Installing Sun Fire 880 FC-AL Backplane Firmware

A backup image of the Sun Fire 880 FC-AL backplane firmware is provided on the Computer Systems Supplement CD for your specific Solaris release. In the unlikely event that the firmware on a Sun Fire 880 FC-AL backplane becomes corrupted, you can use the backup image to flash update the backplane with its original firmware. The flash update procedure is performed with the Solaris luxadm utility and is described below.

Before you can flash update the backplane, the firmware image must be copied from the Supplement CD to the Sun Fire 880 system disk. If you use Solaris Web Start to install the Supplement CD software, the Sun Fire 880 FC-AL Backplane Firmware is not included in the default installation. To install the backup firmware on the system disk, choose the Custom Install option and select the Sun Fire 880 FC-AL Backplane Firmware. For more information, see “Installing Supplement CD Software” in the Solaris on Sun Hardware Platform Guide.

Note The latest version of the backplane firmware is always available on the SunSolve Online web site at sunsolve.sun.com. Whenever possible, you should download and install the firmware from the SunSolve site instead of the Supplement CD. The firmware on the Supplement CD is provided for emergency situations only, when it is not possible to access the SunSolve site. Depending on the specific Solaris release, the Supplement CD firmware may be older than the firmware available from SunSolve. To install the firmware from the SunSolve web site, see the instructions in the README file provided with the firmware image.

Whether installed from the Supplement CD or downloaded from the SunSolve web site, the firmware image is installed in the following default location on the

Sun Fire 880 system disk:

/usr/platform/SUNW,Sun-Fire-880/lib/images/int_fcbpl_fw

Once the image is installed in this location, perform the flash update procedure as follows.

8 Sun Fire 880 Server Product Notes • December 2001

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Sun Microsystems manual Installing Sun Fire 880 FC-AL Backplane Firmware

880 specifications

The Sun Microsystems 880 is a prominent series of workstations and servers that played a significant role in the computing landscape during the late 1980s and early 1990s. It was known for its innovative technologies and robust performance, making it a favored choice for both developers and enterprises. The 880 series was powered by the SPARC (Scalable Processor ARChitecture) architecture developed by Sun, which provided enhanced speed and efficiency.

One of the standout features of the Sun 880 was its multiprocessing capability, allowing multiple processors to work simultaneously. This capability ensured high performance for demanding tasks, making it ideal for applications in scientific research, graphics, and large databases. The architecture supported a wide range of operating systems, with SunOS being the most notable, providing a stable and powerful environment for users.

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In terms of connectivity, the Sun 880 featured a variety of ports and interfaces, enabling integration with various peripheral devices. This made it possible to connect printers, scanners, and other essential tools, facilitating seamless operation in office environments.

The Sun 880's impressive combination of processing power, expandability, and superior memory management made it a cornerstone in the evolution of workstations and servers during its time. As technology progressed, the Sun 880 helped pave the way for subsequent generations of computing systems, leaving a lasting legacy in the realm of high-performance computing. The architecture and design principles laid down by the Sun 880 continue to influence modern computing technologies today.