
A+Edition Systems Software for Solaris Enterprise Servers
Extending SPARCserver capabilities
The core competencies (performance, reliability and serviceability)
that have earned Amdahl its reputation in the data-center are now
available to customers on SPARCserver(TM) 1000/1000E and on SPARCserver(TM)
2000/2000E systems. The Amdahl A+Edition(TM) systems software, the
first product resulting from a comprehensive alliance with Sun
Microsystems(TM), improves the performance, security and availability of
the Solaris(TM) Enterprise Server operating environment for large-scale,
mission-critical commercial applications.
Capitalizing on more than 20 years of experience in the data-center
and more than 13 years of work in Open Systems, Amdahl has extended
and enhanced the SunSoft(TM) Solaris operating environment to better meet
the needs of the high-end commercial server market. The Amdahl
A+Edition software boosts performance in heavy-duty processing
environments by optimizing System response time, capacity and
throughput on Sun's SPARCserver 1000/1000E and SPARC center 2000/2000E
systems.
Protecting the customer's investment
A+Edition enhancements help customers increase the return on their
hardware investment while maintaining the usefulness of their Solaris
application software. The product gives customers several cost-
effective options for system growth. They can either purchase the
software separately or increase capacity even further through the
simple addition of system boards and CPUs.
A+Edition enhancements are fully compatible with all Solaris
Application Binary Interface (ABI), Application Programming Interface
(API), Device Driver Interface (DDI), and Driver Kernel Interface
(DKI) standards. Of course, both Amdahl and Sun have conducted
rigorous compatibility testing to verify that compliant customer
applications will continue to run without modification or
recompilation.
Performance and availability improvements
The Amdahl A+Edition software boosts server performance by reducing
contention on the system bus and memory subsystems, by optimally
configuring for The Sun 4D hardware, and by exploiting the SPARC(R) V8
instruction set.
Enhancements to the Solaris lock mechanisms result in a fine-grain
multi-processor (MP) implementation that allows more processes to be
performed concurrently and results in improved MP scalability. Modifi-
cations to the memory management portion of the operating system
improve the efficiency of those processes. The A+Edition software is
specifically designed to accommodate heavy workloads and large numbers
of tasks. The combination of A+Edition enhancements not only increases
peak system performance but also reduces the risk of performance
degradation in overload situations.
Security and serviceability enhancements
A+Edition software incorporates new commands that automate security
audit administration. A command-level interface facilitates
maintenance of the administration files that control security audit
functions. This reduces the possibility of human error and increases
ease-of-use for the system administrator. A+Edition extensions also
improve the authentication of network file transfers by performing an
additional access check of account and password expiration.
To improve serviceability and reduce system repair time, Amdahl has
also added an event-logging feature that records a variety of both
hardware and software errors and events. This dedicated log contains
detailed information that enables system administrators to monitor
system reliability and availability trends and take proactive steps to
maintain system availability.
Benchmark results
SPEC benchmarks conducted with the A+Edition product on a 16-processor
SPARC system running commercial workloads show dramatic performance
improvements. In the SDET benchmark, which measures interactive
processing, performance increased up to 200 percent while the KENBUS
time-sharing benchmark achieved improvements as high as 400 percent.
These benchmark results demonstrate that SPARCserver 1000/1000E and
SPARCcenter 2000/2000E systems equipped with Amdahl's A+Edition
software can support data-intensive commercial workloads in large
multi-user environments.
Foundation for the A+ family of products
The A+Edition software is the foundation for the A+ family of data-
center quality software and middleware designed to support mission-
critical applications within a large-scale server environment. Other
A+ software solutions include performance management, storage
management, security and information management products. The A+ brand
assures the buyer of Amdahl's worldwide customer support and quality
reputation.
Services and support
A+Edition enhancements are supplied on CD-ROM. Contact your local
Amdahl representative to obtain prices, terms and conditions, and
additional information.
Amdahl is a registered trademark and the A+ logo and A+Edition are
trademarks of Amdahl Corporation. Sun, Sun Microsystems,Solaris are
trademarks or registered trademarks of Sun Microsystems, Inc. SPARC is a registered trademark
of SPARC International, Inc. SPARCserver and SPARCcenter are trademarks of SPARC
International, Inc. Products bearing SPARC are based on an architecture developed by Sun Microsystems, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
The information in this document may be superseded by subsequent
documents. For details regarding delivery of specific products,
features, and services, contact your local Amdahl representative.
(c) 1994 Amdahl Corporation. All rights reserved. MM001948-001