---------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Florida SunFlash SunSoft Announces Solaris Environment: The SMCC Perspective SunFLASH Vol 35 #12 November 1991 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- SMCC is Sun Microsystems Computer Company. -johnj ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- - SunSoft announces its system software environment: -- Solaris 1.0 (SunOS 4.1.1 which includes ONC, OpenWindows Version 2, Deskset 2.0) -- Solaris 2.0 (SunOS 5.0 based on AT&T's System V Release 4 [SVR4] with ONC, Automated Security Enhancement Tool [ASET], OpenWindows Version 3 including Deskset 3.0 and Tooltalk) -- Commercial Enhancements Package including Account Resource Management (ARM), Online DiskSuite, and Backup Copilot (The Commercial Enhancements Package may also be known as the Commercial Extensions Products. - johnj) - SMCC currently is shipping the components of Solaris 1.0 - SMCC will ship products contained in Solaris 2.0 as they become available - Several products in Solaris 2.0 will be available on SunOS 4.1.1 in CY91: -- Automated Security Enhancement Tool (ASET) -- OpenWindows Version 3, with DeskSet 3.0 and Tooltalk - SMCC will specifically tune Solaris software environment products for Sun hardware On September 4, SunSoft - Sun Microsystems Inc.'s system software subsidiary - introduced Solaris, SunSoft's system software environment. The announcement at the SunSoft Developer's conference in San Jose, CA, introduces two releases of Solaris: Solaris 1.0 and Solaris 2.0, as well as unbundled companion products for the Solaris environment. Solaris 1.0 is SunSoft's new name for SunOS 4.1.1, the system software SMCC is currently shipping. SunOS 4.1.1 contains ONC and is bundled with OpenWindows Version 2 (including Deskset 2.0). It has been shipping since November, 1990, and comes pre-installed on most SMCC Desktop SPARCstations. Solaris 1.0 (SunOS 4.1.1) complies with the SPARC Compliance Definition (SCD) 1.0. Solaris 2.0 is SunSoft's future system software environment, consisting of SunOS 5.0 (based on AT&T's System V Release 4 [SVR4]) with ONC and OpenWindows Version 3 (including Deskset 3.0). SunSoft is committed to insuring Solaris 2.0 complies with SCD 2.0 when that standard is finalizedvia press release, it intention to base its future system software releases on Solaris 2.0 technology. The Commercial Enhancements Package includes Account Resource Management (ARM), Online DiskSuite, and Backup Copilot; products that provide additional support for network security and system administration to supplement the Solaris system software. BACKGROUND ---------- On July 1, 1991, Sun Microsystems, Inc. formed four subsidiaries to better support and promote the benefits of its products. SunSoft is chartered with enhancing, marketing and selling Sun's system software environment to prove that this area provides healthy revenue and contributes to the growth of Sun Microsystems as a whole. SMCC's responsibility is to focus on Sun's SPARC platforms as well as hardware supplements (eg., peripherals and graphics). SMCC has the added challenge of integrating offerings from the other Sun subsidiaries into its product line and providing even better service and solutions than Sun Microsystems, Inc. offered before the reorganization. Sun Microsystems customers have, in effect, become SMCC customers. Sun Microsystems Computer Corporation (SMCC) customers do not buy Solaris products directly from SunSoft. Under the new corporate model, SMCC buys software technology from SunSoft, ports it to Sun platforms and makes it available to Sun customers through SMCC sales channels, including the direct sales force and resellers. Customers are thereby assured that all software is tuned for and tested on the Sun hardware they are buying. SMCC will also enhance the performance and/or functionality of SunSoft technology specifically for Sun platforms. Over the next year, Sun will incorporate Solaris 2.0 into its product line and transition to a system software environment based completely on SVR4. This transitiThe release of SunOS 5.0 by SMCC is the final phase of the SVR4 migration program. The four phases are as follows: Phase I Publication of the SunOS to SVR4 Compatibility and Migration Guide (December 1989) provides guidelines for developing SVR4-ready applications. Phase II Introduction of SunOS 4.1 (FCS April 1990), the bridge platform to SVR4, to enable development of SVR4 source compatible applications. Phase III Release of SunOS/SVR4 Development and Test Plaform (DTP), a port of SVR4 to three of Sun's platforms, SPARCstation 1, 1+, and IPC, all with GX, to provide early developer access to the SVR4 environment. Phase IV Availability of SunOS 5.0, Sun's SVR4 end user release, with OpenWindows Version 3 and ONC, scheduled for mid-1992. Developers have two paths for providing native SVR4 applications: - Application development on SunOS 4.1.1, using the System V libraries (as outlined in the Compatibility and Migration Guide), dynamically linking their applications and porting to OpenWindows. This path provides them with applications that work on SunOS 4.1.1 today and can be recompiled to work on SunOS 5.0. - Use the SunOS/SVR4 DTP to create native SVR4 applications that take advantage of SVR4 specific facilities. These applications will work on SunOS 5.0 without change. PRODUCT ROADMAP --------------- This product roadmap provides information on delivery by SMCC of products included in the SunSoft announcement. These include the components of Solaris 2.0, as well as products contained in its companion packages, the Commercial Enhancements Package and OpenWindows Developer's Guide 3.0. Building on today's SunOS 4.1.1 based Solaris platform, SMCC will introduce a SunOS 4.1.2 release that runs on all SMCC SPARC platforms and includes support for multiprocessing hardware. SunOS 4.1.2 includes ONC, comes bundled with OpenWindows Version 2 and is copackaged with OpenWindows Version 3. This product consolidates all SunOS 4.x releases and GFX patches and will be available on CD-ROM only. SunOS 4.1.2 will be announced in the next few weeks, with availability in Q4CY91. SunOS 5.0 with ONC and Automated Security Enhancement Tool (ASET), and bundled with OpenWindows Version 3 (with Deskset 3.0 and Tooltalk), called Solaris 2.0 by SunSoft, will be available to SMCC customers in mid 1992. ASET on SunOS 4.1.1, announced in July, 1991, begins shipping in September, 1991. OpenWindows Version 3, with DeskSet 3.0 and Tooltalk, will be released on SunOS 4.1.1 in Q4CY91; ordering and pricing information for this product will be available from SMCC in the near future. Graphics software customized for OpenWindows Version 3 will also be announced at that time. * SunOS 5.0 is a SPARC-only SVR4-based release with a multi-threaded kernel that provides support for symmetric multiprocessing and deterministic real-time scheduling capabilities * ASET enables administrators to easily increase a system's security level * ONC for SunOS 5.0 includes Network Information Service Plus (NIS+), which streamlines network and system administration and provides support for hierarchical naming, as well as NFS security and performance enhancements, to allow improved file, print and resource sharing over the network * OpenWindows Version 3 provides full support for our graphics hardware as well as support for multinational keyboards and enhanced printing capabilities * Deskset 3.0 includes mail with audio and raster image capabilities as well as drag-and-drop functionality for all 15 deskset applications * Tooltalk enables communication and information exchange between different applications through a multicast messaging system The Commercial Enhancements Package, also announced by SunSoft includes products that provide additional support for network security and system administration to supplement the Solaris system software. Note: these products are NOT JUST for commercial users; they are for all users: technical, government, university, etc., that need this type of functionality. The products contained in this package are Account Resource Management (ARM), Online DiskSuite, and Backup Copilot. These products will be available on SunOS 5.0 in mid CY92. ARM was announced on SunOS 4.1.1 in July and will FCS in September, 1991. Pricing and ordering instructions for Online DiskSuite and Backup Copilot on SunOS 4.1.1 will be announced by October, with product shipping at the end of 1991. * ARM is a set of administrative security features that enhance account protection and system administration * Online DiskSuite allows system administrators to improve file availability, conserve disk space and facilitate systems management. Features include disk mirroring, disk concatenation, disk striping, and online file system growth * Backup copilot software provides for safe and automatic online backup of all files across the network, reducing time and cost of backup, and contributing to system availability OpenWindows Developer's Guide 3.0, the user interface builder for developing OPEN LOOK applications, has been enhanced to fully support OpenWindows Version 3. Pricing and orderinthe Developer's Guide on SunOS 4.1.1 will be provided in the near future, with product shipping in Q4CY91. Notes: Applications written for SunOS 4.x are source compatible with Solaris 2.0 (SunOS 5.0) and often can simply be recompiled to work on SunOS 5.0. SunOS 5.0 also includes a Binary Compatibility Package (BCP) that enables most dynamically linked SunOS 4.x applications to run without change on SunOS 5.0. The BCP is a temporary transition tool that enables users to move to the SVR4 environment before all their applications are available for native use on SunOS 5.0. SunSoft has announced an Intel port in response to demand for Solaris 2.0 on the Intel platform. SMCC is committed to SPARC and will only sell products for SPARC platforms. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ For information send mail to info-sunflash@sunvice.East.Sun.COM. Subscription requests should be sent to sunflash-request@sunvice.East.Sun.COM. Archives are on solar.nova.edu and paris.cs.miami.edu. All prices, availability, and other statements relating to Sun or third party products are valid in the U.S. only. Please contact your local Sales Representative for details of pricing and product availability in your region. Descriptions of, or references to products or publications within SunFlash does not imply an endorsement of that product or publication by Sun Microsystems. John McLaughlin, SunFlash editor, flash@sunvice.East.Sun.COM. (305) 776-7770.