Sun UltraSparc workstations need software patch

From...

By Dan Neel

(IDG) -- Sun Microsystems on Wednesday issued a warning to its SunBlade 1000 workstation customers that a software patch must be downloaded and installed to avoid possible data corruption, a Sun spokesperson said.

SunBlade 1000 workstations run Sun's recently released UltraSparc III 64-bit processor. The chip also ships in a variety of Sun and third-party servers, but servers are not affected by the problem, the spokesperson said.

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"We've identified a very rare occurrence in the SunBlade 1000 that occurs only when running floating-point applications, like science and engineering applications. It is one of those far-corner occurrences where certain things have to occur in certain sequence for this [problem] to happen," said the spokesperson.

The software patch can be downloaded from Sun's Web site. Workstation customers will receive a notification of the patch's availability in an e-mail.

No other problems with the UltraSparc III chip have been found, the spokesperson said.

"It's a great chip. These are the kinds of things that happen with complicated products," said the spokesperson.

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