SPARC T series

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The SPARC T-series family of RISC processors and server computers, based on the SPARC V9 architecture, was originally developed by Sun Microsystems, and later by Oracle Corporation after its acquisition of Sun. Its distinguishing feature from earlier SPARC iterations is the introduction of chip multithreading (CMT) technology, a multithreading, multicore design intended to drive greater processor utilization at lower power consumption.

Contents

The first generation T-series processor, the UltraSPARC T1, and servers based on it, were announced in December 2005. [1] As later generations were introduced, the term "T series" was used to refer to the entire family of processors. [2]

Pre-Oracle era

Sun Microsystems' Sun Fire and SPARC Enterprise product lines were based on early generations of CMT technology. The UltraSPARC T1 based Sun Fire T2000 and T1000 servers were launched in December 2005 and early 2006, respectively. [1] [3] They were later rebranded to match the name of the UltraSPARC T2 and T2 Plus based Sun SPARC Enterprise T5**0 servers. [4] [5]

SPARC T3

In September 2010, Oracle announced a range of SPARC T3 processor based servers. [6] [7] These are branded as the "SPARC T3" series, the "SPARC Enterprise" brand being dropped.

The SPARC T3-series servers include the T3-1B, a blade server module that fits into the Sun Blade 6000 system. All other T3 based servers are rack mounted systems. Subsequent T-series server generations also include a blade server in the same Sun Blade 6000 form factor.

SPARC T4

On September 26, 2011, Oracle announced a range of SPARC T4-based servers. [8] [9] [10] [11] These systems use the same chassis as the earlier T3 based systems. Their main features are very similar, with the exception of:

SPARC T5

On March 26, 2013, Oracle announced refreshed SPARC servers based on the new SPARC T5 microprocessor, which the company claims is "the world's fastest". [12] [13] [14] In the T5 range of servers, the single socket rackmount server design was deprecated, while a new eight-socket rackmount server was introduced.

SPARC M7

On October 26, 2015, Oracle announced a family of systems built on the 32-core, 256-thread SPARC M7 microprocessor. [15] Unlike prior generations, both T- and M-series systems were introduced using the same processor. The M7 included the first generation of the Data Analytics Accelerator (DAX) engines. DAX engines offloaded in-memory query processing and performed real-time data decompression.

SPARC M8

On September 18, 2017, Oracle announced a family of systems built on the 32-core, 256-thread SPARC M8 microprocessor at 5.0 GHz. It also included the second generation of Data Analytics Accelerator (DAX) engines.

Partitioning and virtualization

SPARC T-series servers can be partitioned using Oracle's Logical Domains technology. Additional virtualization is provided by Oracle Solaris Zones (aka Solaris Containers) to create isolated virtual servers within a single operating system instance. Logical Domains and Solaris Zones can be used together to increase server utilization.

Servers

Model RU Max processorsProcessor frequencyMax memoryMax disk capacity GA date
Sun Fire T100011× UltraSPARC T1 1.0 GHz32 GB1× 3.5" SATA or
2× 2.5" SAS 		March 2006
Sun Fire T200021× UltraSPARC T11.0 GHz64 GB4× 2.5" SASDecember 2005
SPARC Enterprise T512011× UltraSPARC T2 1.2, 1.4 GHz128 GB8× 2.5" SASNovember 2007
SPARC Enterprise T514012× UltraSPARC T2 Plus 1.2, 1.4 GHz128 GB8× 2.5" SASApril 2008
SPARC Enterprise T522021× UltraSPARC T21.2, 1.4 GHz128 GB16× 2.5" SASNovember 2007
SPARC Enterprise T524022× UltraSPARC T2 Plus1.2, 1.4 GHz256 GB16× 2.5" SASApril 2008
SPARC Enterprise T544044× UltraSPARC T2 Plus1.2, 1.4 GHz512 GB4× 2.5" SASOct 2008
SPARC T3-121× SPARC T3 1.65 GHz128 GB16× 2.5" SASSep 2010
SPARC T3-1Bna (blade)1× SPARC T31.65 GHz128 GB2× 2.5" SASSep 2010
SPARC T3-232× SPARC T31.65 GHz256 GB6× 2.5" SASSep 2010
SPARC T3-454× SPARC T31.65 GHz512 GB8× 2.5" SASSep 2010
SPARC T4-121× SPARC T4 2.85 GHz256 GB8× 2.5" SASSep 2011
SPARC T4-1Bna (blade)1× SPARC T42.85 GHz256 GB2× 2.5" SASSep 2011
SPARC T4-232× SPARC T42.85 GHz512 GB6× 2.5" SASSep 2011
SPARC T4-454× SPARC T43.0 GHz1024 GB8× 2.5" SASSep 2011
SPARC T5-1Bna (blade)1× SPARC T5 3.6 GHz256 GB2× 2.5" SASMar 2013
SPARC T5-232× SPARC T53.6 GHz1 TB6× 2.5" SASMar 2013
SPARC T5-454× SPARC T53.6 GHz2 TB8× 2.5" SASMar 2013
SPARC T5-888× SPARC T53.6 GHz4 TB8× 2.5" SASMar 2013
SPARC T7-121× SPARC M74.13 GHz1 TB8× 2.5" SAS-3Oct 2015
SPARC T7-232× SPARC M74.13 GHz2 TB6× 2.5" SAS-3Oct 2015
SPARC T7-454× SPARC M74.13 GHz4 TB8× 2.5" SASOct 2015
SPARC M7-8108x SPARC M74.13 GHz8 TBNIL (PCIE NVMe or SAN boot)Oct 2015
SPARC T8-121× SPARC M85.0 GHz1 TB8× 2.5" SASSep 2017
SPARC T8-232× SPARC M85.0 GHz2 TB6× 2.5" SASSep 2017
SPARC T8-464× SPARC M85.0 GHz4 TB8× 2.5" SASSep 2017
SPARC M8-8108x SPARC M85.0 GHz8 TBNIL (PCIE NVMe or SAN boot)Sep 2017

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Sun Microsystems, Inc. was an American technology company that sold computers, computer components, software, and information technology services and created the Java programming language, the Solaris operating system, ZFS, the Network File System (NFS), and SPARC microprocessors. Sun contributed significantly to the evolution of several key computing technologies, among them Unix, RISC processors, thin client computing, and virtualized computing. Notable Sun acquisitions include Cray Business Systems Division, Storagetek, and Innotek GmbH, creators of VirtualBox. Sun was founded on February 24, 1982. At its height, the Sun headquarters were in Santa Clara, California, on the former west campus of the Agnews Developmental Center.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">SPARC</span> RISC instruction set architecture

SPARC is a reduced instruction set computer (RISC) instruction set architecture originally developed by Sun Microsystems. Its design was strongly influenced by the experimental Berkeley RISC system developed in the early 1980s. First developed in 1986 and released in 1987, SPARC was one of the most successful early commercial RISC systems, and its success led to the introduction of similar RISC designs from many vendors through the 1980s and 1990s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oracle Solaris</span> Unix operating system originally developed by Sun Microsystems

Solaris is a proprietary Unix operating system originally developed by Sun Microsystems. After the Sun acquisition by Oracle in 2010, it was renamed Oracle Solaris.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sun Enterprise</span>

Sun Enterprise is a range of UNIX server computers produced by Sun Microsystems from 1996 to 2001. The line was launched as the Sun Ultra Enterprise series; the Ultra prefix was dropped around 1998. These systems are based on the 64-bit UltraSPARC microprocessor architecture and related to the contemporary Ultra series of computer workstations. Like the Ultra series, they run Solaris. Various models, from single-processor entry-level servers to large high-end multiprocessor servers were produced. The Enterprise brand was phased out in favor of the Sun Fire model line from 2001 onwards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sun Ultra</span> Workstations and servers introduced from 1995–2006

The Sun Ultra is a discontinued line of workstation and server computers developed and sold by Sun Microsystems, comprising two distinct generations. The original line was introduced in 1995 and discontinued in 2001. This generation was partially replaced by the Sun Blade in 2000 and that line was in itself replaced by the Sun Java Workstation—an AMD Opteron system—in 2004. In sync with the transition to x86-64-architecture processors, in 2005 the Ultra brand was later revived with the launch of the Ultra 20 and Ultra 40, albeit to some confusion, since they were no longer based on UltraSPARC processors.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sun Fire</span> Server series by Sun Microsystems

Sun Fire is a series of server computers introduced in 2001 by Sun Microsystems. The Sun Fire branding coincided with the introduction of the UltraSPARC III processor, superseding the UltraSPARC II-based Sun Enterprise series. In 2003, Sun broadened the Sun Fire brand, introducing Sun Fire servers using the Intel Xeon processor. In 2004, these early Intel Xeon models were superseded by models powered by AMD Opteron processors. Also in 2004, Sun introduced Sun Fire servers powered by the UltraSPARC IV dual-core processor. In 2007, Sun again introduced Intel Xeon Sun Fire servers, while continuing to offer the AMD Opteron versions as well.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sun Blade (workstation)</span>

The Sun Blade series is a computer workstation line based on the UltraSPARC microprocessor family, developed and sold by Sun Microsystems from 2000 to 2006. The range replaced the earlier Sun Ultra workstation series.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">UltraSPARC T1</span> Microprocessor by Sun Microsystems

The UltraSPARC T1 is a multithreading, multicore CPU released by Sun Microsystems in 2005. Designed to lower the energy consumption of server computers, the CPU typically uses 72 W of power at 1.4 GHz.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rock (processor)</span>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">UltraSPARC T2</span> Microprocessor by Sun Microsystems

Sun Microsystems' UltraSPARC T2 microprocessor is a multithreading, multi-core CPU. It is a member of the SPARC family, and the successor to the UltraSPARC T1. The chip is sometimes referred to by its codename, Niagara 2. Sun started selling servers with the T2 processor in October 2007.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">SPARC64 V</span> Microprocessor designed by Fujitsu

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">UltraSPARC III</span> Microprocessor developed by Sun Microsystems

The UltraSPARC III, code-named "Cheetah", is a microprocessor that implements the SPARC V9 instruction set architecture (ISA) developed by Sun Microsystems and fabricated by Texas Instruments. It was introduced in 2001 and operates at 600 to 900 MHz. It was succeeded by the UltraSPARC IV in 2004. Gary Lauterbach was the chief architect.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">SPARC T3</span>

The SPARC T3 microprocessor is a multithreading, multi-core CPU produced by Oracle Corporation. Officially launched on 20 September 2010, it is a member of the SPARC family, and the successor to the UltraSPARC T2.

Sun Blade is a line of blade server computer systems sold by Sun Microsystems from 2006 onwards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">SPARC T4</span>

The SPARC T4 is a SPARC multicore microprocessor introduced in 2011 by Oracle Corporation. The processor is designed to offer high multithreaded performance, as well as high single threaded performance from the same chip. The chip is the 4th generation processor in the T-Series family. Sun Microsystems brought the first T-Series processor to market in 2005.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">SPARC T5</span>

SPARC T5 is the fifth generation multicore microprocessor of Oracle's SPARC T series family. It was first presented at Hot Chips 24 in August 2012, and was officially introduced with the Oracle SPARC T5 servers in March 2013. The processor is designed to offer high multithreaded performance, as well as high single threaded performance from the same chip.

References

  1. 1 2 Ashlee Vance (6 December 2005), "At last, Sun unveils UltraSPARC revival", The Register
  2. ↑ Timothy Prickett Morgan (22 July 2009), "Sun cranks clocks on Sparc T2 and T2+", The Register
  3. ↑ Ashlee Vance (13 April 2006), "Sun buffs Opteron, SPARC and Sun Ray", The Register
  4. ↑ Ashlee Vance (10 April 2007), "Sun and Fujitsu to release 256-thread (M)onster", The Register
  5. ↑ Agam Shah (8 October 2007), "Sun delivers first UltraSparc T2-based servers", IT World Canada
  6. ↑ "Oracle Unveils SPARC T3 Processor and SPARC T3 Systems". www.oracle.com. 20 September 2010. Retrieved 21 September 2010.
  7. ↑ Timothy Prickett Morgan (27 September 2011), "Oracle back in the Unix game with Sparc T3 servers", The Register
  8. ↑ "Oracle Launches Next Generation SPARC T4 Servers". www.oracle.com. 26 September 2011. Retrieved 25 January 2012.
  9. ↑ Jean S. Bozman, Matthew Eastwood (April 2012), SPARC Servers: An Effective Choice for Efficiency in the Datacenter, p. 9 (PDF), IDC
  10. ↑ Timothy Prickett Morgan (27 September 2011), "Oracle rises for Unix server push", The Register
  11. ↑ Timothy Prickett Morgan (11 October 2011), "Oracle's Sparc T4 prices mask improved value", The Register
  12. ↑ "Oracle Unveils SPARC Servers with the World's Fastest Microprocessor". www.oracle.com. 26 March 2013. Retrieved 27 March 2013.
  13. ↑ John Mellor-Crummey (14 January 2014), COMP 422 Parallel Computing: An Introduction (PDF), Rice University, p. 22, archived from the original (PDF) on 22 March 2014, retrieved 21 March 2014
  14. ↑ Kevin McLaughlin (26 March 2013), "Oracle Unveils Sparc Servers, Touts T5 Processor As 'World's Fastest'", CRN
  15. ↑ "Oracle Announces Breakthrough Processor and Systems Design with SPARC M7". www.oracle.com. 26 October 2015. Retrieved 30 October 2015.
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