Archive | October, 2001

The Netra 20 Server Beats UNIX Competition by Delivering the Most Compute Density of Any NEBS Level 3-Certified Two Processor Server

Taking reliability, performance, and total cost of ownership (TCO) to the next level in the Netra[tm] server product line , Sun Microsystems, Inc. today announced the first UltraSPARC® III processor-based Netra server. The new Netra 20 server is rack-optimized and ruggedized for telecommunications and government customers who need to deploy highly reliable and high performance servers.

Built on 750 MHz UltraSPARC III processors, the Netra 20 server uses the same Sun[tm] Fireplane interconnect technology that makes the Sun Fire[tm] 15K high-end server the leader in its class. The excellent I/O performance of the blazingly fast Sun Fireplane interconnect at 4.8GB/sec, links all critical components of the system (CPU, memory, network and storage devices) and transfers data at unprecedented speeds. The result is superior real world application performance when compared to IBM and HP. In addition, the Netra 20 comes with the industry’s only removable System Configuration Card, which allows a system to be serviced with only minimal disruption due to system downtime.

The Netra 20 ruggedized server brings the power of the rock-solid Solaris[tm] Operating Environment and latest UltraSPARC III technology to customers building the next generation IP infrastructure. The Netra 20 server maximizes real estate by offering the highest compute density of any major competing NEBS Level 3-certified dual processor UNIX® system. Netra 20 meets mandatory requirements for deployment in Central Office through NEBS Level 3-certification, DC power, and shallow depth. As a replacement to the highly successful Netra 1120 and 1125 servers, the Netra 20 will be used in the next generation of services deployment in both service provider and telecommunication network infrastructure.

The Netra 20 server reduces total cost of ownership and allows easier network management by enabling an architecture that scales readily, provides binary-compatibility with existing applications and provides a platform to build solutions for softswitch deployment, IP infrastructure, session initiation protocol, and Java[tm] technology-based wireless applications.

“The feature set of the Netra 20 combined with the performance that the UltraSPARC III processor provides will enable continuing industry leadership for customers who demand the lowest cost of ownership for ruggedized server applications,” said Neil Knox, vice president and general manager, Volume Systems Products, Sun Microsystems. “The Netra 20  integrated server is reliable and is the ideal system for rack-intensive deployments in less-than-ideal environments.”

“The UltraSPARCIII based Netra 20 server gives our Department of Defense customers the opportunity to leverage Sun’s latest technology innovations for the commercial telecommunications market. Its high density compute performance in a 4U space claim will enable their Tactical Operations Centers to scale services without compromising mobility,” said Scott Butler, director of engineering, General Dynamics Communication Systems.

The Netra 20 server offers a variety of features that provide customers with significant competitive advantages and benefits, including:

• NEBS Level 3-Certified Packaging: The Netra 20 comes with intensely ruggedized packaging that gives the server the ability to operate in hot, humid and polluted environments. Compact footprint (4U) with less than 20-inch depth enables room for cable management in the rack.
• System Configuration Card (SCC): Facilitates easy transfer of the system configuration, enabling quick replacement of faulty systems and minimizing downtime. The SCC maintains the system’s host ID, MAC address and NVRAM settings enabling the end user to quickly reset these network specifications into a replacement server. This eliminates much of the costly downtime associated with system serviceability.
• Ease of Management and Serviceability: Lights Out Management has become the industry standard for mandatory datacenter management features including remote shutdown, restart, troubleshooting and environmental monitoring. Lights Out Management (LOMLite2) is standard on all Netra 20 servers and features front and back LEDs providing visual identification of faults. In today’s challenging economic environment where limited human resources are available for managing the datacenter hardware and software, LOMLite2 is the industry’s leading tool to effectively manage and control server farms and network infrastructure.
• Binary Compatibility: Because the Netra 20 is based on the SPARC architecture, it maintains binary-backward compatibility from generation to generation, including support of the more than 12,000 applications developed for the SPARC/Solaris platform. Customers can deploy systems with confidence knowing their applications can grow and their investments in networking infrastructure and training will be protected.
• Enhanced Connectivity: The Netra 20 server is equipped with extensive external connectivity ports, including PCI, Serial, Parallel, SCSI, FC-AL, USB & Ethernet.

Pricing and Availability

The Netra 20 server is available today through Sun and Sun’s existing sales channels. Netra 20 server with one 750 MHz UltraSPARC III processor starts at $11,495 with one 36 GB FC-AL hard drive and 512 MB of memory installed.

About Sun Microsystems, Inc.

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 industrial-strength hardware, software and services that power the Internet and allow companies worldwide to take their businesses to the nth. Sun can be found in more than 170 countries and on the World Wide Web at http://sun.com.

Sun, the Sun logo, Sun Microsystems, Solaris, Netra, SunTone, Sun Fire and StorEdge are trademarks or registered trademarks of Sun Microsystems, Inc. in the United States and in 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. UNIX is a registered trademark in the United States and other countries exclusively licensed through X/Open Company, Ltd.

Leaves UNIX Competitors IBM, HP, and Compaq Even Further Behind with a 20-Percent Processor-Speed Upgrade and Other Business-Supporting Enhancements

Following a recent, dramatic TPC performance benchmark in which PRIMEPOWERTM servers doubled the performance of the closest competitor, Fujitsu Technology Solutions today announced that it has given its PRIMEPOWER servers an additional 20-percent performance boost. Fujitsu® SPARC® compliant, SolarisTM compatible PRIMEPOWER servers have been upgraded to 675 MHz for high-end systems and 600 MHz for mid-range systems and are immediately available. The company is also adding a wide range of new capabilities and enhancements that extend its technology leadership as the best commercial UNIX® server choice for the enterprise and the Internet. All PRIMEPOWER servers support Solaris 2.6, 7, and 8, giving customers flexibility in migration and protecting their application investment.

“With PRIMEPOWER, our customers can depend on a system that speeds productivity and profitability,” commented Richard McCormack, vice president of Marketing at Fujitsu Technology Solutions. “PRIMEPOWER has been proven over and over again achieving top place in worldwide benchmarks. It’s the choice that will help our customers take advantage of new business opportunities and stay out front.”

The PRIMEPOWER 800, 1000, and 2000 servers are now available worldwide with 675-MHz SPARC64-GP` processors, and the 200, 400, and 600 servers are available with 600-MHz SPARC64-GP processors. New capabilities and system enhancements include easier, smarter clustering choices, with the new PRIMECLUSTER solution for high application availability and scalability for business-critical computing and the PRIMEPOWER Open Cluster solution for a mixed Solaris environment; active resource management; remote monitoring, Web-based system administration, and higher security.

Marketplace Momentum

Since their introduction in the North American marketplace on November 14, 2000, by Fujitsu Technology Solutions, PRIMEPOWER servers are realizing steadily increasing momentum, even in the current market conditions. Some key customer wins include Daimler-Chrysler, Southwest Airlines, EMC, and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota.

In a September 17 Meta Fax, Meta Group stated: “[Fujitsu Limited] is a major international vendor, and large, sophisticated-shops should consider high-end Fujitsu systems, which offer better price/performance and high availability.”

In a July 16 Technology Trend, D.H. Brown Associates said, “Over 12,000 applications available for Solaris run without modification on the FTS servers. The system [PRIMEPOWER]-has exhibited strong performance in several benchmarks-. With such impressive credentials, the PRIMEPOWER 2000 has the potential to become a strong contender in the high-end UNIX market.”

PRIMEPOWER Enhancements In addition to performance improvements, new PRIMEPOWER capabilities and enhancements include the following:

® Clustering

PRIMECLUSTERTM software, a proven, easy to configure clustering solution, derived from Fujitsu’s two decades of cluster experience, links servers together for even higher availability and scalability. PRIMECLUSTER software is a modular product that offers multiple clustering technologies. Scalability services, parallel application services, and high-availability services can all coexist in a common cluster. This means that scalable Internet services can be used to interface to high-availability applications, which in turn can request information from a large parallel database server all in the same cluster. This improves application services availability and simplifies administration. PRIMECLUSTER software will be available in January.

PRIMEPOWER Open Cluster, a clustering solution for the Solaris environment based on VERITAS clustering technology, is also available from FTS and supports a mixed configuration of PRIMEPOWER and Sun® servers to provide investment protection for customers who need to cluster mixed Solaris compatible servers. VERITAS Cluster ServerTM (VCS) has the leading share of the cluster software market today, and FTS resells VERITAS products including the VERITAS Cluster Server, VERITAS Foundation SuiteTM, VERITAS File ReplicatorTM and VERITAS Volume ReplicatorTM, and VERITAS Volume ManagerTM. PRIMEPOWER Open Cluster is the only choice for mixed PRIMEPOWER server/Sun server clustering for high availability. PRIMEPOWER Open Cluster is available immediately.

® Active Resource Management Technology, resulting from an engineering collaboration between Aurema Pty Limited and Fujitsu Limited, is a revolutionary resource management technology for PRIMEPOWER servers that provides detailed monitoring and granular control of critical system resources such as processors and memory. Active Resource ManagementTM Technology (ARMTechTM ) software allows resources to be precisely allocated to specific applications or users to achieve optimal server utilization or to enforce pre-determined service level agreements. With ARMTech software, PRIMEPOWER customers will gain increased server efficiency, superior quality of service, and reduced total cost of ownership (TCO). ARMTech software is also invaluable in managing resource contention among consolidated applications. Application Service Providers (ASPs) and Internet Service Providers (ISPs) can use ARMTech software not only to improve efficiency and to enforce resource usage limits but also to accurately bill customers by by system resource usage. ARMTech software is immediately available on all PRIMEPOWER series.

® Remote monitoring provides continuous monitoring of PRIMEPOWER servers for the health of hardware components (i.e., fans, power supplies, etc.). PRIMEPOWER servers automatically “phone home” to the Amdahl® Global Services Center, and skilled technicians are notified and dispatched often before the customer even becomes aware of a problem, and before it can affect system or application availability. This enhanced capability is immediately available and standard on all PRIMEPOWER servers.

® Web-based system administration provides the flexibility to monitor PRIMEPOWER servers remotely through the Web. A detailed view of all hardware components allows the system administrator to stay on top of the use and state of the systems in support of data integrity, application assurance, and optimal performance levels. Administration of clustered PRIMEPOWER systems is now also available via the Intranet. Web-based administration rounds out a family of management tools that add extra value to PRIMEPOWER servers and contribute to reduced total cost of ownership. Web-based administration is standard and immediately available on all PRIMEPOWER servers.

® Premier security is offered by FTS through a strategic partnership with Argus Systems Group, Inc. With Argus PitBull software, FTS customers can quickly and easily protect application programs, data, system resources, and network connections from attack and misuse by hackers and rogue programs such as worms. PitBull allows the creation of a Secure Application Environment (special isolated compartments) for data and applications, so that one exploit cannot be used to gain system-wide access.

Fujitsu Technology Solutions, whose launch was announced on November 14, 2000, focuses on open systems in response to marketplace direction. The company brings together resources and expertise of Fujitsu Limited subsidiaries and leverages Fujitsu’s manufacturing capabilities and substantial R&D budget.

About Fujitsu Technology Solutions

Fujitsu Technology Solutions, Inc., headquartered in Sunnyvale, California, provides enterprise and e-business open systems server and storage solutions and related services that meet the needs of the world’s largest and most progressive users of information technology. Fujitsu Technology Solutions focuses on delivering the most available, scalable, and manageable solutions in the large-systems marketplace. Drawing on the skills and experience of Fujitsu Limited as well as its many partner companies, Fujitsu Technology Solutions helps customers take charge of today’s global, networked, interactive I.T. complexity.

Amdahl is a registered trademark of Amdahl Corporation. Fujitsu and the Fujitsu logo are registered trademarks and PRIMECLUSTER and PRIMEPOWER are trademarks or registered trademarks of Fujitsu Limited in the United States and other countries. ARMTech and Active Resource Management are trademarks of Aurema Pty Limited. UNIX is a registered trademark of The Open Group in the United States and other countries. SPARC is a registered trademark and SPARC64-GP is a trademark of SPARC International, Inc. Products bearing the SPARC trademark are based on an architecture developed by Sun Microsystems, Inc. Sun and Solaris are trademarks or registered trademarks of Sun Microsystems, Inc. in the United States and other countries. VERITAS, VERITAS Cluster Server, VERITAS File Replicator, VERITAS Foundation Suite, VERITAS Volume Manager, and VERITAS Volume Replicator are trademarks or registered trademarks of VERITAS Software Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. All other trademarks and product names

Specifications are subject to change without notice. For the latest detailed information, contact your local sales representative.

Company Contact

Perry Marlon
Fujitsu Technology Solutions
Ph: 408-746-8303
Fax: (408) 992-2779
Email: perry_marlon@ftsi.fujitsu.com

Media Contact

Paula Contos Dunne
Neale-May & Partners
Ph: 650-328-5555 x 113
Cellular: 408-893-8750
Email: pdunne@nealemay.com