Sun launches 72-processor Sun Fire server
Sun launches 72-processor Sun Fire server
- By P. Daukantas
- Oct 05, 2001
A new 72-way server from Sun Microsystems Inc. can scale up to 106 CPUs if needed.\
The Sun Fire 15K, code-named Starcat during development, can hold 18 hot-swappable CPU boards, each with four 900-MHz UltraSparc III RISC processors, said Shahin Khan, Sun's vice president of marketing. Together, the computer's 18 I/O hubs, each with four PCI connections, provide 43-gigabytes/sec bandwidth.
Users can replace all but one of the I/O hubs with dual-CPU boards to boost the processor count to 106, sales specialist Kevin Ambrose said. The minimum configuration is 24 processors.
The 900-MHz CPU incorporates copper interconnects for better energy conduction than with conventional aluminum connections. Users can partition the system into up to 18 virtual domains, which can be reconfigured while applications are running, Khan said.
The Sun Fire 15K costs $1.5 million to $3 million, depending on configuration. Contact Sun at 888-843-5282.