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2-2 SPARC Enterprise M4000/M5000 Servers Overview Guide • August 2009
The SPARC Enterprise M4000/M5000 servers support CPU modules that contain
either two SPARC64 VI processors or two SPARC64 VII processors. A single domain
can be configured with a mix of these SPARC64 processors.
Note – The new SPARC64 VII processors are supported only on SPARC Enterprise
M4000/M5000 servers that run certain versions of XCP firmware (beginning with
XCP 1071) and Solaris software. For specific information about these minimum
software and firmware requirements, see the latest version of the Product Notes (no
earlier than the XCP 1071 edition) for your server.
2.1.1.1 CPU Types and Features
This section describes the CPU types and features.
2.1.1.2 CPU Operational Modes
Note – This section applies only to SPARC Enterprise M4000/M5000 servers that run
or will run SPARC64 VII processors.
A SPARC Enterprise M4000/M5000 server domain runs in one of the following CPU
operational modes:
■ SPARC64 VI Compatible Mode – All processors in the domain – which can be
SPARC64 VI processors, SPARC64 VII processors, or any combination of them –
behave like and are treated by the OS as SPARC64 VI processors. The new
capabilities of SPARC64 VII processors are not available in this mode.
■ SPARC64 VII Enhanced Mode – All boards in the domain must contain only
SPARC64 VII processors. In this mode, the server utilizes the new features of these
processors.
By default, the Solaris OS automatically sets a domain’s CPU operational mode each
time the domain is booted based on the types of processors it contains. It does this
when the cpumode variable is set to auto.
TABLE 2-1 CPU Specifications
CPU name SPARC64 VI processor SPARC64 VII processor
Number of cores 2 cores 4 cores
Operational mode SPARC64 VI compatible mode SPARC64 VI compatible
mode/SPARC64 VII enhanced mode