The September 1998 Monthly Bulletin For Users Of SPARC Based Products

Issue No. 60

I. SPARC News……………!

II. SPARC VERIFIED ADDITIONS, DELETIONS AND PRODUCTS IN PROCESS

III. SPARCSHOP

I. SPARC News

I. A. – SPARC INTERNATIONAL WELCOMES GREEN HOUSE CO., LTD

Tokyo, Japan–September 3, 1998–Green House Co, Ltd., a growing third party manufacturer of memory for SPARC and most major computers, has joined SPARC International as an IHV Member.In addition to its memory business, Green House also markets network-related products.In the near future Green House will be submitting its memory to the Peripheral Verification Test (PVT) program for certification.

I. B. – SUN UNVEILS COMPREHENSIVE SPARC™ ROADMAP

San Jose, CA–September 1, 1998–Sun Microsystems, Inc., today disclosed the roadmap with frequency estimates for its three series of high-performance 64-bit UltraSPARC(TM) processors. Sun is one of teh first microprocessor suppliers to publicly unveil its current roadmap into 2002. This roadmap provides a detailed overview of the future processor performance for an industry-leading architecture, while maintaining binary compatibility. In the roadmap, the UltraSPARC V is estimated to reach 1.5 gigahertz (GHz) early in the year 2002.

This roadmap shows that Sun’s UltraSPARC processor family will be among the performance leaders well into the next millennium and represents the company’s ongoing commitment to the SPARC(TM) processor family. As a result, customers can rely on Sun to provide a steady delivery of high performance processors, which maintain binary compatibility, while also spanning to four times the current clock speeds and more than eight times the performance of current offerings.

Sun’s UltraSPARC processor roadmap includes all three lines of the UltraSPARC family. The first line is the scalable or “S” series, which is designed to provide industry-leading performance for scalable workstations and servers. For the “S” series, the roadmap shows 480 MHz UltraSPARC IIs microprocessors shipping in 1999. For the UltraSPARC IIIs, it lists 600 MHz and 750 MHz versions, as well as 1 GHz versions of the UltraSPARC IVs. Early in 2002, Sun expects the UltraSPARC Vs to be available at 1.5 GHz.

The integrated or “I” series that integrates many system functions onto the processor and provides a more cost-effective offering for single processor 480 MHz versions of the UltraSPARC IIi shipping in 1999. Additionally, it shows the plans for 600 MHz and 700 MHz versions of the UltraSPARC IIIi. In 2001, it also lists the UltraSPARC IVi at 1 GHz.

The embedded or “E” series processors provide an optimal price-performance point for embedded applications that need the performance of UltraSPARC such as thin clients, as well as network interface, control and line cards. For the “E” series processors 300 MHz, 400 MHz and 500 MHz versions are disclosed.

A graphical representation of the UltraSPARC processor roadmap is available on the web at www.sun.com/microelectronics/roadmap/.

Since its inception in 1982, a singular vision, “The Network Is The Computer(TM),” has propelled Sun Microsystems, Inc. (NASDAQ: SUNW), to its position as a leading provider of high quality hardware, software and services for establishing enterprise-wide intranets and expanding the power of the Internet. With more than $9 billion in annual revenues, Sun can be found in more than 150 countries and on the World Wide Web at www.sun.com.

I. C. KANAMOTO MEMORY SPARC VERIFIED

Santa Clara, CA–September 14, 1998–Kanamoto Co, Ltd. of Sapporo Japan has earned the SPARC Verified Brand after successfully completing the Peripheral Verification Testing(PVT) at SPARC International for five different Memory Modules. The Modules include:

Kanamoto is the leading rental company for Sun Computers in Japan.

I. D. – EMPRESS’S C++ INTERFACE UNLEASHES THE POWER OF
OBJECT-ORIENTED PROGRAMMING

Greenbelt, MD–September 15, 1998– Empress‘s C++ Interface Unleashes The Power of Object-Oriented Programming.

Empress’s C++ Interface: Ease, speed and efficiency in creating and managing objects.

Greenbelt, MD A new Empress C++ Interface option is now available for users of the Empress RDBMS V8.10. Empress’s C++ Interface provides the capability of calling kernel-level mr and mx routines from C++ programs in order to perform high-speed Empress database manipulations. Moreover, the extended functionalities of C++, along with Empress’s new Persistent Stor ed Modules, provide an ideal object-oriented application development environment.

Working in an object-oriented environment allows programmers to define both the data type and data functions as one entity: the object. This can greatly simplify information management as well as make many other capabilities such as inheritance and encapsulation possible, states Ivor Ladd, Vice President of Technology.

Empress Software develops and supports the Empress Relational Database Management System. The Empress RDBMS V8.10 is one of the most powerful and cost-effective development databases especially designed for embedded systems developers operating on UNIX, Windows or real-time environments.

For more information about Empress, please call 301-220-1919. Check our web site at www.empress.com or send mail to sales@empress.com.You can write to: Empress Software, 6401 Golden Triangle Drive, Greenbelt, MD, 20770.

I. E. – ANDATACO ANNOUNCES INDUSTRY’S FIRST ULTRA2 SCSI LOW
VOLTAGE DIFFERENTIAL (LVD) RAID-READY STORAGE SYSTEM

San Diego–September 21, 1998–ANDATACO, Inc. (Nasdaq SmallCap: ANDA), a global leader in application specific storage solutions, introduced today the industry’s first Ultra2 SCSI LVD RAID-ready storage system. This technological breakthrough offers best-of-class performance, industry-leading investment protection and is engineered with five ground-breaking product features. The GigaRAID/8000 LVD provides customers 100% scalability, superior flexibilty and the most aggressive total cost of ownership on the market today.

The GigaRAID/8000 LVD is the foundation for ANDATACO’s award winning GigaRAID product line, designed to offer storage-hungry users industry-leading reliability, simplified installation and operations, and long-term investment protection. The GigaRAID/8000 LVD meets the demand for external storage that is customer replaceable and performs at consistent rates of 70-80 MB/sec. In addition, the GigaRAID/8000 LVD stands alone in offering OEM channels tailor made or custom-configured enclosures fully certified for every disk drive currently available on the market. ANDATACO will be shipping the GigaRAID/8000 LVD next month in volume.

Five First To Market Features:

• First with high speed cableless technology.
• Flexible Chassis Interface Adapter Cards (CIAs): ANDATACO offers one solution for all SCSI requirements. Through chassis interface adapters, customers can connect to Ultra2 SCSI LVD, Ultra SCSI single-ended and Ultra SCSI high voltage differential.
• Offers industry’s only JBOD storage management software: ANDATACO’s Web Storage Management (WSM) provides service, configurations and environmental monitoring with audible alerts written in Java and C++.
• First to support all available disk drives.
• Ultra 3 compliant LVD: First LVD designed to be Ultra3 compliant. “SCSI technology, including the GigaRAID/8000 LVD, gives our customers what they need today and a cost effective product migration path to meet future storage needs.

GigaRAID/8000 LVD incorporates the next generation of ANDATACO’s award-winning Enterprise Storage Packaging (ESP) . The multi-platform GigaRAID/8000 LVD is the first through-and-through Ultra2 LVD solution, with chassis, controllers and drives all capable of Ultra2 LVD speeds of 80MB/sec. This RAID-ready system is easily expandable to software or hardware RAID.

Access ANDATACO information at www.andataco.com.

I. F. – TATUNG TAKES SERVER PERFORMANCE TO NEW HEIGHTS WITH
PCI-BASED QUAD-PROCESSING SYSTEM

MILPITAS, CA–Sept. 22, 1998–Tatung Science & Technology, Inc. (TSTI), celebrating more than 10 years of commitment to the SPARC systems market, today introduced the COMPstation U4MP Series Model 4360, a powerful new server that utilizes four, 360 MHz UltraSPARC-II processors. The COMPstation 4360 expands Tatung’s use of the PCI I/O bus as an integral new design component of the company’s SPARC-based workstations and servers, which are installed at tens of thousands of user sites throughout North America.

Equipped with 4 MB of external cache per processor, the COMPstation 4360 enables users to leverage four-way UltraSPARC-II chip technology to achieve system performance of 16 SPECint_95 and 23 SPECfp_95

• per CPU.

The server is available in a 19-inch rack-mountable chassis design that fits into existing ISP server banks and adapts easily to OEM, communications, commercial and industrial requirements. With a footprint that is 8.75 inches high, 17.25 inches wide, and 26 inches deep, the COMPstation 4360’s space-saving design allows for easy vertical stacking.

The system comes pre-installed with Solaris 2.6, which includes an enhanced Common Desktop Environment for ease-of-use and intuitive operation. In addition, customers can maintain full binary compatibility with the application software they now use with their existing SPARC systems. No application changes are required in order for customers to continue to use the thousands of software programs available for the SPARC platform.

The COMPstation 4360 suppports two 66 MHz, 64-bit PCI devices and four 33 MHz, 64-bit PCI devices. Standard configurations include four, 360 MHz UltraSPARC-II processors; one GB RAM; and 9 GB of hard disk storage. The compact system features up to six drive bays suitable for four, 5-1/4″ slots and two, 3-1/2″ slots. Other standard features consist of dual Ultra wide SCSI channels; two serial ports; one parallel port; and a 10/100 BaseT Ethernet interface.

Options include up to 2 GB of RAM; up to 80 GB or more of hard disk storage; ATM connectivity and Ultra Wide SCSI. In addition, Tatung offers optional storage solutions, such as the COMP-raid 3000, which support its entire server line, including the COMPstation 4360. The COMP-Raid 3000 is a high-performance disk-array controller available in a small rack-mountable cabinet (7″H x 17.25″W x 18″D). Offering up to 144 GB of capacity or more, the device supports any mix of RAID configurations including RAID 0, 1, 0+1, 3 and 5. Pricing and Availability.

The COMPstation 4360 is available for immediate delivery. Suggested list pricing starts at $38,290.

Tatung Science & Technology, Inc., a U.S. subsidiary of the over $4 billion, multi-national Tatung Co., is the leading provider of SPARC-compatible workstations and servers and a founding member of SPARC International.

For more information, contact: Tatung Science & Technology, Inc., 1840 McCarthy Blvd., Milpitas, CA 95035;
Toll Free: 1-800-659-5902; mkt@tsti.com; web site: www.tsti.com.

I. G. – ACSL ANNOUNCES STORAGESEARCH.COM

Baughurst, Tadley, England–September 22, 1998–SPARC International member ACSL, publisher of SPARCproductDIRectory.com, the “SPARC(R) Bible on the Net”, announces Storagesearch.com, its’ newest web directory, www.STORAGEsearch.com. It will include computer storage products and systems for the main computer platforms. Although still under development, companies in the SPARC marketplace are invited to preview the site, comment, or submit articles.

I. H. – RED HAT ESTABLISHES ENTERPRISE COMPUTING DIVISION
FOR ITS LINUX OS

San Jose, CA–September 29, 1998–Today at ISPCON Fall `98, SPARC International member, Red Hat Software, Inc., a leading distributor of the Linux operating system, announced that Netscape, Intel and venture capital firms Greylock and Benchmark Partners have taken minority equity positions in the company. Red Hat builds, maintains and provides technical support for the Red Hat operating system. Linux runs on SPARC, Intel and Alpha platforms.

Additionally, the firm announced it is establishing an Enterprise Computing Division, according to Red Hat president, Robert F. Young. The new division will offer enterprise grade products and services to support global, mission-critical applications. “As the growing number of users demonstrates, the Linux operating system is ready for enterprise-wide applications,” Young said. “Red Hat intends to further extend its Linux leadership into the enterprise.”

“Our investment in Red Hat demonstrates the technological value of the open source development model for technologies such as operating systems,” stated William S. Kaiser, general partner at Greylock. “They have done a great job of supporting the open source development model and delivering the benefits of that model to a growing number of Linux users.”

“Since July, the five leading providers of database software Oracle, Informix, Computer Associates, Sybase and IBM have all announced plans to support Red Hat’s Linux OS,” stated Young. “We believe that their OS strategies, combined with today’s announced investments, continue to fuel the adoption of Linux as a robust and secure operating system.”

Visit Red Hat on the web at www.redhat.com.

I. I. – SBS BIT 3 OPERATIONS UNVEILS HIGH-PERFORMANCE
FIBER-OPTIC BUS ADAPTER FOR PCI TO VMEbus CONNECTIVITY

St. Paul, MN – September 30, 1998 – SBS Bit 3 Operations has unveiled the Model 618 bus-to-bus adapter that is engineered for demanding applications requiring PCI to VMEbus connectivity and fiber-optic capabilities. The adapter provides real-time, transparent, and deterministic connection between a PCI and VMEbus system; consequently, the PCI computer can function either as a coprocessor or as the only processor on the VMEbus system. Model 618’s fiber-optic features make it ideal for environments requiring noise immunity, high-performance, electrical safety, isolation and long-distance separation.

• Provides benefits of fiber-optics and increases system reliability.
• Allows chassis separation up to 2000 meters Transfers data at sustained rates above 26M Bytes/sec.
• Offers painless migration to fiber-optics and PCI bus for current SBS Bit 3 adapter users.

“Model 618, the next generation of our widely used Model 617 PCI-VMEbus adapter, allows current 617 users painless migration to fiber-optics; upgrading is virtually plug-and-play. Applications written using SBS support software are highly portable,” said Jerry Medley, Vice President of Sales and Marketing of SBS Bit 3 Operations. “For those migrating to PCI from VMEbus platforms, Model 618 provides the means to retain use of VMEbus I/O and special purpose boards.” Model 618 will be available for shipment October 30, 1998 and is priced at $4,350.00.

Features:

• With the adapter, a standard PC or workstation can be used instead of a single board computer.
• Model 618 provides two methods of intersystem communication: memory mapping and Direct Memory Access (DMA).
• Controller Mode DMA and Slave Mode DMA are supported.

> For information on SBS Bit 3 Operations, contact 1284 Corporate Center Drive, St. Paul, MN, 55121-1245; Phone (651) 905-4700; Fax (651) 905-4701; E-mail: info@bit3.com; web site: www.sbs-bit3.com.

II. SPARC VERIFIED ADDITIONS, DELETIONS AND PRODUCTS IN PROCESS

The SPARC Verified brand, awarded by SPARC International, assures end users that the peripherals they want to use will work on the SPARC Compliant systems they target. This list, updated monthly, includes changes made to the master list of SPARC Verified products. To view the master list, please access our web site at www.sparc.org or send email to info@sparc.org.

ADDITIONS:

DELETIONS: None at this time.

IN PROCESS: None at this time.

III. SPARCSHOP

SPARC-related documents are available through SPARC International’s bookstore, SPARCSHOP. Access to SPARCSHOP is available several ways,

1. web SPARCshop
2. email sparcshop@sparc.org
3. phone us at 1-408-748-9111 x240

Currently available

SPARC International promotes the design, development and application of SPARC to computer and peripheral products; establishes hardware and software standards; enables compatibility across SPARC-branded products; and provides, promotes and protects SPARC and SPARC-related brand names.

SPARC International has verified to the best of its ability all of the product information contained in this newsletter. Information in this newsletter has been provided by the vendors. SPARC International has not reviewed claims made about product features or functions, and is not responsible for the accuracy of such claims. Users may want to obtain references, documentation, and/or demonstrations before purchasing any products or services. No vendor is authorized to act as an agent of SPARC International, or to make any representations or warranties on SPARC International’s behalf.

The following are Registered^® Trademarks of SPARC International, Inc.:

Other Trademarks that are in use or Pending Registration include:

Products bearing SPARC trademarks are based on an architecture developed by Sun Microsystems, Inc. UNIX is a registered trademark in the United States and other countries, licensed exclusively through X/Open Company, Ltd. All other product names, trademarks and registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners.