2/25/98 - SUN INCREASES PERFORMANCE AND SCALABILITY OF POPULAR ENTERPRISE SERVERS

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SUN INCREASES PERFORMANCE AND SCALABILITY OF POPULAR ENTERPRISE SERVERS

New 336MHz CPU Module Helps Sun Set New Benchmark Performance Records

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. - February 25, 1998 - Furthering its commitment to deliver maximum performance in the enterprise, Sun Microsystems, Inc. today announced a new 336 megahertz (MHz) UltraSPARC^TM-II processor module with a four-megabyte (MB) external cache. These modules are immediately available for Sun's existing line of mid-range and high-end servers (the Sun ^TM Enterprise ^TM 3000-10000 servers) as well as Sun Enterprise Cluster products. Coupled with the powerful and scalable Solaris^TM operating environment, Sun's commercial and HPC servers enhanced with the faster processor are even better equipped to support and grow with power-intensive computing requirements both in enterprise and high-performance computing environments.

"This is the second time in less than a year that we have offered performance enhancements for our mid-range and high-end server family," said John Shoemaker, vice president and general manager of Sun's Enterprise Server and Storage Group. "We understand that our customers' performance requirements can increase dramatically over time, and this processor addresses their growth needs head-on. We're helping them to protect their current investments in technology while facilitating their growth-- two factors that are crucial to our installed base."

Random House, the largest English-language general trade book publisher in the world, selected a Sun Enterprise 4000 server for its decision support system that is used to optimize book shipment decisions, maximize sales and minimize book returns. "There is a consensus around our company that the Solaris operating environment is the best UNIX^® for reliability, developer productivity, and performance. With the size and growth rate of our database, scalability is essential. Sun's scalable, high-performance servers definitely meet our exacting needs," said David Bruce, manager of database systems, Random House.

Faster Processors Allow Enterprise Servers to Scale to Greater Performance

With the release of the 336MHz module, Sun is once again offering customers a clear upgrade path that allows them to enhance their current systems while maintaining excellent investment protection. Increasing individual processor speed can lead to immediate boosts in overall system performance and faster user response times for those whose current systems are reaching maximum performance levels. In addition, the new, faster CPU modules can provide more performance "headroom" in existing servers, enabling information systems departments to accommodate more users as business grows.

"With increasing networking applications, customers are demanding greater server throughput," said Jim Garden, analyst, Technology Business Research. "These new Sun ^TM processor engines can be field upgraded in existing Enterprise systems to provide a significant performance increase while protecting original investment."

This announcement also demonstrates Sun's continuing commitment to provide customers with a powerful and stable platform that, unlike some competitors' offerings, can expand without necessitating a disruption in system technology. With the new 336MHz processor module, Sun is reinforcing the continuity of its UltraSPARC family of processors-- further proof of Sun's leadership in delivering solutions that ensure compatibility with customer applications.

Faster Chips Contribute to New World Records for Important Benchmark Tests

The new 336MHz processor modules can significantly boost compute performance. For example, Sun Enterprise 3000-6000 servers equipped with the new 336MHz processor and Sun's latest compiler can deliver up to 43 percent higher compute performance than previously recorded SPEC results with 250MHz processors. Combined with the outstanding performance of storage subsystems from the new Sun ^TM StorEdge^TM product line, the faster CPU module has helped establish new Sun performance records in major industry benchmark tests performed on Sun Enterprise servers (see separate releases issued today: TPC-D benchmark and Linpack benchmark). Sun has reclaimed the world record for the one-terabyte TPC-D benchmark test with a throughput metric of 5,850.3 QthD@1TB and a power metric of 12,931.9 QppD@1TB. Sun has also achieved new best-of-class performance levels with the Sun Enterprise 10000 (also known as Starfire ^TM) server and the Sun Enterprise 6000 server in the Linpack Highly Parallel Computing benchmark test.

About The Sun Enterprise Server Family

The Sun Enterprise family of mid-range and high-end servers scales from six to 64 processors and provides customers with exceptional value and reliability for mission-critical applications. Each model in the Sun Enterprise series offers exceptional RAS (reliability, availability, serviceability) capabilities. The Starfire system, for example, offers Dynamic System Domains, Dynamic Reconfiguration, System Service Processor (SSP) and no single point of failure functionality. All of the award-winning Sun Enterprise servers support the Solaris operating environment, which delivers multi-vendor interoperability and seamless scalability throughout the Sun ^TM product line.

About Sun HPC Servers

The family of Sun ^TM HPC servers offers seven high-performance symmetric multiprocessing systems that range from two to 64 processors and feature binary compatibility across the company's product line. Leading the industry in reliability and scalability, the Sun HPC servers are complemented by Sun HPC 2.0 software, designed specifically for compute-intensive, technical computing environments.

About Sun Microsystems, Inc.

Since its inception in 1982, a singular vision, "The Network Is The Computer ^TM," has propelled Sun Microsystems, Inc. (NASDAQ: SUNW), to its position as a leading provider of hardware, software and services for establishing enterprise-wide intranets and expanding the power of the Internet. With more than $9 billion in annual revenues, Sun can be found in more than 150 countries and on the WorldWide Web at http://sun.com.

Sun, the Sun logo, Sun Microsystems, Sun Enterprise, Solaris, Starfire, Sun StorEdge, and The Network Is The Computer are trademarks or registered trademarks of Sun Microsystems, Inc. in the United States and other countries. All SPARC trademarks are used under license and are trademarks or registered trademarks of SPARC International, Inc. in the United States and other countries. Products bearing SPARC trademarks are based upon an architecture developed by Sun Microsystems, Inc. UNIX is a registered trademark in the United States and other countries, exclusively licensed through X/Open Company, Ltd.
Press announcements and other information about Sun Microsystems, Inc. are available on the Internet via the WorldWide Web using a tool such as Netscape Navigator or Sun's HotJava. Type http://sun.com at the URL prompt.