INDUSTRY
Sun’s Steve Campbell Speaks on StarKitty, SUPerG
By Steve Fisher, Editor in Chief -- Last week Sun Microsystems, Inc. took the wraps off its 12K system, long-referred to as StarKitty. The product is targeted at a new market segment (500K to one million dollars) for Sun. A segment dominated by the likes of IBM and HP. Supercomputing Online interviewed Steve Campbell, Sr. Director of Marketing, Enterprise System Products, on this subject and also got an update on how the company’s high end user meeting SUPerG, taking place this week in Hawaii, was going.
SCO: OK, just as a little background for the readers, please provide us with a fast technical breakdown of the 12K, heretofore referred to as StarKitty. CAMPBELL: The Sun Fire 12K offers technology that is five years ahead of the competition at half the price of IBM's p690. The Uniboard CPU/memory board, which is transportable and interchangeable among all Sun Fire 3800-15K systems, drives down the cost of application provisioning, and is central to customers seeking to lower total cost of ownership (TCO) and improve ROI. Uniboard packaging allows customers to plan and manage entire application deployments rather than focus on one system at a time. This provides maximum investment protection, system availability, flexibility, and application performance. Sun offers Dynamic System Domains, which improve return on investment (ROI) across the IT enterprise by enabling flexible resource management. Contrary to IBM's pSeries, Sun's innovative technology and common system components allow for on-the-fly upgrade capability that enable data centers to scale according to peak demand. Furthermore, Sun's design architecture provides mixed-speed CPU support, which enables online upgrades so customers experience minimum disruption and maximum investment protection. Strategically positioned between the Sun Fire 6800 server and the Sun Fire 15K, the Sun Fire 12K is the ideal system for customers undertaking server consolidation and mainframe rehosting. With cross-generational and binary compatibility across the entire SPARC/Solaris OE product line, the Sun Fire 12K scales up to 52 UltraSPARC(R) III 900 MHz processors and offers 288 GB of memory running on the Solaris 8 OE. SCO: Can you go into a little detail on the 12K's "Uniboard Packaging?" CAMPBELL: Uniboard technology is an extension to the common component strategy that we offered on the Enterprise server line. With Uniboard technology, customers can share CPU/memory boards across any of the Sun Fire 6800 or Sun Fire 15K servers. This offers customers vertical scalability, superior serviceability due to the use of hot swappable CPU/memory boards, and lower sparing costs by allowing customers to stock fewer spare components. SCO: What are the benefits of the Fireplane Interconnect? Please tell us a bit about it. CAMPBELL: The Fireplane Interconnect, an industry breakthrough first introduced in the Sun Fire 15K server, contains three 18x18 crossbars each of which is redundant. Separate address, response, and data paths allow 2-way traffic -multiple, simultaneous transfer of data between processor, memory and I/O subsystem. This feature also provides end-to-end data integrity and superior memory and I/O bandwidth, balanced and predictable performance under the most demanding workloads. In addition, it enables fault-isolated dynamic partitioning so that no single point of failure will keep the system down. Ultimately, users get higher availability and faster performance as a result of the Fireplane Interconnect. SCO: So the 12K is positioned between your 6800 server and the big 15K and is targeted at the $.5--1 Million price point. This is a range that I believe, and please correct me if I'm wrong, Sun has never really had a presence in. Why move into this space now? I guess I'm just wondering about the timing. CAMPBELL: For the first time, Sun has a server offering in the 500K to 1 million dollar price band which is a marketplace where IBM has a strong hold with the Regatta product. Today Sun is looking to gain share in this price band just as we have with the entry level as well as the high-end server space. With up to 52 UltraSPARC III Cu processors and 288 GB of memory with end-to-end data integrity, the Sun Fire 12K server is an integral building block in a business ready infrastructure primed to Make the Net Work. SCO: You're going up against IBM's p690 and I believe a couple different offerings from HP. What does Sun have to do to be successful in this price range? What does it have to do to become dominant? Do you think you will become dominant in this area? CAMPBELL: The introduction of the Sun Fire 12K builds on the momentum that Sun has in the high-end server space with its Sun Fire 15K and the Sun Enterprise(TM) 10000 servers. Since its launch in September 2001, Sun has shipped over 400 Sun Fire 15K systems to such industry leaders as IntercontinentalExchange (ICE), Kyoto University, Ocwen Technology Xchange, Reliant Resources, and San Diego Supercomputer Center, while continuing to win marketshare in the high-end space. Sun has owned both the entry-level server market with the Sun Fire V880 and Midframe 3800-6800 and the high-end space with the E10K and F15K servers. In order to compete at all against us in the overall server market, IBM and HP have been forced to target the mid-range space. Today, Sun is putting IBM and HP on notice by staking our claim to this space with the new Sun Fire 12K server. The $500K-$1M server price band is a virtually untapped market for Sun. The midrange-server market segment actually represents a huge growth opportunity for our company. The Sun Fire 12K leverages the innovative technology of the Sun Fire 15K, providing superior reliability, flexibility, serviceability, fault-isolated and dynamic partitioning, and superior performance--in a smaller, less expensive system. No other vendor offers the comprehensive RAS features Sun provides--binary compatibility, Uniboard technology, ease of implementation with our cross-generational server family. When customers purchase Sun systems, they have the peace-of-mind that they are absolutely getting the BEST price and performance at the best value. Competitors can't match Sun's flexibility and scalability, nor can they hold a candle to Sun's RAS features. The value proposition of Sun's total package is the best on the market. SCO: What types of companies and organizations is the 12K going to appeal to the most? CAMPBELL: The target audience for the product is as follows: - Enterprise data centers running UNIX (Solaris and others) - Current IBM Mainframe customers - Customers who were considering IBM p690 or HP Superdome 32 and their rp8400 (16-way) - HPC customers who want to upgrade to USIII from E10000/Starfire, but do not need a fully configured Sun Fire 15K at this time or in the next 18 to 24 months - All Geos - Key market segments are HPC, ERP, CRM, DW and SCM. SCO: Separately, Sun has the big HPC users conference SUPerG going on now. How has the show been going? What's been hot thus far? CAMPBELL: The SUPerG program is a high-touch user group program, specifically dedicated to Sun's high end datacenter and HPC customers, it is not an exclusive HPC event. The program format maintains, and encourages, a high level of intimacy and interaction. Attendees are able to provide direct feedback to Sun on what works, areas for improvement and features, programs, etc., that they would like to see implemented in future products and programs. We have several hundred attendees from all over 50 countries. Hot topics match today's industry needs -- doing more with less. Naturally, there is a lot of interest in what's new, Sun Fire 12K this time, together with old favorites such as the Solaris and SPARC processor roadmaps. Specific interest include Sun Fire servers for mainframe re-hosting, server consolidation and technical computing. This is the first SUPerG since the Sun Fire 15K introduction and we have good representation from this user base.
SCO: OK, just as a little background for the readers, please provide us with a fast technical breakdown of the 12K, heretofore referred to as StarKitty. CAMPBELL: The Sun Fire 12K offers technology that is five years ahead of the competition at half the price of IBM's p690. The Uniboard CPU/memory board, which is transportable and interchangeable among all Sun Fire 3800-15K systems, drives down the cost of application provisioning, and is central to customers seeking to lower total cost of ownership (TCO) and improve ROI. Uniboard packaging allows customers to plan and manage entire application deployments rather than focus on one system at a time. This provides maximum investment protection, system availability, flexibility, and application performance. Sun offers Dynamic System Domains, which improve return on investment (ROI) across the IT enterprise by enabling flexible resource management. Contrary to IBM's pSeries, Sun's innovative technology and common system components allow for on-the-fly upgrade capability that enable data centers to scale according to peak demand. Furthermore, Sun's design architecture provides mixed-speed CPU support, which enables online upgrades so customers experience minimum disruption and maximum investment protection. Strategically positioned between the Sun Fire 6800 server and the Sun Fire 15K, the Sun Fire 12K is the ideal system for customers undertaking server consolidation and mainframe rehosting. With cross-generational and binary compatibility across the entire SPARC/Solaris OE product line, the Sun Fire 12K scales up to 52 UltraSPARC(R) III 900 MHz processors and offers 288 GB of memory running on the Solaris 8 OE. SCO: Can you go into a little detail on the 12K's "Uniboard Packaging?" CAMPBELL: Uniboard technology is an extension to the common component strategy that we offered on the Enterprise server line. With Uniboard technology, customers can share CPU/memory boards across any of the Sun Fire 6800 or Sun Fire 15K servers. This offers customers vertical scalability, superior serviceability due to the use of hot swappable CPU/memory boards, and lower sparing costs by allowing customers to stock fewer spare components. SCO: What are the benefits of the Fireplane Interconnect? Please tell us a bit about it. CAMPBELL: The Fireplane Interconnect, an industry breakthrough first introduced in the Sun Fire 15K server, contains three 18x18 crossbars each of which is redundant. Separate address, response, and data paths allow 2-way traffic -multiple, simultaneous transfer of data between processor, memory and I/O subsystem. This feature also provides end-to-end data integrity and superior memory and I/O bandwidth, balanced and predictable performance under the most demanding workloads. In addition, it enables fault-isolated dynamic partitioning so that no single point of failure will keep the system down. Ultimately, users get higher availability and faster performance as a result of the Fireplane Interconnect. SCO: So the 12K is positioned between your 6800 server and the big 15K and is targeted at the $.5--1 Million price point. This is a range that I believe, and please correct me if I'm wrong, Sun has never really had a presence in. Why move into this space now? I guess I'm just wondering about the timing. CAMPBELL: For the first time, Sun has a server offering in the 500K to 1 million dollar price band which is a marketplace where IBM has a strong hold with the Regatta product. Today Sun is looking to gain share in this price band just as we have with the entry level as well as the high-end server space. With up to 52 UltraSPARC III Cu processors and 288 GB of memory with end-to-end data integrity, the Sun Fire 12K server is an integral building block in a business ready infrastructure primed to Make the Net Work. SCO: You're going up against IBM's p690 and I believe a couple different offerings from HP. What does Sun have to do to be successful in this price range? What does it have to do to become dominant? Do you think you will become dominant in this area? CAMPBELL: The introduction of the Sun Fire 12K builds on the momentum that Sun has in the high-end server space with its Sun Fire 15K and the Sun Enterprise(TM) 10000 servers. Since its launch in September 2001, Sun has shipped over 400 Sun Fire 15K systems to such industry leaders as IntercontinentalExchange (ICE), Kyoto University, Ocwen Technology Xchange, Reliant Resources, and San Diego Supercomputer Center, while continuing to win marketshare in the high-end space. Sun has owned both the entry-level server market with the Sun Fire V880 and Midframe 3800-6800 and the high-end space with the E10K and F15K servers. In order to compete at all against us in the overall server market, IBM and HP have been forced to target the mid-range space. Today, Sun is putting IBM and HP on notice by staking our claim to this space with the new Sun Fire 12K server. The $500K-$1M server price band is a virtually untapped market for Sun. The midrange-server market segment actually represents a huge growth opportunity for our company. The Sun Fire 12K leverages the innovative technology of the Sun Fire 15K, providing superior reliability, flexibility, serviceability, fault-isolated and dynamic partitioning, and superior performance--in a smaller, less expensive system. No other vendor offers the comprehensive RAS features Sun provides--binary compatibility, Uniboard technology, ease of implementation with our cross-generational server family. When customers purchase Sun systems, they have the peace-of-mind that they are absolutely getting the BEST price and performance at the best value. Competitors can't match Sun's flexibility and scalability, nor can they hold a candle to Sun's RAS features. The value proposition of Sun's total package is the best on the market. SCO: What types of companies and organizations is the 12K going to appeal to the most? CAMPBELL: The target audience for the product is as follows: - Enterprise data centers running UNIX (Solaris and others) - Current IBM Mainframe customers - Customers who were considering IBM p690 or HP Superdome 32 and their rp8400 (16-way) - HPC customers who want to upgrade to USIII from E10000/Starfire, but do not need a fully configured Sun Fire 15K at this time or in the next 18 to 24 months - All Geos - Key market segments are HPC, ERP, CRM, DW and SCM. SCO: Separately, Sun has the big HPC users conference SUPerG going on now. How has the show been going? What's been hot thus far? CAMPBELL: The SUPerG program is a high-touch user group program, specifically dedicated to Sun's high end datacenter and HPC customers, it is not an exclusive HPC event. The program format maintains, and encourages, a high level of intimacy and interaction. Attendees are able to provide direct feedback to Sun on what works, areas for improvement and features, programs, etc., that they would like to see implemented in future products and programs. We have several hundred attendees from all over 50 countries. Hot topics match today's industry needs -- doing more with less. Naturally, there is a lot of interest in what's new, Sun Fire 12K this time, together with old favorites such as the Solaris and SPARC processor roadmaps. Specific interest include Sun Fire servers for mainframe re-hosting, server consolidation and technical computing. This is the first SUPerG since the Sun Fire 15K introduction and we have good representation from this user base.