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