Sequent Computer Systems

Last updated
Sequent Computer Systems
IndustryHigh-end computer hardware
Founded1983
Defunct1999
FateAcquired
SuccessorIBM

Sequent Computer Systems was a computer company that designed and manufactured multiprocessing computer systems. They were among the pioneers in high-performance symmetric multiprocessing (SMP) open systems, innovating in both hardware (e.g., cache management and interrupt handling) and software (e.g., read-copy-update).

Contents

Through a partnership with Oracle Corporation, Sequent became a dominant high-end UNIX platform in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Later they introduced a next-generation high-end platform for UNIX and Windows NT based on a non-uniform memory access architecture, NUMA-Q. As hardware prices fell in the late 1990s, and Intel shifted their server focus to the Itanium processor family, Sequent joined the Project Monterey effort in October 1998, which aimed to move a standard Unix to several new platforms. [1]

In July 1999 Sequent agreed to be acquired by IBM. [2] At the time, Sequent's CEO said its technology would "find its way through IBM's entire product field" [1] and IBM announced it would "both sell Sequent machines, and fold Sequent's technology...into its own servers", [2] but by May 2002 a decline in sales of the models acquired from Sequent, among other reasons, led to the retirement of Sequent-heritage products. [3]

Vestiges of Sequent's innovations live on in the form of data clustering software from PolyServe (subsequently acquired by HP), [4] [5] various projects within OSDL, IBM contributions to the Linux kernel, and claims in the SCO v. IBM lawsuit. [6] [7] [8] [9] [10]

History

Logo used from 1983 until the mid-1990s SequentLogo.jpg
Logo used from 1983 until the mid-1990s

Originally named Sequel, [11] Sequent was formed in 1983 [12] when a group of seventeen engineers and executives left Intel after the failed iAPX 432 "mainframe on a chip" project was cancelled; they were joined by one non-Intel employee. They started Sequent to develop a line of SMP computers, [13] then considered one of the up-and-coming fields in computer design. [14] [15] [16]

Balance

Sequent's first computer systems were the Balance 8000 (released in 1984) and Balance 21000 (released in 1986). [17] Both models were based on 10 MHz National Semiconductor NS32032 processors, each with a small write-through cache connected to a common memory to form a shared memory system. The Balance 8000 supported up to 6 dual-processor boards for a total maximum of 12 processors. [18] [19] [20] The Balance 21000 supported up to 15 dual-processor boards for a total maximum of 30 processors. [20] [21]

The systems ran a modified version of 4.2BSD Unix the company called DYNIX, for DYNamic unIX. The machines were designed to compete with the DEC VAX-11/780, with all of their inexpensive processors available to run any process. In addition the system included a series of libraries that could be used by programmers to develop applications that could use more than one processor at a time.

Symmetry

Their next series was the Intel 80386-based Symmetry, released in 1987. Various models supported between 2 and 30 processors, using a new copy-back cache and a wider 64-bit memory bus. 1991's Symmetry 2000 models added multiple SCSI boards, and were offered in versions with from one to six Intel 80486 processors. The next year they added the VMEbus based Symmetry 2000/x50 with faster CPUs.

Sequent S81 system Sequent S81.jpg
Sequent S81 system

The late 1980s and early 1990s saw big changes on the software side for Sequent. DYNIX was replaced by DYNIX/ptx, which was based on a merger of AT&T Corporation's UNIX System V and 4.2BSD. And this was during a period when Sequent's high-end systems became particularly successful due to a close working relationship with Oracle, specifically their high-end database servers. In 1993 they added the Symmetry 2000/x90 along with their ptx/Cluster software, which added various high availability features and introduced custom support for Oracle Parallel Server.

In 1994 Sequent introduced the Symmetry 5000 series models SE20, SE60 and SE90, which used 66 MHz Pentium CPUs in systems from 2 to 30 processors. [12] The next year they expanded that with the SE30/70/100 lineup using 100 MHz Pentiums, [12] and then in 1996 with the SE40/80/120 with 166 MHz Pentiums. A variant of the Symmetry 5000, the WinServer 5000 series, ran Windows NT instead of DYNIX/ptx. [22]

NUMA

Recognizing the increase in competition for SMP systems after having been early adopters of the architecture, and the increasing integration of SMP technology into microprocessors, Sequent sought its next source of differentiation. They began investing in the development of a system based on a cache-coherent non-uniform memory architecture (ccNUMA) and leveraging Scalable Coherent Interconnect. NUMA distributes memory among the processors, avoiding the bottleneck that occurs with a single monolithic memory. Using NUMA would allow their multiprocessor machines to generally outperform SMP systems, at least when the tasks can be executed close to their memory — as is the case for servers, where tasks typically do not share large amounts of data.

In 1996 they released the first of a new series of machines based on this new architecture. Known internally as STiNG, an abbreviation for Sequent: The Next Generation (with Intel inside), it was productized as NUMA-Q [23] and was the last of the systems released before the company was purchased by IBM for over $800 million.

IBM then started Project Monterey with Santa Cruz Operation, intending to produce a NUMA-capable standardized Unix running on IA-32, IA-64 and POWER and PowerPC platforms. This project later fell through as both IBM and SCO turned to the Linux market, but is the basis for "the new SCO"'s SCO v. IBM Linux lawsuit.

IBM purchase and disappearance

With their future product strategy in tatters, it appeared Sequent had little future standing alone, and was purchased by IBM in 1999 for $810 million. [24] IBM released several x86 servers with a NUMA architecture. The first was the x440 in August, 2002 with a follow-on x445 in 2003. In 2004, an Itanium-based x455 was added to the NUMA family. During this period, NUMA technology became the basis for IBM's extended X-Architecture (eXA, which could also stand for enterprise X-Architecture). As of 2011, this chipset is now on its fifth generation, known as eX5 technology. [25] [26] It now falls under the brand IBM System x.

According to a May 30, 2002 article in the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) entitled "Sequent Deal Serves Hard Lesson for IBM":

When IBM bought Sequent, ...it [Sequent] lacked the size and resources to compete with Sun and Hewlett-Packard Co. in the Unix server market....
In 1999, IBM had problems of its own with an aged and high-priced line of servers, particularly for its version of Unix known as AIX. It also faced huge losses in personal computers and declining sales in its cash-cow mainframe line.

Detailed model descriptions

The following is a more detailed description [27] of the first two generations of Symmetry products, released between 1987 and 1990.

Symmetry S-series

Symmetry S3
The S3 was the low-end platform based on commodity PC components running a fully compatible version of DYNIX 3. It featured a single 33  MHz Intel 80386 processor, up to 40 megabytes of RAM, up to 1.8 gigabytes of SCSI-based disk storage, and up to 32 direct-connected serial ports. [28]
Symmetry S16
The S16 was the entry-level multiprocessing model, which ran DYNIX/ptx. It featured up to six 20 MHz Intel 80386 processors, each with a 128 kilobyte cache. It also supported up to 80 MB of RAM, up to 2.5 GB of SCSI-based disk storage, and up to 80 direct-connected serial ports.
Symmetry S27
The S27 ran either DYNIX/ptx or DYNIX 3. It featured up to ten 20 MHz Intel 80386 processors, each with a 128 KB cache. It also supported up to 128 MB of RAM, up to 12.5 GB of disk storage, and up to 144 direct-connected serial ports. [29]
Symmetry S81
The S81 ran either DYNIX/ptx or DYNIX 3. It featured up to 30 20 MHz Intel 80386 processors, each with a 128 KB cache. It also supported up to 384 MB of RAM, up to 84.8 GB of disk storage, and up to 256 direct-connected serial ports. [29]

Symmetry 2000 series

Symmetry 2000/40
The S2000/40 was the low-end platform based on commodity PC components running a fully compatible version of DYNIX/ptx. It featured a single 33  MHz Intel 80486 processor, up to 64 megabytes of RAM, up to 2.4 gigabytes of SCSI-based disk storage, and up to 32 direct-connected serial ports.
Symmetry 2000/200
The S2000/200 was the entry-level multiprocessing model, which ran DYNIX/ptx. It featured up to six 25 MHz Intel 80486 processors, each with a 512 kilobyte cache. It also supported up to 128 MB of RAM, up to 2.5 GB of SCSI-based disk storage, and up to 80 direct-connected serial ports.
Symmetry 2000/400
The S2000/400 ran either DYNIX/ptx or DYNIX 3. It featured up to ten 25 MHz Intel 80486 processors, each with a 512 KB cache. It also supported up to 128 MB of RAM, up to 14.0 GB of disk storage, and up to 144 direct-connected serial ports.
Symmetry 2000/700
The S2000/700 ran either DYNIX/ptx or DYNIX 3. It featured up to 30 25 MHz Intel 80486 processors, each with a 512 KB cache. It also supported up to 384 MB of RAM, up to 85.4 GB of disk storage, and up to 256 direct-connected serial ports.

See also

Related Research Articles

i486 Successor to the Intel 386

The Intel 486, officially named i486 and also known as 80486, is a microprocessor. It is a higher-performance follow-up to the Intel 386. The i486 was introduced in 1989. It represents the fourth generation of binary compatible CPUs following the 8086 of 1978, the Intel 80286 of 1982, and 1985's i386.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Non-uniform memory access</span> Computer memory design used in multiprocessing

Non-uniform memory access (NUMA) is a computer memory design used in multiprocessing, where the memory access time depends on the memory location relative to the processor. Under NUMA, a processor can access its own local memory faster than non-local memory. The benefits of NUMA are limited to particular workloads, notably on servers where the data is often associated strongly with certain tasks or users.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Symmetric multiprocessing</span> The equal sharing of all resources by multiple identical processors

Symmetric multiprocessing or shared-memory multiprocessing (SMP) involves a multiprocessor computer hardware and software architecture where two or more identical processors are connected to a single, shared main memory, have full access to all input and output devices, and are controlled by a single operating system instance that treats all processors equally, reserving none for special purposes. Most multiprocessor systems today use an SMP architecture. In the case of multi-core processors, the SMP architecture applies to the cores, treating them as separate processors.

Multiprocessing is the use of two or more central processing units (CPUs) within a single computer system. The term also refers to the ability of a system to support more than one processor or the ability to allocate tasks between them. There are many variations on this basic theme, and the definition of multiprocessing can vary with context, mostly as a function of how CPUs are defined.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Workstation</span> High-end single-user computer

A workstation is a special computer designed for technical or scientific applications. Intended primarily to be used by a single user, they are commonly connected to a local area network and run multi-user operating systems. The term workstation has been used loosely to refer to everything from a mainframe computer terminal to a PC connected to a network, but the most common form refers to the class of hardware offered by several current and defunct companies such as Sun Microsystems, Silicon Graphics, Apollo Computer, DEC, HP, NeXT, and IBM which powered the 3D computer graphics revolution of the late 1990s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amiga 3000</span> Personal computer by Commodore

The Amiga 3000, or A3000, is a personal computer released by Commodore in June 1990. It is the successor to the Amiga 2000 and its upgraded model Amiga 2500 with more processing speed, improved graphics, and a new revision of the operating system.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Xenix</span> Discontinued Unix version published by Microsoft

Xenix is a discontinued version of the Unix operating system for various microcomputer platforms, licensed by Microsoft from AT&T Corporation in the late 1970s. The Santa Cruz Operation (SCO) later acquired exclusive rights to the software, and eventually replaced it with SCO UNIX.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">IBM PS/2</span> Second generation of personal computers by IBM

The Personal System/2 or PS/2 is IBM's second generation of personal computers. Released in 1987, it officially replaced the IBM PC, XT, AT, and PC Convertible in IBM's lineup. Many of the PS/2's innovations, such as the 16550 UART, 1440 KB 3.5-inch floppy disk format, 72-pin SIMMs, the PS/2 port, and the VGA video standard, went on to become standards in the broader PC market.

<i>SCO Group, Inc. v. International Business Machines Corp.</i>

SCO Group, Inc. v. International Business Machines Corp., commonly abbreviated as SCO v. IBM, is a civil lawsuit in the United States District Court of Utah. The SCO Group asserted that there are legal uncertainties regarding the use of the Linux operating system due to alleged violations of IBM's Unix licenses in the development of Linux code at IBM. The lawsuit was filed in 2003, it has lingered on through the bankruptcy of SCO Group and the adverse result in SCO v. Novell, and was reopened for continued litigation by order of a new judge on June 14, 2013. Pursuant to the court order reopening the case, an IBM Motion for Summary Judgment was filed based upon the results of the Novell decision. On December 15, 2014, the judge granted most of IBM's motion, thereby narrowing the scope of the case, which remained open. On March 1, 2016, following a ruling against the last remaining claims, the judge dismissed SCO's suit against IBM with prejudice. SCO filed an appeal later that month. In February 2018, as a result of the appeal and the case being partially remanded to the circuit court, the parties restated their remaining claims and provided a plan to move toward final judgement.

Aviion was a series of computers from Data General that were the company's main product from the late 1980s until the company's server products were discontinued in 2001. Earlier Aviion models used the Motorola 88000 CPU, but later models moved to an all-Intel solution when Motorola stopped work on the 88000 in the early 1990s. Some versions of these later Intel-based machines ran Windows NT, while higher-end machines ran the company's flavor of Unix, DG/UX.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">DECstation</span> DEC brand of computers

The DECstation was a brand of computers used by DEC, and refers to three distinct lines of computer systems—the first released in 1978 as a word processing system, and the latter two both released in 1989. These comprised a range of computer workstations based on the MIPS architecture and a range of PC compatibles. The MIPS-based workstations ran ULTRIX, a DEC-proprietary version of UNIX, and early releases of OSF/1.

DYNIX was a Unix-like operating system developed by Sequent Computer Systems, based on 4.2BSD and modified to run on Intel-based symmetric multiprocessor hardware. The third major version was released May, 1987; by 1992 DYNIX was succeeded by DYNIX/ptx, which was based on UNIX System V.

The MIPS Magnum was a line of computer workstations designed by MIPS Computer Systems, Inc. and based on the MIPS series of RISC microprocessors. The first Magnum was released in March, 1990, and production of various models continued until 1993 when SGI bought MIPS Technologies. SGI cancelled the MIPS Magnum line to promote their own workstations including the entry-level SGI Indy.

The NEC RISCstation was a line of computer workstations made by NEC in the mid-1990s, based on MIPS RISC microprocessors and designed to run Microsoft Windows NT. A series of nearly identical machines were also sold by NEC in headless configuration as the RISCserver series, and were intended for use as Windows NT workgroup servers.

Apricot Computers was a British electronic company that produced desktop personal computers in the mid-1980s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Project Monterey</span> 1990s UNIX coalition

Project Monterey was an attempt to build a single Unix operating system that ran across a variety of 32-bit and 64-bit platforms, as well as supporting multi-processing. Announced in October 1998, several Unix vendors were involved; IBM provided POWER and PowerPC support from AIX, Santa Cruz Operation (SCO) provided IA-32 support, and Sequent added multi-processing (MP) support from their DYNIX/ptx system. Intel Corporation provided expertise and ISV development funding for porting to their upcoming IA-64 CPU platform, which was yet to be released at that time. The focus of the project was to create an enterprise-class UNIX for IA-64, which at the time was expected to eventually dominate the UNIX server market.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Power Macintosh 6100</span> First computer from Apple to use the PowerPC processor

The Power Macintosh 6100 is a personal computer designed, manufactured and sold by Apple Computer from March 1994 to March 1996. It is the first computer from Apple to use the new PowerPC processor created by IBM and Motorola. The low-profile ("pizza-box") case was inherited from the Centris/Quadra 610 and 660AV models, and replaced the Macintosh Quadra series that used the Motorola 68040 processor, Apple's previous high-end workstation line.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sun386i</span> Computer workstation

The Sun386i is a discontinued hybrid UNIX workstation/PC compatible computer system produced by Sun Microsystems, launched in 1988. It is based on the Intel 80386 microprocessor but shares many features with the contemporary Sun-3 series systems.

The ICL DRS was a range of departmental computers from International Computers Limited (ICL). Standing originally for Distributed Resource System, the full name was later dropped in favour of the abbreviation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Compaq Deskpro 386</span> PC compatible computers made by Compaq

The Deskpro 386 is a line of desktop computers in Compaq's Deskpro range of IBM PC compatibles. The computers feature Intel's 32-bit 80386 microprocessor. Introduced in September 1986, the Deskpro 386 is the first implementation of the 80386 processor in a computer system for sale to the public. It also marks the first time that a major component of the IBM Personal Computer de facto standard was updated by a company other than IBM themselves—in this case, upgrading from the 80286 processor of the Personal Computer/AT.

References

  1. 1 2 Sequent was overmatched, CEO says, a July 1999 article from CNET Networks
  2. 1 2 Sequent Computer Systems To Be Acquired by I.B.M., a July 13, 1999 article from The New York Times
  3. ↑ IBM lays off 250 in Beaverton, a May 2002 article from Portland Business Journal , one of the American City Business Journals
  4. ↑ "HP pays for PolyServe while IBM and Dell watch". The Register . February 27, 2007.
  5. ↑ "Hewlett-Packard to buy PolyServe". March 2007.
  6. ↑ "SCO Falls Downstairs, Hitting its Head on Every Step — Updated: SCOsource is Born". Groklaw. 17 May 2003. Retrieved 27 September 2023.
  7. ↑ "Oh, That is Why They Are Saying That". Groklaw. 17 June 2003. Retrieved 27 September 2023.
  8. ↑ "And They Call Linus Careless". Groklaw. 18 June 2003. Retrieved 27 September 2023.
  9. ↑ "Why Cringley Says SCO Will Lose". Groklaw. 20 June 2003. Retrieved 27 September 2023.
  10. ↑ Aliza Earnshaw (28 February 2007). "PolyServe to join HP division". Portland Business Journal. Retrieved 27 September 2023.
  11. ↑ Advanced Architecture Computers and Part Two, Argonne National Labs, Technical Report No. 57, Jack J. Dongarra and Iain S. Duff
  12. 1 2 3 "Sequent Symmetry 5000".
  13. ↑ with some of their names included here
  14. ↑ "DEC 1077 and SMP".
  15. ↑ VAX 8820/8830/8840 System Hardware User's Guide: by 1988 the VAX operating system was SMP
  16. ↑ was up & coming @ 1077, already came by VMS
  17. ↑ R. W. Hockney; C. R. Jesshope (1988). Parallel Computers 2: Architecture, Programming and Algorithms. Taylor & Francis. p. 46. ISBN   0-85274-811-6.
  18. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2016-04-12. Retrieved 2022-07-17.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  19. ↑ Foster, Richard; Kaplan, Sarah (2011-04-20). Creative Destruction: Why Companies That Are Built to Last Underperform the Market--And How to Success fully Transform Them. Crown. ISBN   9780307779311.
  20. 1 2 Machines. Sequent cs.berkeley.edu
  21. ↑ "Growth in Balance". UNIX Review. April 1986. pp. 79–80. Retrieved 24 June 2022.
  22. ↑ "Sequent Unveils New High-End Systems for Windows NT; Based on Industry-Leading Platform Symmetry Platform". Business Wire . 1995-05-23. Retrieved 2009-03-23.
  23. ↑ "IT news, careers, business technology, reviews". Archived from the original on 2019-06-23.
  24. ↑ "IBM drops Intel high-end server". Computerworld. May 13, 2002.
  25. ↑ "IBM eX5 flexible enterprise systems: EX5 systems overview". www.ibm.com. Archived from the original on 25 January 2013. Retrieved 22 May 2022.
  26. ↑ "XREF: System x Reference | IBM Redbooks".
  27. ↑ Sequent Computer Systems (1991). Symmetry Multiprocessor Architecture Overview. Company publication number 1003-50113-01
  28. ↑ "The Sequent Symmetry". February 24, 1994.
  29. 1 2 "Sequent Symmetry S27 and Symmetry S81 Parallel Bus Architecture".
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.