Introduction - Sun Microsystems Sun Fire 6800 Administration Manual

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C H A P T E R

Introduction

This chapter presents an introduction of features for the family of mid-range
servers-the Sun Fire
"Domains" on page 2
"System Components" on page 3
"Partitions" on page 3
"System Controller" on page 8
"Redundant Components and Minimum Configurations" on page 13
"Reliability, Availability, and Serviceability (RAS)" on page 20
"Sun Management Center Software for the Sun Fire 6800/4810/4800/3800
Systems Software" on page 25
"FrameManager" on page 25
The term platform, as used in this book, refers to the collection of resources such as
power supplies, the centerplane, and fans that are not for the exclusive use of a
domain.
A partition is a group of Repeater boards that are used together to provide
communication between CPU/Memory boards and I/O assemblies in the same
domain.
A domain runs its own instance of the Solaris operating environment and is
independent of other domains. Each domain has its own CPUs, memory, and I/O
assemblies. Hardware resources including fans and power supplies are shared
among domains, as necessary for proper operation.
The system controller is an embedded system on a board that connects into the
centerplane of these mid-range systems. You access the system controller using
either serial or Ethernet connections. It is the focal point for platform and domain
configuration and management and is used to connect to the domain consoles.
The system controller configures and monitors the other hardware in the system and
provides a command line interface that enables you to perform tasks needed to
configure the platform and each domain, plus many other functions. The system
controller also provides monitoring and configuration capability with SNMP for use
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6800/4810/4800/3800 systems. This chapter describes:
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