Editing Sun Microsystems (section)

==Hardware==
For the first decade of Sun's history, the company positioned its products as technical [[workstations]], competing successfully as a low-cost vendor during the Workstation Wars of the 1980s. It then shifted its hardware product line to emphasize servers and storage. High-level telecom control systems such as [[Operational Support Systems]] service predominantly used Sun equipment.{{Citation needed|date=May 2021}}

===Motorola-based systems===
Sun originally used [[Motorola 68000 family]] central processing units for the [[Sun-1]] through [[Sun-3]] computer series. The Sun-1 employed a 68000 CPU, the [[Sun-2]] series, a [[Motorola 68010|68010]]. The Sun-3 series was based on the [[Motorola 68020|68020]], with the later Sun-3x using the [[Motorola 68030|68030]].<ref name=Sun-3x>{{Cite book
|author1=George Becker |author2=Kathy Slatterly | year= 1991
| title= A System Administrator's Guide to Sun Workstations
| edition= First
| publisher= Springer Verlag
| location= New York
| pages= 10
| isbn= 0-387-97250-1 }}</ref>

===SPARC-based systems===
{{See also|SPARC}}
[[File:SPARCstation 1.jpg|right|thumb|SPARCstation 1+]]
In 1987, the company began using ''SPARC (Scalable Processor ARChitecture)'', a RISC processor architecture of its own design, in its computer systems, starting with the [[Sun-4]] line. SPARC was initially a [[32-bit]] architecture (SPARC V7) until the introduction of the SPARC V9 architecture in 1995, which added [[64-bit]] extensions.

Sun developed several generations of SPARC-based computer systems, including the [[SPARCstation]], [[Sun Ultra series|Ultra]], and [[Sun Blade (workstation)|Sun Blade]] series of workstations, and the SPARCserver, [[Sun Netra|Netra]], [[Sun Enterprise|Enterprise]], and [[Sun Fire]] line of servers.

In the early 1990s the company began to extend its product line to include large-scale [[symmetric multiprocessing]] servers, starting with the four-processor SPARCserver 600MP. This was followed by the 8-processor SPARCserver 1000 and 20-processor SPARCcenter 2000, which were based on work done in conjunction with [[Xerox PARC]]. In 1995 the company introduced [[Sun Ultra series]] machines that were equipped with the first 64-bit implementation of SPARC processors ([[UltraSPARC]]). In the late 1990s the transformation of product line in favor of large 64-bit SMP systems was accelerated by the acquisition of Cray Business Systems Division from Silicon Graphics.<ref name="Cray_BSD"/> Their 32-bit, 64-processor [[Cray CS6400|Cray Superserver 6400]], related to the SPARCcenter, led to the 64-bit [[Sun Enterprise 10000]] high-end server (otherwise known as ''Starfire'' or E10K).

In September 2004, Sun made available systems with [[UltraSPARC IV]]<ref>{{cite news |title= Sun plans to use UltraSparc IV chip to provide a superior server |work=TechSpot |date= September 13, 2004 | url= http://www.techspot.com/news/15374-sun-plans-to-use-ultrasparc-iv-chip-to-provide-a-superior-server.html |access-date=July 12, 2012 | first=Derek|last=Sooman }}</ref> which was the first multi-core SPARC processor. It was followed by UltraSPARC IV+ in September 2005<ref>{{cite news |title= Sun revamps Unix servers with UltraSparc IV+ |first=Stephen|last=Shankland |work=[[CNET News]] |date= September 20, 2005 | url= http://news.cnet.com/Sun-revamps-Unix-servers-with-UltraSparc-IV/2100-1010_3-5874506.html |access-date=July 12, 2012 }}</ref> and its revisions with higher clock speeds in 2007.<ref>{{cite web |title= Sun breaks omerta for UltraSPARC IV+ speed bump |website=[[The Register]] |date= April 4, 2007 | url= https://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/04/04/sun_usfour_speedup/ |access-date=July 12, 2012 |first=Ashlee|last=Vance}}</ref> These CPUs were used in the most powerful, enterprise class high-end [[Non-Uniform Memory Access|CC-NUMA]] servers developed by Sun, such as the Sun Fire E15K and the [[Sun Fire E25K]].

In November 2005, Sun launched the [[UltraSPARC T1]], notable for its ability to concurrently run 32 threads of execution on 8 processor cores. Its intent was to drive more efficient use of CPU resources, which is of particular importance in [[data center]]s, where there is an increasing need to reduce power and air conditioning demands, much of which comes from the heat generated by CPUs. The T1 was followed in 2007 by the [[UltraSPARC T2]], which extended the number of threads per core from 4 to 8. Sun has open sourced the design specifications of both the T1 and T2 processors via the [[OpenSPARC]] project.

In 2006, Sun ventured into the ''[[blade server]]'' (high density rack-mounted systems) market with the [[Sun Blade]] (distinct from the Sun Blade workstation).

In April 2007, Sun released the SPARC Enterprise server products, jointly designed by Sun and Fujitsu and based on Fujitsu [[SPARC64 VI]] and later processors. The ''M-class'' SPARC Enterprise systems include high-end reliability and availability features. Later T-series servers have also been badged SPARC Enterprise rather than Sun Fire.

In April 2008, Sun released servers with UltraSPARC T2 Plus, which is an SMP capable version of UltraSPARC T2, available in 2 or 4 processor configurations. It was the first CoolThreads CPU with multi-processor capability and it made possible to build standard rack-mounted servers that could simultaneously process up to massive 256 CPU threads in hardware (Sun SPARC Enterprise T5440),<ref>{{cite web |title= Sun takes four-socket Victoria Falls Sparc plunge |website=[[The Register]] |date= October 13, 2008 | url= https://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/10/13/sun_four_socket_sparc_t2/ |access-date=July 12, 2012 | first=Timothy Prickett|last=Morgan }}</ref><ref>{{cite press release |title= Sun T5440 Oracle BI EE World Record Performance |publisher=Oracle BestPerf blog |date= July 21, 2009 | url= https://blogs.oracle.com/BestPerf/entry/sun_t5440_oracle_bi_ee |access-date=July 12, 2012 }}</ref> which is considered a record in the industry.

Since 2010, all further development of Sun machines based on SPARC architecture (including new [[SPARC T-Series]] servers, [[SPARC T3]] and [[SPARC T4|T4]] chips) is done as a part of Oracle Corporation hardware division.

===x86-based systems===
In the late 1980s, Sun also marketed an [[Intel 80386]]–based machine, the [[Sun386i]]; this was designed to be a hybrid system, running [[SunOS]] but at the same time supporting [[DOS]] applications. This only remained on the market for a brief time. A follow-up "486i" upgrade was announced but only a few prototype units were ever manufactured.<ref>{{Cite web |title=How Sun's need to control the code cost them the company |url=https://www.zdnet.com/article/how-suns-need-to-control-the-code-cost-them-the-company/ |access-date=2022-07-02 |website=ZDNet |language=en}}</ref>

Sun's brief first foray into [[x86]] systems ended in the early 1990s, as it decided to concentrate on [[SPARC]] and retire the last [[Motorola]] systems and 386i products, a move dubbed by McNealy as "all the wood behind one arrowhead". Even so, Sun kept its hand in the [[x86]] world, as a release of [[Solaris (operating system)|Solaris]] for [[PC compatible]]s began shipping in 1993.

In 1997, Sun acquired Diba, Inc., followed later by the acquisition of [[Cobalt Networks]] in 2000, with the aim of building ''network appliances'' (single function computers meant for consumers). Sun also marketed a [[Network Computer]] (a term popularized and eventually trademarked by [[Oracle Corporation|Oracle]]); the [[JavaStation]] was a diskless system designed to run Java applications.

Although none of these business initiatives were particularly successful, the Cobalt purchase gave Sun a toehold for its return to the x86 hardware market. In 2002, Sun introduced its first general purpose x86 system, the LX50, based in part on previous Cobalt system expertise. This was also Sun's first system announced to support [[Linux]] as well as Solaris.

In 2003, Sun announced a strategic alliance with [[AMD]] to produce x86/x64 servers based on AMD's [[Opteron]] processor; this was followed shortly by Sun's acquisition of Kealia, a startup founded by original Sun founder [[Andy Bechtolsheim]], which had been focusing on high-performance AMD-based servers.

The following year, Sun launched the Opteron-based Sun Fire V20z and V40z servers, and the [[Sun Java Workstation]] W1100z and W2100z workstations.

In September 2005 Sun unveiled a new range of Opteron-based servers: the Sun Fire X2100, X4100 and X4200 servers.<ref>[http://www.sun.com/nc/05q3/videos/index.jsp?exec=3 Sun Microsystems<!-- Bot generated title -->] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051203062546/http://www.sun.com/nc/05q3/videos/index.jsp?exec=3 |date=December 3, 2005 }}</ref>  These were designed from scratch by a team led by Bechtolsheim to address heat and power consumption issues commonly faced in data centers. In July 2006, the [[Sun Fire X4500]] and X4600 systems were introduced, extending a line of x64 systems that support not only Solaris, but also [[Linux]] and [[Microsoft Windows]].

In January 2007 Sun announced a broad strategic alliance with [[Intel]].<ref>{{cite press release
 |title= Sun And Intel Announce Landmark Agreement
 |publisher= Sun Microsystems
 |date= January 22, 2007
 |url= http://www.sun.com/aboutsun/pr/2007-01/sunflash.20070122.1.xml
 |access-date= January 23, 2007
 |archive-date= January 24, 2007
 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20070124052008/http://www.sun.com/aboutsun/pr/2007-01/sunflash.20070122.1.xml
 |url-status= dead
 }}</ref> Intel endorsed Solaris as a mainstream operating system and as its mission critical [[Unix]] for its [[Xeon]] processor–based systems, and contributed engineering resources to [[OpenSolaris]].<ref>{{cite press release
 |title = OpenSolaris & Intel Xeon Processors
 |publisher=YouTube
 |date= April 30, 2008
 |url= https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIb8VIg0JM0
  |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/VIb8VIg0JM0| archive-date=2021-12-11 |url-status=live|access-date=May 12, 2008
}}{{cbignore}}</ref>  Sun began using the Intel Xeon processor in its [[x64]] server line, starting with the Sun Blade X6250 server module introduced in June 2007.

In May 2008 AMD announced its Operating System Research Center (OSRC) was expanding its focus to include optimization to Sun's OpenSolaris and [[Sun xVM|xVM]] virtualization products for AMD processors.<ref>{{cite press release
 |title=AMD Expands Charter for the OpenSolaris OS and Sun xVM at the AMD Operating System Research Center
 |publisher=AMD
 |date=May 5, 2008
 |url=https://www.amd.com/gb-uk/Corporate/VirtualPressRoom/0,,51_104_543~125446,00.html
 |url-status=dead
 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090116054951/http://www.amd.com/gb-uk/Corporate/VirtualPressRoom/0%2C%2C51_104_543~125446%2C00.html
 |archive-date=January 16, 2009
}}</ref>