toward Project DOE, SunSoft's vision for a new computing paradigm where modular applications are created out of distributed objects that can interpreted across multiple platforms. ToolTalk is the first component of Project DOE. SunSoft was also instrumental in defining the OMG standard for distributed objects, which has been endorsed by 200 major computer vendors and consortia in the United States and Europe. SunSoft is investing significant research and development efforts on Project DOE. The company will begin unveiling additional components of Project DOE in early 1993.
PRICING AND AVAILABILITY
Solaris 2.0 for SPARC systems ships next week to OEMs in a shrink-wrapped package which includes a CD and documentation. Solaris 2.0 is offered at a manufacturers suggested retail price of $795 for desktop systems in single quantity. This price includes the full Solaris environment with networking, multiprocessing, multithreading, OpenWindows and DeskSet. SunSoft has also established an aggressive upgrade program for current OEMs of Solaris 1.0 to migrate to Solaris 2.0.
SunSoft, headquartered in Mountain View, Calif., is the system software subsidiary of Sun Microsystems, Inc. The company has offices in North America, Europe and Asia and is the leading supplier for 32-bit software solutions. SunSoft's products are targeted at ens users, software developers and system administrators. The products are licensed by SunSoft and distributed through major computer manufacturers and resellers worldwide.
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1992 Copyright Sun Microsystems, Inc. SunSoft, Solaris, SunOS, ONC, OpenWindows, ToolTalk, NFS, OpenWindows Developers Guide, XView, DeskSet, SPARCstation and SPARCserver are trademarks or registered trademarks of Sun Microsystems, Inc. UNIX and OPEN LOOK are registered trademarks of UNIX System Laboratories, Inc. SPARC is a registeredtrademark of SPARC International, Inc. All other products or service names mentioned herein are trademarks of their respective owners.
The Florida SunFlash Solaris 2.0 SunFLASH Vol 43 #6 July 1992 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Some editorial notes: (1) Customers with a software support contract can obtain Solaris 2.0 as part of their support contract. Contact your local Customer Service representative. (2) This is a pull release - i.e. customers must ask for this release - it will not be shipped automatically. (3) All current systems ship with Solaris 1.0 and are licensed for Solaris 1.x only. (4) Solaris 2.0 is available only as an upgrade. (5) Non-contract customers must purchase an upgrade (RTU, media and docs/answerbook) If you are unable to obtain a copy of Solaris 2.0, please work with your local Sales representative. -johnj ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Leveraging Today's Technology, Enabling Tomorrow's Innovation *********************************************************************** * * * Available NOW on all currently shipping Desktop SPARCsystems * * * * Solaris 2.0 MP OEM Access Kit provides early access to * * symmetrical multiprocessing support for SPARCserver 630 and 670 * * systems in mid-July * * * * NEW LOW PRICING for media, AnswerBook, and upgrades * * * * Standards compliant programming interfaces promote increased * * application availability for Sun machines * * * * Support for symmetrical multiprocessing, multithreading, * * and realtime provides customers with a more powerful operating * * environment * * * * System administration enhancements provide an easy, consistent, * * and flexible approach to resource management * * * * Automatic Security Enhancement Tool allows customization of * * each system to the appropriate level of security * * * * Solaris Federated Services enable integration with third party * * network environments * * * * Multibyte international support allows easy localization * * * *********************************************************************** Introduction Solaris 2.0 based on SVR4 combines the advantages of today's best UNIX technology with Sun added value to deliver the most powerful, distributed computing environment in the industry. Today Solaris 2.0 is available on all currently shipping Sun Microsystem Computer Corporation (SMCC) desktops: SPARCsystems 1, 1+, SLC, ELC, IPC, IPX, and 2. SMCC is also providing early access for customers who want to begin work on applications utilizing multiprocessing on their SPARCserver 630MP and 670MP systems through SunSoft's Solaris 2.0 MP OEM Access Kit available in mid-July. Over the next several months, Sun will be completing the porting and testing of the Solaris environment to all SMCC SPARC platforms. Solaris 2.0 provides a general purpose operating environment for developing, delivering, and managing distributed computing solutions. It extends the UNIX computing environment beyond multitasking and multiuser, to include symmetric multiprocessing, multithreading and realtime support, providing customers with more options and flexibility and allowing Sun to compete in new markets. Solaris 2.0's fully pre-emptive kernel provides 1 millisecond granularity and allows Sun to compete effectively in the real-time arena. Solaris 2.0 has new tools and services to simplify system administration. The kernel is automatically configured to include support for peripherals, devices and other modules (including self-developed loadable drivers) as needed. A new package interface defines a consistent mechanism for installing and managing all software, including third party products. Solaris 2.0 also features multiple OS capability enabling Solaris 2.0 servers to support Solaris 1.x clients. Solaris 1.x and 2.x machines fully interact in diskfull, eg., using NFS or RFS. The NIS+ naming service improves network security, enables hierachical management of information across multiple heterogeneous environments, and provides easier naming service administration. The inclusion of the Automatic Security Enhancement Tool (ASET) from SunShield allows system administrators to select a high, medium, or low level of security. ASET will look at pertinent files, changing their protection level if it can, otherwise notifying administrators of areas of concern. The Solaris Federated Services enable integration with third party networking environments (Netware, OSI, DCE). Standards compliant programming interfaces promote increased application availability for Sun machines by enabling developers to write code that will be binary compatible across the SPARC environment and source compatible between architectures, eg. SPARC and Intel. Plus developers get all the advantages of the OpenWindows Version 3 environment, including Tooltalk and the XView and OLIT toolkits. End users will find the same OpenWindows V3 and DeskSet V3 Environments currently available with the Solaris 1.x Environment. Solaris 2.0 offers a safe path to tomorrow's technologies, such as Project DOE (Distributed Objects Everywhere). Project DOE is SunSoft's vision for a distributed, object oriented computing paradigm which will use Solaris 2.0 as its foundation. Quality ------- Solaris 2.0 successfully completed external Alpha testing, BETA test, plus an extensive set of internal test suites. In addition the team conducted a system administration focus group and ran a post BETA program with three key customers. Solaris 2.0 surpassed the established Corporate Goal for fewer priority 1 bugs than any previous release (less that 75% of any combined SunOS and OpenWindows release). Performance ----------- Solaris 2.0 average performance over the suite of benchmarks is better than 80% of Solaris 1.0.1. CPU performance is virtually identical to Solaris 1.0.1 and in some areas, such as TCP performance, Solaris 2.0 performance exceeds that of Solaris 1.0.1. Sun users have found Solaris 2.0 interactive performance completely acceptable. End Users may notice some performance degradation in side-by-side comparisons with Solaris 1.0.1. Note: benchmarks were measured with 16MB systems. Larger memory configurations may show some improvement. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ FEATURES BENEFITS ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ SVR4 Application Binary Interface (ABI) Generic Source portability between architectures (SPARC & Intel) Architecture Specific Binary compatibility across compliant SPARC platforms Device Driver Interface (DDI) Binary and source compatibility between releases Driver Kernel Interface (DKI) Source compatibility between SVR4 implementations Software Management Utilities Common set of software (Packages) administration utilities to install, display, or remove software Multithreaded (MT), Symmetric Exploits today's MP hardware, Multiprocessing (MP) transparent to today's applications, enables tomorrow's MT applications Fully preemptive kernel Predictable dispatch latency (1 ms) Fixed priority scheduling Realtime response to 1 ms Internationalization Enable localization for (MNLS 3.2 and XPG 3) worldwide markets Dynamic kernel Automatic system configuration, simplified driver debugging NIS+ Simplifies distributed management, enhanced client authentication & network service authorization, improved scalability, high availability/reliability support, remote/flexible administration Multiple OS support Interoperability between Solaris 1.x and Solaris 2.x. Full Solaris 1.x client operation from Solaris 2.x server. Diskful Solaris 2.x client support on Solaris 1.x server. Graphical object oriented Graphical (non-UNIX) host management tools of client and server attributes; graphical administration of /etc, NIS, and NIS+ databases HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE CONSIDERATIONS ------------------------------------ Solaris 2.0 is for all CURRENTLY shipping desktops: SPARCsystems 1, 1+, SLC, ELC, IPC, IPX, and 2) Solaris 2.0 MP OEM Access Kit provides early access for Solaris 2.0 customers with CURRENTLY shipping SPARCserver 630MP or SPARCserver 670MP systems Configuration requirements: Memory 12MB minimum (recommended 16MB) Disk 200MB Peripherals: 104, 207, 424, and 669 MB plus 1.3 GB disks 150MB, 1/2" FLT, and 2.3GB 8mm Tape CDROM Note: Solaris 2.0 MP OEM Access Kit does not support IPI Unbundled products currently available: SPARCompilers SPARCworks QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS --------------------- Q. What is are the differences between Solaris 2.0, SunOS 5.0, and SVR4? A. Solaris 2.0 is SunSoft's name for their distributed computing environment. It contains these components: OPEN LOOK, DeskSet, OpenWindows, ONC and SunOS. SunOS 5.0 is the OS implementation for Solaris 2.0 and SunOS 5.0 is based on SVR4 with additional value added features from SunSoft. Solaris 2.0 | ------------------------------------------------------- | | | | | SunOS 5.0 ONC+ OpenWindows DeskSet OPEN LOOK | SVR4 Q. How does Solaris 2.0 fit into the SMCC operating environment picture? A. Solaris 2.0 provides SMCC customers with an FCS quality product to further their transition to the native Solaris 2.0 environment. By completing their migration now, corporations can easily adopt new technologies and products dependent on Solaris 2.x. Q. What is the Solaris 2.0 story relative to Solaris 1.1 and the SPARCstation 10? A. Solaris 1.1 is a platform specific release produced to enable SMCC customers to utilize the SPARCstation 10 Viking implementation in uniprocessor mode with their existing applications. Solaris 2.0 is the initial release of the Solaris 2.x environment supporting the 4c (Desktop SPARC) implementation. A future Solaris 2.x release will unify support for all SMCC SPARC implementations. Q. What does Solaris 2.0 have to offer for the three user types, End Users, Developers and System Administrators A. Developers can now compile and test in native mode completing their Solaris 2.0 native port. Solaris 2.0 multiple OS support and Binary Compatibility Package (BCP) make it an excellent training vehicle for End Users and Systems Administrators. Both can maintain a high level of productivity executing current applications under the BCP and learn the new features and services offered by Solaris 2.0 environment. Solaris 2.0 multiple OS support enables combinations of Solaris 1.x and Solaris 2.x clients and servers to operate in the same environment as shown below. Clients Servers ------------------------------------------------------------- | Solaris 1.x Solaris 2.0 ------------------------------------------------------------- 4.x (Sun3/4/4c) | yes yes | Solaris 2.x | Diskless/Dataless | no yes | Solaris 2.0 Diskfull | yes yes | Q. When will applications and unbundled products be available on Solaris 2.0? A. SPARCompilers and SPARCworks for Solaris 2.0 have already been announced and will be shipping in July. Most unbundled and 3rd party products will become available later in CY1992 as porting and final testing are completed. The remaining unbundled products will be available by Q2 CY93. Q. When will the Solaris 2.0 Intel port be available? A. The SunSoft Intel Early Access Program is scheduled for Q3 CY92. SMCC is focused entirely on SPARC based systems and has no plans to offer the Solaris Intel product. U.S. PRICING AND ORDERING INFORMATION -------------------------------------- There will be a amendment to the End-User and Reseller price lists containing the following entries (please see the actual price list for specific product notes). ************************************************************** * All SMCC systems currently ship with a Solaris 1.0.1 * * 2-user license. Customers chosing to use the Solaris 2.0 * * environment must purchase a Solaris 2.0 upgrade license. * ************************************************************** Order List Discount Description Number Price Category ================================================================== Upgrades from Solaris 1.x to Solaris 2.0 ======================================== Server upgrade license SOLS-LF $350 A (Unlimited terminal users Right-To-Use, no media) Desktop upgrade license SOLD-LF $250 A (Single user Right-To-Use, no media) Solaris 2.0 upgrade on CDROM SOL-CF $50 A (media only, no RTU) Solaris 2.0 CDROM 10 Pack SOL-C10F $200 A (media only, no RTU) Solaris 2.0 Encryption Kit SOLE-P $100 A Solaris 2.0 Full Documentation SOL-DF $995 A Solaris 2.0 AnswerBook ====================== Solaris AnswerBook pack SOLA-P $395 A (CDROM, 1 user Right-To-Use license, and documentation) Solaris AnswerBook License SOLA-L $295 A (1 user Right-To-Use license only, no media) Solaris 2.0 AnswerBook upgrades from Solaris 1.x AnswerBook =========================================================== Solaris AnswerBook upgrade pack SOLA-PF $250 A (CDROM, 1 user upgrade Right-To-Use license, and documentation) AnswerBook upgrade license SOLA-LF $150 A (1 user upgrade Right-To-Use license only, no media) ***************************************************************** * Note: All Desktop SPARCservers are defined as servers, * * including SPARCserver IPC, IPX, ELC, and 2. Desktop * * upgrade is to SINGLE USER ONLY. Server Upgrade includes * * UNLIMITED TERMINAL USER LICENSE. To upgrade any desktop * * from an unlimited user license, order the server upgrade. * * * * Solaris 2.0 support for currently shipping SPARCserver 630MP * * and 670MP is provided by the Solaris 2.0 MP OEM Access Kit. * * See below. * * * * Solaris 2.0 does NOT yet support the SPARCsystem 10. * ***************************************************************** ================================================================================ Solaris 2.0 MP OEM Access Kit ============================= The Solaris 2.0 MP OEM Access Kit cannot be ordered from the price list. Please see your SMCC sales representative. AVAILABILITY ------------ - Solaris 2.0 NOW (Desktop SPARC systems) - Solaris 2.0 MP OEM Access Kit July 1992 (SPARCserver 600 series, ROSS only) ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ For information send mail to info-sunflash@sunvice.East.Sun.COM. Subscription requests should be sent to sunflash-request@sunvice.East.Sun.COM. Archives are on solar.nova.edu, paris.cs.miami.edu, uunet.uu.net, src.doc.ic.ac.uk and ftp.adelaide.edu.au All prices, availability, and other statements relating to Sun or third party products are valid in the U.S. only. Please contact your local Sales Representative for details of pricing and product availability in your region. Descriptions of, or references to products or publications within SunFlash does not imply an endorsement of that product or publication by Sun Microsystems. John McLaughlin, SunFlash editor, flash@sunvice.East.Sun.COM. (305) 776-7770.