Oct, 2001 : Sun Streamlines Server Appliance Management

📅 October 10, 2001 - Sun Microsystems, Inc. (sun.com) introduced yesterday theSun Cobalt Control Station, a flexible tool that helps maximize resource useby streamlining the management of hundreds of server appliances while easingthe provisioning of new services.

Coupled with Sun Cobalt RaQ and Qube server appliances, the Control Stationallows service providers to marshal their resources more effectively,thereby helping to enabling them to expand their service offerings andcost-effectively manage critical server appliances across the enterprise.
"The Control Station augments the Sun Cobalt server appliance line, echoingthe exceptional ease-of-use, flexibility, and reliability of our currentsolutions and introducing extensive capabilities that ease and simplify boththe day-to-day management of existing systems and the implementation of newservices," said Peder Ulander, director of marketing, Sun Microsystems. TheControl Station virtually eliminates the traditionally time-consuming tasksof upgrading and patching server appliances individually by allowingadministrators to control hundreds of server appliances from a singlelocation.
Sun says the Control Station both simplifies the volume deployment ofsoftware packages as well as allows service providers to offer uniquepayloads, data, or software services, thereby enabling organizations togenerate revenue by providing customized and tailor-made service offeringsto downstream and end-user customers.
"Customers rely on our company to keep our servers updated and running atall times," said Lee Berk, product manager, Managed Internet Services, forComcast Business Communications. "Managing the Sun Cobalt server applianceswith the Control Station allows us to maintain our large customer base,consistently providing them with the high quality of service they demand."
Administrators are notified of system alerts and metrics that allow them toeasily monitor the health and performance of systems of their managedappliances. Health monitoring capabilities are designed to allowadministrators to monitor customized services by providing a way to monitorcustom software payloads on managed appliances. Thus providing higherservice levels, while better managing their operational costs.
"The Control Station's most valuable feature for ASPRE is the aggregatedmanagement to deliver software in bulk to appliances," said Alan Rihm,president and CEO of ASPRE. "Combined with our SPx application, we are ableto sell online, instantly deliver, and manage hundreds of Sun Cobalt RaQservers. Instead of logging on to each server, we can easily manage allappliances, either in groups or individually, from a single graphicalinterface, which significantly decreases time and monetary resources,lowering the total cost of operation."
Designed to ensure maximum extensibility as well as leverage existinginvestments, Sun Cobalt will offer a Software Development Kit for theControl Station. The SDK will allow customers, integrators, and partners toincorporate their own utilities into the module architecture and build theirown control modules. These customization capabilities enable organizationsto continue using their own proprietary utilities while using the ControlStation to perform daily operations, thereby increasing overall efficiencywhile preserving proven practices and procedures.
The Sun Cobalt Control Station will be available through Sun existingworldwide sales channels on Nov. 20. U.S. list price is $4,999, depending onconfiguration options. The Sun Cobalt solutions are delivered through aglobal network of distributors, value-added resellers, and Internet serviceproviders.