Friday, March 21, 2008

Runing Solaris SPARC software on x86-64

You can run Solaris SPARC software on Solaris x86-64 (and even Linux x64 and Itanium).

Here is Solaris 10 u4 x86-64 running Acrobat Reader 8.1.2 SPARC via Transitive QuickTransit Solaris/SPARC to Solaris/x86-64 cross-platform virtualization.



Install QuickTransit, start the daemon and run SPARC software. It's as easy as that.

# /etc/init.d/QuickTransit start
Starting /usr/sbin/cron
cron is already running

% uname -simpr
SunOS 5.10 i86pc i386 i86pc

% runsparc
ibmsolaris% uname -simpr
SunOS 5.10 sun4u sparc SUNW,Sun-Fire-V210



Some performance benchmarks using distributed.net Solaris SPARC and x86 clients:

Solaris SPARC emulation:
% runsparc ./dnetc -benchmark

distributed.net client for Solaris Copyright 1997-2004, distributed.net
RC5-72 SPARC assembly by Didier Levet and Andreas Beckmann
Please visit http://www.distributed.net/ for up-to-date contest information.


dnetc v2.9009-494-CTR-04081422 for Solaris.
Please provide the *entire* version descriptor when submitting bug reports.
The distributed.net bug report pages are at http://www.distributed.net/bugs/

[Mar 21 14:43:32 UTC] RC5-72: Running micro-bench to select fastest core...

[Mar 21 14:44:04 UTC] RC5-72: using core #5 (AnBe 2-pipe).
[Mar 21 14:44:23 UTC] RC5-72: Benchmark for core #5 (AnBe 2-pipe)
0.00:00:16.34 [1,484,758 keys/sec]
[Mar 21 14:44:43 UTC] OGR-P2: Benchmark for core #0 (GARSP 6.0)
0.00:00:16.86 [8,291,796 nodes/sec]


Solaris x86 native client:


% ./dnetc -benchmark

distributed.net client for Solaris Copyright 1997-2006, distributed.net
Please visit http://www.distributed.net/ for up-to-date contest information.


dnetc v2.9013-500-CTR-07070322 for Solaris.
Please provide the *entire* version descriptor when submitting bug reports.
The distributed.net bug report pages are at http://www.distributed.net/bugs/

[Mar 21 14:45:19 UTC] Automatic processor type detection found
an Intel Pentium 4 processor.
[Mar 21 14:45:19 UTC] RC5-72: using core #6 (GO 2-pipe).
[Mar 21 14:45:37 UTC] RC5-72: Benchmark for core #6 (GO 2-pipe)
0.00:00:16.33 [8,054,867 keys/sec]
[Mar 21 14:45:37 UTC] OGR-P2: using core #4 (GARSP 6.0-asm-rt1-mmx-amd).
[Mar 21 14:45:57 UTC] OGR-P2: Benchmark for core #4 (GARSP 6.0-asm-rt1-mmx-amd)
0.00:00:17.03 [28,523,204 nodes/sec]


So performance on my Intel(R) Pentium(R) 4 CPU 3.40GHz LGA775 is on par with a UltraSPARC running at 700Mhz or so. Still, that's pretty good.

The best part is, you can run SPARC-only software like this NX client:

5 comments:

  1. is there anywhere you can still get a copy or download Solaris x86-64 on the internet? would like to try and set this up as a virtual server but cannot find anything on solaris x86-64. can you help?

    ReplyDelete
  2. You can get a copy from Oracle. ATM that's probably something like:

    http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/server-storage/solaris10/downloads/index.html?ssSourceSiteId=ocomen

    ReplyDelete
  3. nah sorry not quite what im looking for. i am looking at setting up a virtual server on x86-64 architecture to be able to run Solaris Sparc specific software. i was wondering if you know of where i can get Transitive QuickTransit to make this possible like you have done.

    ReplyDelete
  4. QuickTransit is dead. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/QuickTransit

    Alternative: Virtutech Simmics (Windriver now) emulates SPARC and could run Solaris SPARC at some point.

    http://www.windriver.com/simics_sparc_offer/

    http://www.windriver.com/products/simics/ see link:
    "Need to Run SPARC Solaris Apps but Worried About Your Hardware?
    Wind River Simics SPARC Virtual Platform"

    Or get a SPARC for $200 on ebay or something :-)

    ReplyDelete
  5. Hi ,
    Sorry I know this is too late now !! , is there a way to get a copy of the transitive QuickTransit software for sparc/solaris ?

    I really need this .

    Thanks

    ReplyDelete