Sun to Use Intel Chips in Some Servers

PhysOrg.com ^ | 01/22/2007 | Jordan Robertson

[magellan]

You said "If Sun wants to compete, then they need to go head-on and build Linux systems."

If by "Linux systems", you mean systems which can run Linux, then I pointed out, correctly, that any industry standard x86 server indeed can be a "Linux system", and Sun has been doing this for five years.

If by "Linux systems", you mean systems shipped with CDs for a Linux distribution and Linux support options available from the vendor, Sun has been doing this for five years.

If by "Linux systems", you mean systems with Linux preinstalled by the vendor, Sun has been doing this for five years.

I stand by my two original points.

First, I know of no computer vendor who "builds Linux systems". I know of many computer vendors who "build" open, industry-standard, x86 systems capable of running more than one OS (Linux, UNIX, Windows, etc.). Indeed, organizations may use them as "Linux systems" (or Windows systems), but that is a configuration option.

Second, Sun has been "building" such systems for five years.

[avacado]

First, I know of no computer vendor who "builds Linux systems".

Go to Sun.com and click on SYSTEMS and then select Linux.

[magellan]

" ... there is no way that Sun (hardware/OS) is cost effective.

Sun's x86 servers are priced to compete with HP Proliant x86 servers and IBM System x servers. Sun's x86 servers, like HP Proliant x86 servers and IBM System x servers are not priced to compete with Dell PowerEdge x86 servers.

Sun's x86 servers start at $745.

Sun's x86 servers are on the Hardware Compatibility Lists (HCLs) of the major Linux distributions. There is no premium to run a particular Linux distribution on a Sun x86 server compared to any other server.

Regarding Sun's Solaris operating system.

Sun Solaris support costs are intentionally lower than Red Hat Enterprise Linux server variants. It is less expensive to run Solaris on any x86 server than it is to run Linux on the same server.

Solaris support costs

Red Hat support costs

Sun Solaris 10 runs on 740 different x86 systems. Red Hat Enterprise Linux 4 runs on 622 systems.

Solaris HCL

Red Hat HCL

[zeugma]

The vast majority of these 815 systems are not built by Sun.

HA! Good point. I really think of Sun boxes when I think of Solaris though, as to date, I've not really worked on systems by other manufacturers who also use Solaris.

Well, I'll take that back, when they first came out with Solaris for Intel, I jumped on it, and had a couple of boxes set up with it, but it wasn't a full-time thing, and those systems eventually became Linux servers again.

[rochester_veteran]

when they first came out with Solaris for Intel, I jumped on it, and had a couple of boxes set up with it, but it wasn't a full-time thing, and those systems eventually became Linux servers again.

If I recall, in those days, X86 Solaris ran real slow. You were probably better off going back to Linux.Of course, processor speeds are faster now, but X86 Solaris OS runs alot faster now.