Sun extends open systems architecture

New 1.6GHz processors for Sun Sparc Enterprise systems should boost performance

Sun Microsystems has unveiled new 1.6GHz processors for its chip multi-threaded (CMT) Sun Sparc Enterprise systems running Solaris, as well as a number of other tools and systems designed to boost performance.

The chips are pitched at companies looking to get the most from their servers, while also increasing their use of virtualisation. Sun released an impressive list of performance benchmarks to support the announcement.

The company also announced new Opteron-based blades and rack-mount x64 servers, which it said are "ideal for virtualisation, enterprise workloads, datacentre consolidation and compute-intensive high performance computing".

Other releases include Logical Domains virtualisation software, and new open network systems-based tools.

Sun claimed that, taken together in an open network systems architecture, the processors would allow for improved performance efficiency and cost savings.

"Sun's Solaris-based CMT servers blazed a trail with massive multi-threading, virtualisation and crypto at no extra cost," said John Fowler, executive vice president of Sun's systems group.

"Sun's open network systems provide an ideal combination of performance, efficiency and cost savings for the most critical applications in the enterprise."

The firm's Logical Domains virtualisation software now includes built-in configuration tools designed to speed up rollouts, ease migration and improve data backup and recovery applications.

Combined with the new processors, Logical Domains should boost compute performance, simplify management, reduce I/O bottlenecks and accelerate application response times, according to the firm.

Pricing for the 1.6GHz processor-based CMT systems starts at $23,925 (£14,577) for blade server modules, and $33,339 (£20,317) for rack servers. The new x64 products start at $2,794 (£1,707). Sun is also offering trade-ins for older models.