Sun has ample reason to tout low-cost computing. Its Solaris is the leading Unix OS, running primarily on the company’s proprietary servers. But Sun faces the erosion of its server business as lower cost Intel-based servers become the industry standard. Sun will replace its own Sparc processors with Intel and AMD chips to create a ‘budget’ range of blade servers, running on Solaris x86. Also, Sun is to distribute Red Hat Enterprise Linux and Red Hat is to distribute Sun’s Java.
Sun, Oracle Team for Low-End Server Onslaught
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Sun needs to update the LX50 and release an Opteron-based system running a 64-bit version of Solaris x86 bundled with a 64-bit build of Oracle. This setup should be maintained as a separate product, and patch clusters should address both Oracle and Solaris issues. This alone would provide an almost turnkey solution for companies looking to upgrade a bogged down database server (although they’d still need a DBA)
From the ad there is evidently an LX60 with an Intel Xeon in it. $2500 if I remember. Runs Solaris X or Linux. Doesn’t mention what software is bundled with it.
And from the Sun website:
“All Sun Fire V60x servers include, for a limited time, a right-to-use license for the Solaris Operating System, x86 Platform Edition that enables you to download and install at no additional cost Solaris 9 8/03 Operating Environment, x86 Platform Edition (available before the end of July 2003). All systems also come with the necessary drivers and supplementary documentation to enable the installation of standard Linux distributions. Initial support will be for the Red Hat 7.3 operating system; other sets of drivers and documentation will be made available over time.”
It shows Sun doesn’t quite get it. The right to use Solaris for a “limited time”? And I get permission to download the upgrade with all the bug fixes! Why, thank you, Sun. Why would anyone in their right mind want to do business with a company that is so astoundingly anti-customer?
…Sun’s plan to develop servers that use Intel and Advanced Micro Devices processors and that run Sun’s Solaris operating system…
Compare the above with this next statement from the same article:
Sun’s first blade servers run its own Sparc microprocessors, but the company said it intends to sell Intel and AMD-based blades that run the Linux operating system as well.
So it’s not very clear whether Sun’s Intel/AMD blades will run the x86 version of Solaris.
Wow, Michael, you really do know english…..
“For a limited time” menas that for a while there is no licence fee for Solaris x86. If they want, they will start charging a fee with every purchase of the server bundled with the OS.
From your post all I conclude is that you’re an idiot. 08/03 ia a bloody feature upgrade. You want bug fixes, fill your boots, they’ve always been a free download.
Stopping making up bullcrap to suite your anti-SUN agenda like what every other Microsoft fanboy does.
“Red Hat is to distribute Sun’s Java.”
About time. Now maybe we can have some java apps on the CD.
Mr. Gardiner writes regarding bug fixes: fill your boots, they’ve always been a free download
While most of your corrections of Mr. Michael of pacbell.net are correct, this isn’t entirely accurate. Sun makes “Recommended and Security Patches” available for free. But patches deemed of limited interest or that might have nasty side effects are typically only available to users that have a support contract (i.e. who have Sunsolve logins). For example, FDL patch 114967-01 (*) is not currently findable via the “free patch descriptions” search.
Yours truly,
Jeffrey Boulier
* Why is this so? Well, not many mind if libpfnt.so has some /ws directory in its RUNPATH. People who do care can pay for the patch. The rest get a cheaper Solaris, with the fix in the next version. It’s the magic of price discrimination. Everyone break out your Microeconomics textbook for the pop quiz.
According to a Sun press release, they are going to sell a x86 version of Red Hat Linux Enterprise. That doesn’t make sense. Why would they support a competing platform when they already have low cost alternatives ? One look at Sun’s website and you’ll see that their entry server (the Sun Fire V100) is cheaper than the Xeon offering (the Sun LX50).
Instead of giving money to Intel and AMD, maybe Sun should help those who strive to improve the Linux and BSD ports of their own architecture (Sparc). Anybody remember the fuss Theo de Raadt created because he couldn’t get the Ultra Sparc III documentation without signing a non-disclosure agreement ?
If Intel and AMD represent low-cost choices, it’s simply due to the fact that they produce CPUs at the same rate McDonald fries potatoes and, on the software side, high quality free stuff exists (without licensing hassle).
I don´t see anything particularly noteworthy about this annoucement. Low-cost x86 servers running Solaris or Linux have been long due in Sun´s offerings.
The specifications for the servers are the same one could find from a number of vendors. No distinguishing feature, no special competitive advantage except the brand (Sun is still a good brand name) and the fact that Solaris 9 is included (which may come in handy for some people), at least for the time being.
*yawn* Any sign of a quad Opteron yet?
Why? SUN is a hardware company, they don’t give a crap what customers run on their hardware as so long as they buy their hardware. It seems you’ve been living in the Microsoft land too long whose mantra is, “If it isn’t 100% [company] t then obviously they going crazy”.
As for the software side, again, I’ve had a look at Orion, and the whole point is for customers to buy a Linux server and run the Orion software package on top of it. Either way, SUN is making money and on top of that, unlike HP/Compaq, they aren’t Microsoft sycophants, they’re a 100% UNIX company through and through and unlike HP, they won’t sell out because things get a “little tought”.
The other thing that’s not getting much press is that both Solaris x86 and Suns RH Linux come with the slew of Sun ONE servers (App server, Directory server, etc).
I noticed that at the moment, I can’t seem to actually buy Sun Linux with these servers. It seems to only be available with their hardware.
Solaris 9 (SPARC) already comes with all of these. What’s truly notable is that they’re actually licensed to be usable. They’re not simply for development, but you can deploy with these servers as well.
Sun already offers their “Platform edition” app server for Solaris, Linux and Windows, but it’s nice to have their Directory server as well (Which is Netscapes/iPlanet LDAP server, and it’s pretty zippy).
So, while Sun is a hardware company, they’re also a software company today as well. These machines are pretty killer combos of hardware and software, IMHO.