From: daemon@cs.tulane.edu ()
	id AA06585; Wed, 11 Nov 92 00: 01:33 PST
Subject: 47.16 SunFlash: S U N E R G Y: NEWSLETTER 6
Original-Message-Id: <9211110800.AA07673@sunvice.East.Sun.COM>
Nntp-Posting-Host-[nntpd-7840]: rex
Precedence: junk
Reply-To: <owner-sunflash@housun.Central.Sun.COM>
Organization: Computer Science Dept., Tulane Univ., New Orleans, LA
Errors-To: <owner-sunflash@housun.Central.Sun.COM>
Distribution: lou
Date: Wed, 11 Nov 1992 09:00:27 GMT
Return-Path: <owner-sunflash@housun.Central.sun.com>
Content-Length: 39012

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                        The Florida SunFlash

                      S U N E R G Y   E M A I L

SunFLASH Vol 47 #16					       November 1992 
----------------------------------------------------------------------------

                              NEWSLETTER 6
                             November, 1992

Distributed  by  the  Press   Relations,   Sun   Microsystems   Computer
Corporation,  A Sun Microsystems, Inc. Business;  all  rights  reserved.
Director  of PR: Kay Hart; Sunergy Manager:  Larry  Lettieri;   Managing
Editor:   Miyong   Byun.   Contact   the  Sunergy editors over email at:
sunergy_information@Sun.COM.

===========================================================================
=                          CONTENTS - ISSUE #6                            =
===========================================================================


ANNOUNCEMENTS          *1*  Upcoming Satellite Broadcast

		       *2*  Sunergy email Newsletters


TECHNICAL TOPICS       *3*  Security in the Solaris Environment
                            (White Paper)                      
                       
 		       *4*  "SunWorld" Magazine
                            "Multiprocessing in Transition"
                            

SIG NEWS               *5*  SunNet Manager Users Group


NEW PRODUCTS           *6*  SunExpress Announcement


UPCOMING EVENTS        *7*  Tradeshow Calendar


---------------------------------------------------------------------------
-                             ANNOUNCEMENTS                               -
---------------------------------------------------------------------------


***********************************
*1*  Upcoming Satellite Broadcast *
***********************************

Sunergy(SM) announces the next satellite broadcast:

"Object-Oriented Technologies" - A Live Interactive Satellite Broadcast

	When: December 2, 1992
	      9:00am - 10:15am PST*
	      *show may run over to 10:30 to accommodate Q&A
	
	Availability: 
	Sun(TM) customers in the U.S. and Canada with access to Ku and C  
        Band satellite receive sites.  Taped copies of the program 
        will also be made available after the show.
        	
	Technical Information: 
	Phone, FAX or email for satellite 
	coordinates and other technical information:
	
		Phone - Sunergy (415) 336-5847 
		Email - sunergy_information@Sun.COM
		FAX - Sunergy (415) 969-9131

    OVERVIEW:

    Object-oriented programming promises enhanced productivity,
    higher-quality software, and faster time-to-market for software 
    developers. These benefits are achieved through accelerated 
    application development cycles, reduced debugging requirements,
    and extensive reuse of code.  By modeling the actual 
    environments in which users are operating, object-oriented 
    technology systematically reduces the complexity of an 
    application being designed.
    
    The purpose of this broadcast is to inform developers and
    technically oriented users about the capabilities and market
    status of object-oriented software technologies, with an 
    emphasis on technologies that will be available from Sun.
    Participation from the viewing audience is strongly encouraged.

	Presenters:
	John Gage (Host) - Director of the Science Office, 
			   Sun Microsystems Computer Corporation
	Steve MacKay -  Vice President of User Environment Software,
			SunSoft
	Peter Deutsch - SunFellow, Sun Microsystems Laboratories, Inc.
	Arvind Deogirikir - Manager Market Development CASE/AI,
			    TIMD - Sun Microsystems Computer Corp.

A listing of important object-oriented documents, available free from
Sunergy, will also be presented.


*********************************
*2*   Sunergy email Newsletters *
*********************************

Sunergy Newsletters will now be distributed bimonthly to the international
Sun community in order to communicate better in a timely manner.  

Sunergy always welcome your comments/suggestions.


---------------------------------------------------------------------------
-                            TECHNICAL TOPICS                             -
---------------------------------------------------------------------------


*******************************************
*3*   Security in the Solaris Environment *
*******************************************

Security in the Solaris Environment

Howard I. Solomon
SunExpress, a Sun Microsystems, Inc. Business

Summary:

Security  safeguards  in  the  Solaris(R) environment  are stronger than
generally  acknowledged.   The  most  significant of these are the basic
responsibilities of each  individual  user.   A  system  superuser  must
administer  a  superset  of  these  responsibilities  to ensure a secure
operating environment.  A substantial suite  of  security  features  are
bundled directly into Solaris, although most of them  are not enabled in
the default configuration. They  include the  features  needed  to  meet
government  C2  security  requirements, as  well  as the Data Encryption
Standard (DES) for network-based authentication.  The Sun SHIELD product
family  includes  C2  security,  the  DES,  secure Remote Procedure Call
(RPC), Account Resource Management (ARM),  and  the  Automated  Security
Enhancement  Tool  (ASET), which together provide a set of tools  useful
for security needs in most environments.  For user  with strict security
requirements,  SunOS  CMW  provides  a labeled environment with secure X
windows among its major features.  Security is an important component of
the  Solaris  2.0  operating  environment as well.  In summary, Solaris-
based systems can be configured to be secure enough to meet the needs of
a wide variety of users.

If you would like a copy of this white paper, please contact the Sunergy
office.

*************************************
*4*   MULTIPROCESSING IN TRANSITION *
*************************************


MULTIPROCESSING IN TRANSITION
"How multithreading and multiprocessors will work hand-in-glove to
improve application performance."

By Gordon Spencer

(adapted from SunWorld(TM) Magazine, September 1992)

Computer  technologists  are  pushing  the  functional  performance   of
advanced  systems  forward  on  a variety of fronts, including increased
networking bandwidth, faster and higher-capacity  storage  systems,  and
faster  and  more-powerful  microprocessors.   Over  the  last year, and
continuing through 1993,  new  multiprocessing  technologies  also  will
emerge from labs and smaller market niches that will dramatically change
mainstream advanced systems for developers and users. Recent advances in
hardware   and   UNIX(R)   operating  environments  have  given  greater
prominence to multiprocessing in the SPARC(R) world, as well.

Multiprocessing Basics

Distributed and client-server computing, in which more than one computer
on  a  network  cooperates with  computing  tasks,  is  a  new  form  of
multiprocessing, often classified as "loosely  coupled."  For  instance,
C-Linda,   pioneered  at  Yale  and  commercialized  by  several  firms,
including Torque Systems (Palo Alto, CA), Cogent  (Beaverton,  OR),  VXM
(Boston, MA), and Scientific Computing Associates (New Haven, CT), makes
use of  spare  computing  cycles  in  a  network  of  conventional  UNIX
workstations  to  process  jobs  in  parallel. While several workstation
vendors are experimenting with Linda technology, IBM(R) (Armonk,  NY) is
said  to  be  using  C-Linda  extensively  for  its  RS/6000  clustering
strategy, although IBM has not announced a specific date for the release
of RS/6000 clusters.

Generally, though, multiprocessing refers to "tightly  coupled"  systems
in  which  two  or  more CPUs coexist and cooperate within one computer.
Distributed-memory  multiprocessing  systems  allocate  discrete  memory
resources to each processor in a system -- a design typical of massively
parallel systems,  such  as  those  from  nCube  (Foster  City,  CA)  or
Wavetracer (Acton, MA).

Tightly coupled, distributed-memory multiprocessing systems typically do
specialized  tasks,  such  as scientific visualization. Tightly coupled,
shared-memory multiprocessing systems, in which more than  one  CPU  has
access  to the same system memory, are better suited for general-purpose
computing.

Tightly  coupled,  shared-memory,  asymmetric   multiprocessing   (ASMP)
systems,  in  which a master CPU allocates tasks and system resources to
one or more slaves, have been available in the UNIX world for some time.
Easy   to   implement   except  for  specialized  systems  (see  sidebar
"Asymmetrical vs. Symmetrical," following), ASMP  typically  results  in
only  moderate  performance  gains,  due principally to I/O bottlenecks.
Symmetric multiprocessing (SMP) systems, in  which  all  the  processors
have  equal  access  to  the  kernel, memory, and I/O devices, generally
perform better than ASMP systems  but are harder to implement.  That  is
why multiprocessor workstation manufacturers generally have started with
ASMP systems  and are now moving to  SMP  implementations  (see  sidebar
"UNIX MP players," following).

Alone, general-purpose multiprocessing  hardware  improves  performance.
But   the   key  to  significant  improvements  to  performance  through
multiprocessing is refining the level of parallelism implemented in  the
operating  system,  its  major  subsystems, and in application software.
The ability to execute concurrently small segments of  operating  system
or  application  functions,  without  significantly increasing execution
overhead, provides greater performance and throughput.

Multithreading

UNIX operating systems  developers,  such  as  Sun,  UNIX  Systems  Labs
(Summit,  NJ),  and  UNIX International (Parsippany, NJ), as well as OSF
(Cambridge, MA) and its members, are  creating  multithreaded  operating
systems    and   tools  to  enable  developers  to  write  multithreaded
applications. Multithreading provides a coherent design to replace older
facilities  that  have  been  used  to  coerce   concurrency within UNIX
systems.

Unlike  monolithic  operating  systems,  such  as  VMS(R)  from  Digital
(Maynard,  MA),   UNIX  systems  have always pursued a modular computing
philosophy.  The system commands   *fork()*   and   *exec()*   implement
one  aspect  of modular  processing. A parent process "forks" a  copy of
itself  to  do a particular task. The duplicate  process,  or   "child,"
then    does   an  *exec()*,   to   assume   its   own   identity.   The
completed child process finally returns its results and control to   the
parent  process,  which continues on to the next processing module.

Modular processing  lets  developers  write  and  debug  small,  focused
code segments, rather than large, monolithic processes that live through
many different computational stages. Pipes, for example, rely upon  this
unique  UNIX  philosophy  for  their  functionality.  As multiprocessing
capabilities emerged, some developers began to use fork() as  a  way  to
spawn  simultaneously  executing  processes. Where a parent process does
not need to await the results of a child process, it  can  *fork()*  and
*exec()*   and   then   immediately   continue.   Asynchronous  I/O  and
asynchronous  RPCs  are  additional  examples  of   attempts   to   gain
concurrency  within  UNIX.  The  problem  with  these mechanisms is they
carry, comparatively, much overhead and reduce the  benefits  of  adding
parallelism.

Kernel threads

UNIX computing is divided  between  user  processes  and  the  operating
system  kernel. Each user process has its own virtual address space. The
kernel manages virtual memory, device-independent  I/O,  and  scheduling
for  the user processes. User processes access needed OS kernel services
through system library calls.

A traditional UNIX process has a single control "thread" --  the  series
of  instructions, or flow of execution, within a program. A thread has a
program counter  and a stack to keep track of local variables and return
addresses.

Multithreaded systems  let  processes  have  more  than  one  thread  of
control.  Threads  may  execute  independently  but  share  the  process
instructions, most process data, and most of the operating system  state
information  for  the  process.  In  a  multiprocessor  system, a single
process can be executed concurrently on more than one processor, without
duplication   and   management  of  the  full  overhead  of  a  process.
Multithreading is  included  in  the  latest  UNIX  kernel  (SVR4),  and
consequently   in  SunSoft(TM)'s  Solaris  2.0.  All the major operating
subsystems, such  as  system  calls,  file  systems,  and  Streams,  are
parallelized also.

A multithreaded kernel  executes  more  efficiently  than  its  unifilar
counterparts  and  provides a foundation for multithreaded applications.
Explicitly modifying the  application  layer  for  multiprocessing  will
enhance performance.

User threads

"Pthreads" (user-level threads) is a  programming  interface  that  lets
developers explicitly build greater parallelism into their applications.
For  example,  a  database  may  be  restructured  to  have  many   user
interactions,  file,  and  network operations simultaneously active with
separate  threads.  The  windowing  system  could   interact   with   an
application's  GUI, using a separate thread for each widget.  The "P" in
Pthreads may  stand  for  Posix,  process,  programmer,  or  nothing  --
opinions  vary. Despite the jargon, the Pthreads library lets developers
build multithread applications by explicitly creating  and  manipulating
threads  within   a  process. Thread interface functions let a developer
create and exit from a thread; set thread  ID,  concurrency,   priority,
and   suspend   and  restart  a  thread;  and  to manage synchronization
variables and locks.  Splitting  a   process   into   multiple   threads
places    additional  responsibility   on developers.   Because  threads
share  so  much process-state information, they can  affect  each  other
in    surprising   ways.   For   example,  because  threads  share  file
descriptors, if a thread closes a file it is closed for all threads. One
thread   can   change   the  seek   position  of  a  drive  head  before
another  thread  does  a  read  or  write.   Multiple    threads     may
manipulate   shared   address   space simultaneously.

Pthread implementations are shipping  in  the  OSF  world  and  are   in
early-access  "stage two" to UI members. While SunSoft will not comment,
compiler vendors, including SunPro(TM), are also  known to be working on
supporting  technology  for  Sun's  Pthread  library.  The Posix Pthread
1003.4a draft standard is now at level six. The most optimistic estimate
for  the  completion  of the standard is six months, with most estimates
for  one  year.  While  some  ambiguities  in  the   draft   may   cause
incompatibilities  between  OSF  and  Sun's Pthread implementations, and
future clarifications may dictate changes, Sun  and  OSF  say  the  core
issues  are  well  understood  and  stable.   For  kernel developers who
considered the OPEN LOOK(R) vs. Motif  battle  simply cosmetic, and were
disappointed  that no blood will be shed over ONC(TM) vs. DCE, get ready
for single-level vs. dual-level thread models.  SunSoft engineers  argue
they  have   significantly  advanced the efficiency of multithreading by
placing "lightweight" processes (LWP) as an interface between  a  thread
and   the kernel  (a  dual-level  model).  OSF  engineers claim they and
the Posix draft standard consider LWPs  and  threads  to  be  the   same
thing   (a  single-level   model).  SunSoft  said the Posix committee is
impressed with its dual-level  model  and  many  are  convinced  of  its
superiority.

LWP in this context has nothing to do  with  what  Sun  developers  have
known  as  the  LWP library -- old name, completely new meaning. The LWP
library was a set of services a process could use, but lacked underlying
concurrency,  and  it  executed  with no knowledge of the kernel. LWP in
this new context is the thread interface to the kernel, not an  exported
interface   to   which  a  developer  can  write.   Because  application
developers do not code to LWPs but to the Pthreads interface, this might
be  engineering  trivia except for the fact that SunSoft engineers argue
their  dual-level  model  produces  a  far  smaller  demand  for  kernel
resources,  and  thus  much  lower  program overhead.  In a single-level
model, they say, every time a thread is created, the kernel knows  about
it  and must manage its context and state information. The more threads,
the more kernel resources are used.  Since  only  2  to  10  percent  of
threads  actively  require kernel resources at any given moment, SunSoft
engineers reason, much overhead is created by threads that  are  blocked
or waiting to execute.

In the SunSoft dual-level model, threads are not known directly  by  the
kernel   but  use  LWPs  to gain kernel resources. Developers don't have
to worry about creating too many threads  because  each   is   just   an
address  sitting  in  virtual memory, unknown to the kernel, until it is
ready to run, when an LWP then binds to the  thread  to  provide  kernel
access.

SunSoft and USL both confirm that SunSoft is the source of the  Pthreads
used   in   SVR4  ES/MP,  so  this  model,  if  valid  and  significant,
distinguishes the OSF and UI  worlds.  Mercifully  for  developers,  the
Pthreads  interface  is  the  same in either case. Any incompatibilities
that may exist should be  eliminated  as  the  Pthreads  draft  advances
through the standards process.

Applications and Benefits

Workstations or servers reap tremendous benefits  from  multiprocessing,
right  out  of  the box. But the nature of those benefits will change as
Solaris 2.0 and OSF 1.1 finally arrive at customer sites. It will change
even  more  when  software vendors have had time to understand  Pthreads
and begin to  release  a  new  generation  of  explicitly  multithreaded
applications.

There is an important distinction to be  made  between  performance  and
throughput.  Generally, until applications are modified, the performance
of any given  process  will  not  be  better  on  a multiprocessor vs. a
uniprocessor  system. Throughput, however, should be much better because
many  applications would run concurrently.     A    single  application,
for example, running alone on a multiprocessor system, will benefit from
the improved efficiency of  the  multithreaded  kernel  and parallelized
subsystems.  Whenever  the  application forks another process, the child
can be managed by a separate processor and run concurrently.

Multithreading  applications,  when  Pthreads  are  in  the   hands   of
developers  who  have the tools, should dramatically improve application
performance  on  multiprocessor  systems,  and  offer  some  benefit  on
uniprocessor workstations.

A multithread GUI is a good example. The elements  in  an  application's
GUI  can  be threaded separately, so that if a button starts an activity
that requires several seconds, control can be  immediately  released  to
another  GUI  element,  rather  than blocking activity until the button-
invoked action is complete. Because the amount of overhead maintained to
swap  out a thread is so much less than that for a process, running such
an application even on a single-processor workstation  would  provide  a
net gain in performance.

Multiprocessing Prospects

Owners  of  Sun's  600MP  SPARCservers(TM)   and   prospective    buyers
of  SPARCstation(TM) 10s will   need   to navigate carefully through the
Solaris operating  system  transition.  Solaris  1.0.1  (with  SunOS(TM)
4.1.2)   does   not support  SMP  for the 600MP and does not support the
new SuperSPARC chip from TI.

The multiprocessing support of Solaris 2.0  (with  SunOS  5.0)  probably
will  lag  three  to  six  months  behind the release of Solaris 2.0 for
single-processor systems. SMCC has officially  announced  it  will  ship
Solaris  1.1  (with  SunOS  4.1.3)  in  August  1992  for  the 600MP and
SPARCstation/server 10 line. The Solaris 1.1 upgrade has  multiprocessor
support  for  the  current Cypress SPARC chip and will work with single-
processor configurations  that  contain  the  new  TI  SuperSPARC  chip.
Solaris  2.0,  with  full  SMP, most likely will be shipped by SMCC late
this year or early in 1993. Solbourne estimates it will have SMP Solaris
2.0 available in the first quarter of 1993.

While the production version of Solaris 2.0 with SMP is making  its  way
to market, key software vendors and some particularly important customer
sites may begin to see early-access versions of Solaris  with  SunSoft's
Pthreads package. Sun would not confirm this. Nor would Sun suggest what
"son of Solaris 2.0" will be called.

Pthreads support will require more than simply  adding  a  library  that
lets developers create threads, synchronization primitives, mutex locks,
and so on. All the familiar C libraries, from libc, to sockets  and  I/O
calls  have  to  be  replaced with versions that are reentrant.  SunSoft
engineers have suggested that creating these new libraries is  far  more
work  than  writing  the  threads  package. Rather than simply inserting
locks into the libraries to keep independent threads  from  stepping  on
something,  SunSoft  said  it  was  taking  the  opportunity  to rewrite
routines to enhance their utility in multithreaded applications.

An example is in RPC. SunSoft said  they   could   make   it   "MT-safe"
simply  by   requiring   that  only one thread can call the library at a
time.  By redesigning RPC routines, however, they made it  "MT-hot"   --
threads can concurrently make remote procedure calls on the network.

Think Parallel

Multiprocessing technology has advanced to the  level  where  mainstream
application developers will soon need to master effective parallelism in
applications. Many will find this difficult. While  parallel  constructs
are  not  new, the tools and the methods are.  A "thread-aware" debugger
will  be  an  essential  tool  for  developers.  For   a   multithreaded
application,  if  you  set  a  break  or  watch point with a traditional
debugger, parallel code will continue running, providing little  helpful
information.  According  to USL, a thread-aware debugger called DWARF is
shipping with the early access SVR4 ES/MP. SunPro has  pledged  it  will
provide a thread-aware debugger when Sun is ready to release Pthreads.

Compiler  designs  also  need  to  be  enhanced  to  make  the  job   of
parallelizing an application easier. Current tools for creating parallel
C programs on Suns are a heartfelt pat on  the  back  --  there  are  no
tools,  yet.  SunPro  and  other  compiler vendors will be attempting to
match or exceed the  capabilities  provided  by  Silicon  Graphics, Inc.
(Mountain  View,  CA).  Since  SGI  has been shipping SMP for years with
user-visible threads, the company has  C  compilers  that  automatically
attempt  to  identify  code segments that can be parallelized. They also
accept developer directives to make code segments parallel.   Directives
are  statements,  manually  added  to  the  source  file, which tell the
compiler a particular chunk of  code  follows  all  the  rules,  is  not
dependent  on  other program elements, and should be parallelized by the
compiler. Directives eliminate the need for compilers to make inherently
difficult  decisions  about  what  can and cannot be made parallel. With
directives, the compiler simply accepts the judgment  of  the  developer
and  treats the code segments as truly independent.  Current technology,
attempting to automatically  detect  code  segments  that  can  be  made
parallel,    produces    extremely   conservative   choices.    Advanced
parallelizing C  compilers  are  not  on  the  immediate  horizon.   The
mechanics of how for creating parallelism in applications is much better
understood than is the skill of intuitively recognizing what should  and
should not be parallelized.

[Gordon Spencer is a writer and consultant based in Chicago, IL. He  can
be reached at gspencer@sunworld.com.]

Sidebar 1:

Asymmetrical vs. Symmetrical

The primary distinction between ASMP and SMP is whether  each  processor
is equally capable. In a typical asymmetric system, one processor is the
master CPU. It runs the operating system  kernel,  accesses  disks,  and
distributes  tasks  among  the other, slave processors. ASMP designs let
several computing tasks run in parallel on the  various  processors,  as
assigned by the master CPU.

Auspex Systems manufactures a multiprocessing server  that  attempts  to
exploit  fully ASMP architecture by incorporating hardware subsystems to
satisfy discrete computing  tasks.  Its  multiprocessor  systems,  which
contain  up to 96 megabytes of I/O cache memory, are Network File System
(NFS(R) servers. Auspex's latest ASMP design has a  SPARC or Motorola(R)
CPU  that   runs   the   UNIX   kernel,   and   one to four 40-MHz 68030
processors dedicated  to  Ethernet  tasks,  one  or  two  40-MHz   68030
processors  dedicated  to file processing, and one to three 20-MHz 68020
processors, each with  1  megabyte  of  write-cache  memory,   dedicated
to  storage processing.

Although easier to implement,  general-purpose  ASMP  designs  typically
result  in  only  moderate  performance  gains,  because when performing
general computing work, especially I/O intensive tasks, the ASMP  master
CPU  can become bogged down with its management tasks and let slave CPUs
sit idle.

SMP overcomes the limitations of general-purpose  asymmetric  processing
by  giving  all  processors  equal access to the kernel, memory, and I/O
devices. A fully symmetric system  can  execute  any  function,  on  any
processor,  at  any time. Except for companies manufacturing specialized
systems such as Auspex's NFS  server,  most  firms   that   have   built
ASMP  computers   have   treated   them   as  intermediate  steps toward
achieving symmetric multiprocessing.

Sidebar 2:

Unix MP Players

Shared-memory multiprocessing technology is not new. By the late  1980s,
several vendors where shipping MP hardware. The 3090 mainframe from IBM,
VAX(R) 6000 systems from Digital, and systems  from  Sequent   Computers
have  multiple  processors and have been commercially available for some
time.

In the workstation world, Silicon Graphics, Inc.  has  been  shipping  a
multithreaded,  symmetric  multiprocessing  (SMP)  system,  with a user-
visible threads library package, since late 1988. Solbourne Computer has
shipped  a SPARC-based multiprocessor system for several years, first as
an asymmetric multiprocessor system (ASMP) and then, for over a year, as
an  SMP implementation of SunOS 4.1.x. ICL and Twinhead recently shipped
SPARC-based SMP-capable systems.  When Sun Microsystems  Computer  Corp.
announced  its  line  of  multiprocessing  servers in the latter half of
1991, it became clear to many analysts and users that it would still  be
some  time  before the requisite multiprocessing-enabling software would
be in place to tap its full capabilities:

The  600MP  SPARCservers   are   SMP-ready    but   currently   function
asymmetrically  because  SMCC's SMP-enabling software in Solaris 2.0 has
yet to be released. The recently  announced  and  soon  to  be  shipping
SPARCstation  10  also  may be hampered by these circumstances.  In 1990
the  Open  Systems  Foundation  released  the  OSF/1  operating   system
containing SMP with a multithreaded kernel, with an early implementation
of Pthreads, or user-visible threads. OSF/1 1.1, announced in late June,
updated  Pthreads  to the evolving Posix 1003.4a draft standard. Digital
has  shipped  a  full  implementation  of  OSF/1  for   its   Mips-based
workstations.  IBM  has an OSF/1-based AIX for its mainframe but not for
its RS/6000 workstations. Hewlett-Packard appears ready to incorporate a
portion of OSF/1, but not the multithreaded SMP kernel.

UNIX International and USL, with SVR4 MP, began shipping a multithreaded
SMP  operating  system in 1991. It is with this base that Sun has merged
to produce SunOS 5.0, which is bundled with the Open  Network  Computing
(ONC)   environment,   the   OpenWindows(TM)   GUI,  and DeskSet(TM) 3.0
productivity toolset under the Solaris 2.0 label.  USL has  provided  UI
members   with  an   early-access  version  of  SVR4  ES/MP,  and UI has
released it to member companies. ES/MP is  the  follow-on   version   to
SVR4   MP,   and  includes Pthreads technology developed by SunSoft. The
first early access release of ES/MP was December 1991,  the  second  was
June 1992, and the  third  is slated  for  December.  The  final release
is targeted for the middle of 1993.

Copyright 1992 SunWorld Magazine; distributed with permission.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
-                               SIG NEWS                                  -
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

*********************************
*5*  SunNet Manager Users Group *
*********************************

>From Phil Little
0005444900@mcimail.com

First National SunNet(TM) Manager Users Group Formed

CONTACT:  Regina Freeman/Philip Little	
          The Bohle Company	
          (310) 785-0515


TORRANCE, Calif. --  The  first  national  SunNet  Manager  Users  Group
(SnMUG)  has been formed.  The Users Group is a forum for SunNet Manager
users and application developers to exchange advice  and  ideas  on  all
aspects  of  using  the  SunNet Manager platform.  SnMUG's first meeting
took place during the INTEROP '92 FALL tradeshow at  Moscone  Center  in
San Francisco.

DeskTalk Systems, Inc., a leading network  systems  integrator,  founded
the  group,  which  is  open to all SunNet Manager users and application
developers.  DeskTalk envisions that the group will:

	Present real-world usage of SunNet Manager and associated
	applications;

	Exchange information, such as product reviews and tips for
	better network management through SunNet Manager; and

	Band together to suggest enhancements and future product
	features to the SunNet Manager platform and to third-party
	applications.

For more information about SunNet Manager Users Group, call (310)
323-5998 ext. 510 or via Internet at SnMUG@desktalk.com.


---------------------------------------------------------------------------
-                              NEW PRODUCTS                               -
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

******************************
*6*  SunExpress Announcement *
******************************

Check your mailbox!  These new, value-packed promotions feature Sun  and
third-party  products at  everyday low SunExpress(TM)  prices, with fast
ordering and delivery in 5 days or less.  If you haven't received any of
the  mailings  by November 20th and would like to, call SunExpress toll-
free at 800-USE-SUNX (800-873-7869). We're open weekdays from 9am to 8pm
ET  to  help  you choose the right products for your SPARC, Solaris, and
UNIX environment.


SELF-PACED EDUCATION CATALOG
	
A  new  mini-catalog  featuring  Sun  Educational  Services   self-paced
training  products such as SunTutor, Object Oriented Programming in C++,
the Fundamentals of SunOS -- more than 25 courses and books  that   give
you comprehensive, cost-efficient training whenever you need it.  And if
you order by December 31, 1992, you'll  save  10%  off  your  self-study
courses  --   no  matter  how  many  courses  you buy! This promotion is
available exclusively through SunExpress.


NEW PRODUCTS SAMPLER

If we put all of our our new  products  in  this  piece,  we'd  have  to
deliver  it  with  a forklift.  Luckily for you and your postal carrier,
this is a small sampler of the exciting new products we've  added  since
our last catalog.  You'll find Sun and third party products like the new
color-display SPARCbook  TFT,  Wyse  terminals,  multimedia,  great  new
software,  storage,  PC and enterprise connectivity, the NeWSprinter 20,
and more good stuff.  And, we're going to give you all  the  excuses  in
the  world  to  order  from SunExpress.  When you order by 12/25/92, and
mention this mailer's code number, we'll send you  a  free  gift  (while
supplies last). Promotion available exclusively through SunExpress.


SPARCbook TFT

The newest addition to the  SPARCbook  1  product  line,  SPARCbook  TFT
features  a  new  screen technology -- the color active matrix Thin Film
Technology LCD.  Now you can get image  clarity  comparable  to  desktop
displays even under the harshest lighting conditions.  The SPARCbook TFT
also features workstation-class hard disk capacity --  up  to  350MB  of
internal formatted disk space.


ShowMe from SunSolutions

ShowMe, the  intuitive  conference  tool  from  SunSolutions(TM),  is  a
powerful  yet   easy-to-use  shared   whiteboard  application.  In fact,
ShowMe may be the easiest  to  use  SPARC  application  you  have  every
encountered.    With user  friendly  annotation  tools   and  continuous
window-view of each conference participant's actions, after only  a  few
minute    orientation,  you   will   be   able   to  lead  an  effective
interactive ShowMe conference.  Call 800-USE-SUNX for  more  information
or a free demo disk.


SunPC 

SunPC(TM) from SunSelect(TM) serves up PC applications on   your   SPARC
workstation.   SunPC  runs thousands  of programs through your OPEN LOOK
menu.   Run MS-DOS(R) and Microsoft(R)  Windows   applications  on  your
SPARC  workstations;   share   information   with   other  users  -- and
satisfy your appetite for computing power with an accelerator option for
16MHz  486  or 25MHz  486DX  PCs.    And for super-fast gratification --
and competitive prices -- order SunPC through SunExpress.


Take advantage of these valuable, limited-time offers.  If  you  haven't
received  information  in  your mail by November 20th and would like to,
call 800-USE-SUNX.  And get the best product and service under the Sun.

If you have suggestions for new products, we want to hear from you.   
E-mail your comments to Sunexpress@sun.com.



---------------------------------------------------------------------------
-                            UPCOMING EVENTS                              -
---------------------------------------------------------------------------


**************************
*7*  Tradeshow Calendar  *
**************************

Although Sun does not participate in all  of  the  following  shows,  we
present this comprehensive list of computer industry tradeshows for your
planning purposes.  If you know of other shows or events that  would  be
of  interest to our readers, please send your suggestions to the Sunergy
staff (see the top banner of this newsletter for an email address).

SHOW DATES (92)         SHOW NAME               LOCATION

November 10-12          AUTOFACT                Detroit, MI
November 11-13          UNIFORUM                Stockholm, Sweden
November 16-20          COMDEX                  Las Vegas, NV
November 16-17          SUNWORLD EXPO/EUUG      Wiesbaden, Germany
November 25-27		EUROPEN/UNIFORUM	Utrecht, Netherlands
December 9-11           UNIX FAIR '92           Tokyo, Japan


**************************************************************************
If you'd like to join Sunergy, simply fill out and return  the  attached 
sign-up form.
--------------------------------cut here----------------------------------


                        *****SUNERGY SIGN-UP FORM*****        


   NAME:__________________________________________________________         

  Title:__________________________________________________________   
  
COMPANY:__________________________________________________________     

ADDRESS:__________________________________________________________     

        __________________________________________________________      

   CITY:__________________ STATE:_______ ZIP/POSTAL CODE__________    

COUNTRY:___________________________      
            
  PHONE:___________________________  FAX:_________________________        

 E-MAIL:___________________________  

                           RETURN COMPLETED FORM TO:  
            
                     Sun Microsystems Computer Corporation   
                          Attn: Sunergy Support Center  
                        2550 Garcia Avenue, M/S PAL1-505 
                          Mountain View, CA 94043-1100  
                          sunergy_information@Sun.COM
                                  415/336-5847

========================================================================
c  1992 Sun Microsystems, Inc. Sun, Sun Microsystems, Solaris,  SunSoft,
SunOS,   SunWorld,   SunPro,   SunExpress,   SunNet,  SunPC,  SunSelect,
SunSolutions, DeskSet, NFS,  ONC,  and  OpenWindows  are  trademarks  or
registered  trademarks  of  Sun Microsystems, Inc.  Sunergy is a service
trademark of Sun Microsystems, Inc.   All  SPARC  trademarks,  including
the SCD Compliant logo, are trademarks or registered trademarks of SPARC
International,  Inc.   SPARCstation  is  licensed  exclusively  to   Sun
Microsystems,  Inc.  Products bearing SPARC trademarks are based upon an
architecture developed by Sun Microsystems, Inc.   UNIX  and  OPEN  LOOK
are  registered  trademarks of UNIX System Laboratories, Inc.   IBM is a
registered trademark of  International  Business  Machines  Corporation.
VMS  and VAX are registered trademarks of Digital Equipment Corporation.
Motorola is a registered trademark of Motorola, Inc.  Microsoft and  MS-
DOS  are  registered  trademarks  of  Microsoft Corporation.   All other
product or service  names  mentioned  herein  are  trademarks  of  their
respective owners.


++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
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, paris.cs.miami.edu, uunet.uu.net,
src.doc.ic.ac.uk and ftp.adelaide.edu.au

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.

TRACE: To: sunflash@housun.Central Errors-to: owner-sunflash@housun.Central.sun.com
Newsgroups: lou.sun