Abstracts of Magazine FUJITSU 2000-7 (VOL.51, NO.4)

Special Issue : UNIX Server: PRIMEPOWER

• Overview of PRIMEPOWER

Fujitsu has developed a UNIX server, PRIMEPOWER, based on the technologies cultivated in Fujitsu supercomputers and global servers to achieve higher performance and reliability. PRIMEPOWER's performance has been enhanced with the new SPARC64 GP processor, and the newly developed crossbar switch provides it with a scalability of up to 128 central processing units (CPUs). The enhanced RAS functions and high-speed, hot-standby system of PRIMEPOWER give it an availability as high as 99.999 percent. Furthermore, the Solaris operating system enables PRIMEPOWER to use the applications of various vendors.

• Hardware of PRIMEPOWER2000/1000/800

Fujitsu developed the GP7000F Model 2000, which uses the SPARC architecture and the Solaris operating system. This model provides a scalability of up to 64 CPUs. Now, Fujitsu has developed the PRIMEPOWER2000, which has extended the Model 2000's scalability to up to 128 CPUs, and the new SPARC64 GP processor, whose performance has been improved with the latest technology. To achieve symmetric multi processing (SMP) with up to 128 CPUs, the PRIMEPOWER2000 has an enhanced two-layered crossbar feature that provides a maximum snoop performance of 57.6 gigabytes per second. The PRIMEPOWER2000 provides not only this extended scalability but also high-availability (HA) features such as a redundant configuration, hot-swap functions for various components, and a partitioning function for computing resources. With these features, the PRIMEPOWER2000 is reliable enough for use as a server that must operate 24 hours a day throughout the year. This paper describes the hardware of the PRIMEPOWER2000/1000/800.

• Packaging, Cooling, and Power Supply Technologies for PRIMEPOWER2000/1000/800

This paper describes the packaging, cooling, and power supply technologies used in the PRIMEPOWER2000/1000/800 high-end UNIX servers designed for use as high-performance, high-reliability large-scale backbone systems. Fujitsu has developed high-density packaging and high-efficiency cooling technologies for these servers. Fujitsu has also developed high-speed interconnection and multi-layer printed-wiring board technologies to enhance the servers' performance and a high-reliability power supply system to improve the quality and availability of power supply.

• Hardware of PRIMEPOWER600/400/200

The UNIX server “PRIMEPOWER600/400/200” uses Fujitsu's SPARC64 GP high-performance microprocessor. The new models can meet a wide range of performance requirements and are suitable for applications ranging from entry systems to backbone systems for business. This paper describes the high-performance, high-speed connection feature, cost effectiveness, and reliability of the hardware of these models. Each model of the PRIMEPOWER600/400/200 provides the highest system performance among the servers of the same class thanks to the enhanced performance of the processor, memory, I-O channels, and other units and the high-speed technology incorporated in each unit. The hardware optimized for each model provides a high cost-effectiveness, convenience at installation, and flexible system construction. To guarantee a high reliability, the models use an error checking and correcting (ECC) feature not only for the first and second cache memory of the processor but also for data transfer between memory and I-O channels.

• 64-bit RISC Processor: SPARC64 GP

Fujitsu's SPARC64 GP is a high-performance 64-bit RISC microprocessor conforming to the SPARC V9 architecture. It has a super scalar system for concurrent issuance of up to four instructions, an out-of-order instruction execution function, and a renaming function to increase the number of instructions executed per cycle (IPC). High-speed operation is realized using the latest LSI technology and custom LSI design methodology. High reliability is achieved by enhanced RAS functions and the error checking and correcting (ECC) function for the internal and external cache memory. This paper outlines the technologies used in the SPARC64 GP (400/450 MHz).

• Solaris Operating Environment

To promote wider Internet use, the Solaris Operating Environment has been installed in systems ranging from desktops to high-end systems for mission-critical use. For example, Solaris has recently been installed by service providers, which need a consistent, high-reliability, high-performance system operating environment so they can guarantee an uninterrupted service to their customers. Solaris was developed and released as an operating system that can realize the full capabilities of Sun workstations, servers, and storage products with an emphasis on providing the reliability, availability, scalability, and security required for the Internet. This paper describes the Solaris architecture and the features supported by Solaris so that the reader can better understand the advantages of Solaris and why Solaris has been evaluated so highly.

• Fujitsu Cluster Technology: Synfinity Series

The Synfinity series is a group of software products that can run on Fujitsu UNIX servers (PRIMEPOWER and GP-S family) and provide solutions for high-reliability systems. Especially, if Synfinity series products are combined with PRIMEPOWER, they can provide various advanced features such as an excellent fault tolerance and dynamic system expansibility that are not currently supported by competing products. This paper gives an overview of the Synfinity series products, focusing on SynfinityCLUSTER, which provides a clustering function.

• SymfoWARE Navigator Server Enterprise Edition

Diversified customers' demands and the relaxation of business regulations have intensified the competition among companies. To distinguish themselves from competitors and succeed in business, companies need to analyze their customers' information more accurately and make quick decisions. Under these circumstances, many companies have constructed business intelligence systems that store huge amounts of customer information in a data warehouse and then analyze and make extensive use of that information. Furthermore, now that the Internet is being used for business transactions, this customer information is being used company-wide and not just by personnel in a few sections. To meet these changes in the business environment, companies require a business intelligence system that is flexible, expandable, reliable, and powerful. This paper describes Fujitsu SymfoWARE Navigator Server Enterprise Edition, which can form the basis for such a business intelligence system for company-wide use of customer information.

• High Availability and Scalability of Oracle Parallel Server

The Oracle Parallel Server (OPS) has been enhanced with the incorporation of cache fusion technology provided by Oracle8i. The enhanced OPS enables the user to transfer blocks of data between nodes with consistent inter-instance data reading operations called Consistent Read (CR) operations. Up to now this type of data transfer has been impossible. If OPS is combined with SafeCLUSTER, the server system can be made highly reliable and used in a business for core operations that require a high availability. This paper describes the high availability and scalability that is obtained by combining OPS with SafeCLUSTER, focusing on the CR server for the Oracle8i-enhanced OPS.

• Business Promotion by XML Technology Center

Because of the popularity of the Internet, business activity regarding the extensible markup language (XML) has been developing rapidly and companies are being urged to keep up with the progress in XML business, technology, and standardization. In response, in December of 1999, Fujitsu founded the XML Technology Center to promote XML business. The XML Technology Center mainly supports XML business by giving engineers optimum suggestions via SEs and SAs and studies and develops new XML technologies. Full-scale operations for XML business were started in early 2000. This paper describes the activities of the XML Technology Center that promote XML business.

• Information-ranking Business System

Some Internet portals, for example, garden.com in the U.S., present information resources stored at other linked sites and also use such information to present other information provided by the portal's own commodities and services. This paper describes an infrastructure that supports this kind of information presentation. This year, Fujitsu made an application for a patent on a business model called the Information-ranking business system. This system ranks information resources on the Internet according to their truthfulness and reliability. By using the ranking information, a portal can then increase the reliability and appeal of the information it provides.