Platforms

C H A P T E R 2

Platforms

This chapter describes the hardware platforms, operating systems, and graphics accelerators that support the Sun Shared Visualization 1.1 software. Topics include:

Supported Platforms

Platform Details

Supported Platforms

Server Platforms

TABLE 2-1 describes the server platforms supported by the Sun Shared Visualization 1.1 software.

TABLE 2-1 Supported Server Platforms
Processor Architecture	Operating System	OS Releases
UltraSPARC®	Solaris OS	Solaris 8 and later
x86	Solaris OS	Solaris 10
x86	Linux	Red Hat Enterprise Linux 3, 4, and 5; SuSE 9 and 10

To use the optional Advance Reservation facility, the server (or client) requires a Java trademark Runtime Environment (JRE). The earliest version to support Advance Reservation is JRE 1.5 (known as Java 5).

Server Graphics Accelerators

TABLE 2-2 describes the graphics accelerators supported by the Sun Shared Visualization 1.1 software, for respective processor architectures.

TABLE 2-2 Server Graphics Accelerators
Processor Architecture	Graphics Accelerators	Comments
UltraSPARC	XVR-2500 XVR-1200 XVR-600	Suitable for stereographic display Not suitable for stereographic display Not suitable for stereographic display
x86	NVidia Quadro series NVidia Quadro Plex series

The Sun Shared Visualization 1.1 software also supports Chromium clusters, when the Chromium Head Node is configured like a graphics server.

Client Platforms

TABLE 2-3 describes the client platforms supported by the Sun Shared Visualization 1.1 software.

TABLE 2-3 Supported Client Platforms
Processor Architecture	Minimum CPU Clock Speed	Operating System	OS Releases
UltraSPARC	900MHz	Solaris OS	Solaris 8 and later
x86	1.0 GHz	Solaris OS	Solaris 10
x86	1.0 GHz	Linux	Red Hat Enterprise Linux 3, 4, and 5; SuSE 9 and 10
x86	1.0 GHz	Windows	Windows XP or Vista. VGL Image Transport requires Exceed 2006 or later, or Exceed 3D for stereographic display support.
x86-based Macintosh	1.0 GHz	Mac OS X	Mac OS X 10.4 (Tiger) and 10.5 (Leopard)

Minimally, the client must:

Support 24- or 32-bit pixel true color display

For stereographic display support or to use transparent overlays, the client must also have a high-end 3D graphics accelerator installed.

Note - If you are using a 3D graphics accelerator, install the vendor’s current OpenGL^® library and drivers for that 3D accelerator.

Platform Details

This section explains the supported platforms in depth.

SPARC Platforms

These servers and clients use an UltraSPARC processor, running in either 32-bit or 64-bit mode. All SPARC platforms can use the Solaris 10, 9, or 8 Operating System. SPARC graphics servers use the XVR-2500, XVR-1200, or XVR-600 graphics accelerators.

Appropriate software and patches particular for the respective graphics accelerators must be applied. TABLE 2-4 lists those patches for the graphics accelerators.

TABLE 2-4 SPARC Platform Software and Patches Respective to Graphics Accelerators
	Patches or Software for OS
Graphics Accelerator	Solaris 10 OS	Solaris 9 OS	Solaris 8 OS
XVR-2500	120928	120927	N/A
XVR-1200	118708	114555	114554
XVR-600	118708	114555	114554

OpenGL Patches for Solaris SPARC

Depending on the version of OpenGL running on the Sun Shared Visualization 1.1 server, you need certain patches. TABLE 2-5 lists those patches for the versions of OpenGL.

TABLE 2-5 Patches for Versions of Solaris SPARC OpenGL
OpenGL Version	OpenGL Patches
OpenGL 1.5 (recommended)	120812
OpenGL 1.3 (64-bit)	113887
OpenGL 1.3 (32-bit)	113886

You can find and download the latest revision level of these and graphics accelerator patches at:

http://sunsolve.sun.com/patches

GLP Access on Solaris SPARC Servers

A Solaris SPARC graphics server with OpenGL 1.5 and an XVR-2500, XVR-1200, or XVR-600 graphics accelerator can be configured to use those devices through GLP without having to start an X server on the graphics accelerators.

The Sun Open GL library for Solaris SPARC systems has a special extension called GLP, which allows VirtualGL to directly access a 3D graphics card even if there is no X server running on the card. GLP greatly improves the overall security of the VirtualGL server by eliminating the need to grant X server access to VirtualGL users. In addition, GLP makes it easy to assign VirtualGL jobs to any graphics card in a multicard system.

When using GLP, the VirtualGL architecture changes in these ways:

VGL Image Transport with GLP is as shown in FIGURE 2-1 (a change from FIGURE 1-1)

X11 Image Transport with GLP is as shown in FIGURE 2-2 (a change from FIGURE 1-2)

This GLP functionality is now offered when vglserver_config has been used to configure the Solaris SPARC graphics server.

FIGURE 2-1 VGL Image Transport With GLP Access to Graphics Accelerator

FIGURE 2-2 X11 Image Transport With GLP Access to Graphics Accelerator

x64 Platforms

These servers and clients use the AMD Opteron processor or an Intel processor that implements the Intel 64 instruction set. These processors run in 64-bit mode and are supported by the Solaris 10 Operating System. (The Solaris 9 OS and Solaris 8 OS do not support x64 processors.) Additionally, Red Hat Linux versions 5, 4, and 3, and SuSE Linux 10 and 9 support 64-bit instructions on x64 processors.

The x64 server systems are supported with NVidia Quadro and Quadro Plex graphics accelerators. Software and patches for these graphics accelerators are available at:

http://sunsolve.sun.com

http://www.nvidia.com

Note - A Chromium graphics cluster is supported, only if the server is running the Sun Scalable Visualization software.

x86 Platforms

These servers and clients use the AMD Athlon or Intel x86 processor. These processors run in 32-bit mode and are supported by the Solaris 10, 9, and 8 Operating Systems. Additionally, Red Hat Linux versions 5, 4, and 3, and SuSE Linux 10 and 9 support these processors.

Sun Shared Visualization 1.1 software supports x86 server systems configured with NVidia Quadro or Quadro Plex graphics accelerators. Software and patches for these graphics accelerators are available at:

http://sunsolve.sun.com

http://www.nvidia.com

x64 and x86 Clients

The information in this section applies to x64 and x86 client platforms.

x64 and x86 clients can use most graphics accelerators that support:

24- or 32-bit pixel true color display

3D graphics acceleration, for stereographic display support

UNIX graphics applications require an X server and an OpenGL library. The Windows operating system does not include an X server. If you are running the Windows XP or Vista operating system along with your VirtualGL client with VGL Image Transport, you need an X server. For example, the 32-bit Exceed 2006 X server software supports Sun Shared Visualization 1.1 software. If an application requires stereographic visualization or transparent overlays, use 32-bit Exceed 3D X server software.

Note - Use the latest nvidia driver for NVidia graphics accelerators. Do not use the nv driver that might have come with your operating system.

Note - TurboVNC can be used on a Windows client without Exceed.

Sun Ray Platforms

The Sun Ray client is stateless and unconfigurable. The client depends on the Sun Ray server for display information. In the Sun Shared Visualization 1.1 environment, the Sun Ray client can receive display information also from VirtualGL. The Sun Ray server need not have a graphics accelerator installed.