Sun Enterprise 10000
| Company type | Product line |
|---|---|
| Industry | Computer servers |
| Predecessor | Ultra Enterprise |
| Founded | 1996 |
| Defunct | 2001 |
| Successor | Sun Fire |
| Products | UNIX server systems based on UltraSPARC processors |
| Owner | Sun Microsystems |
Sun Enterprise refers to a lineup of UNIX server systems created by Sun Microsystems from 1996 until 2001. Originally introduced under the name Ultra Enterprise, the Ultra designation was discontinued around 1998. These servers are built on the 64-bit UltraSPARC processor architecture and incorporate technology similar to that found in contemporary Ultra workstations, running the Solaris operating system. The portfolio ranged from single-processor entry-level machines to sophisticated multiprocessor high-end servers. Starting in 2001, the Enterprise series was gradually replaced by the Sun Fire product line.
Servers derived from Ultra workstations
The initial UltraSPARC-I-based servers launched by Sun in 1995 were the UltraServer 1 and UltraServer 2, which were server adaptations of the Ultra 1 and Ultra 2 workstation models. These were subsequently renamed Ultra Enterprise 1 and Ultra Enterprise 2 to align with the Enterprise branding. Following these, the Ultra Enterprise 150 arrived, incorporating an Ultra 1 motherboard housed within a tower chassis featuring twelve internal disk bays.
In 1998, server variants based on the UltraSPARC-IIi-powered Ultra 5 and Ultra 10 workstations were introduced as the Enterprise Ultra 5S and Enterprise Ultra 10S.
Entry-level server models
The Sun Enterprise 450, released in 1997, is a rack-mountable multiprocessor server designed for entry-level applications, supporting up to four UltraSPARC II CPUs. The Sun Enterprise 250, which debuted in 1998, accommodates two processors. In 1999, Sun expanded this segment with the Enterprise 220R and Enterprise 420R, rack-mount servers built on Ultra 60 and Ultra 80 workstation motherboards respectively. These were eventually succeeded by Sun Fire systems: the Fire V250 replaced the Enterprise 250; the Fire V880 succeeded the Enterprise 450; the Fire 280R took over from the Enterprise 220R; and the Fire V480 followed the Enterprise 420R.
Mid-range Ultra Enterprise XX00 servers
In 1996, Sun phased out its SPARCserver and SPARCcenter product lines in favor of multiprocessor Ultra Enterprise models: namely the 3000, 4000, 5000, and 6000. These platforms share a unified architecture that utilizes the Gigaplane packet-switched processor/memory bus alongside UltraSPARC-I or II CPUs. Engineered for mission-critical workloads, these systems incorporate features aimed at high availability and fault tolerance.
The deskside 3000 model supports up to six processors and ten internal disk drives; the rack-mounted 4000 can accommodate fourteen processors; the 5000 serves as a rack cabinet version of the 4000; while the large cabinet-sized 6000 supports as many as thirty processors.
In 1999, this lineup was enhanced with new versions—the Enterprise 3500, 4500, 5500, and 6500—which featured an upgraded Gigaplane bus running at speeds up to 100 MHz compared to the earlier 83 MHz. The 3500 added an additional Gigaplane slot allowing support for up to eight processors. These X500 series servers were ultimately replaced by Sun Fire models such as the 3800, 4800, and 6800.
Enterprise 10000
The high-performance multiprocessor data center system known as the Enterprise 10000 (also called E10k or Starfire) can be configured with as many as 64 UltraSPARC II processors. Originally developed by Cray Research's Business Systems Division as a successor to their Cray Superserver 6400, it became part of Sun Microsystems’ portfolio after Cray’s division was sold following Silicon Graphics' acquisition of Cray in 1996. Sun introduced it commercially as the Ultra Enterprise 10000 in 1997.
At its core lies the fault-tolerant Gigaplane-XB processor/memory interconnect, supporting sophisticated high-availability features including partitioning into multiple independent "domains". Each domain can boot separately and run distinct Solaris instances, with resources dynamically reallocated among domains. A domain consists of one CPU board—each system can have between one and sixteen CPU boards—with each board supporting up to four processors, four gigabytes of RAM, and four SBUS I/O boards (which can optionally be replaced with dual PCI boards). The Starfire was notable for being the first server to surpass a score of 2000 on the TPC-D benchmark for a 300 GB database workload and gained popularity among major users such as eBay during the dot-com era. Fully equipped configurations often exceeded $1 million in price.
The architecture includes one or two controller modules linked via Ethernet to an external System Service Processor (SSP), responsible for managing domain partitioning and boot operations through encrypted keys. The SSP is critical both for system functionality and security enforcement. An example of an E10K system is preserved at the Computer History Museum located in Mountain View.
The Starfire model was eventually succeeded by Sun Fire’s large-scale servers such as the Sun Fire 12K and Sun Fire 15K.