Free tools Windows power users keep installed
One-click scans. No signup required.
Sun’s blade-processor story points to Afara WebSystems: Sun acquired technology from the startup in 2002 and used it as the basis for Niagara, a multithreaded processor planned for single-processor server blades. Niagara was later branded UltraSPARC T1; the Sun Netra CP3060 is a documented blade built around that processor.
Which startup technology did Sun use?
The best-supported identification is Afara WebSystems. In a February 28, 2003 report, EE Times reported that Niagara was based on technology Sun had acquired from Afara the previous July. The report named Afara founders Oyekunle Olukotun and Les Kohn and said Sun planned to use Niagara in single-processor server blades around 2005, as well as as a network processor in other systems.
Niagara became the processor branded UltraSPARC T1. Sun’s later Netra CP3060 provides a concrete example: Oracle’s hardware documentation identifies it as an ATCA node blade based on UltraSPARC T1. This connects Afara’s technology to a real Sun blade product, rather than only to a roadmap announcement.
What was Niagara, and how did it work?
Niagara was a Sun SPARC processor design aimed at server work that could keep many threads busy at once. The central idea was throughput: when one thread waited for data from memory, the processor could work on another, helping reduce the impact of memory stalls on highly threaded workloads.
#1 Best Overall
- 【850W D850EF-00 Power Supply Compatibility】48Y6D 850W Power Supply Compatible with Dell Alienware Aurora R2 R5 R6 R7 R8 R9 R11 R12 A51 ，XPS 8910 8920 8930 T3630 T3640 T3650，Inspiron MAX 5675 5680 Power Supply.
- 【D850EF-00 Power Supply Replaces PSU Model Numbers】 D850EF-00, HU850EF-00, DPS-850AB-2A, DPS-850AB-2 A 850W power supply replacement
- 【850w dell Power Supply Replacement for Part Numbers】 48Y6D N1WJD 0N1WJD 048Y6D D1J02 N0DMP J2GNJ Switching power supply
- 【Input & Output】100-240V~10A(47-63Hz) , DC Output: Max Output 850W. 1 Year warranty. 100% new part and high quality. All motor fans are TESTED rigorously before shipping. For any reason you're not completely satisfied, you can ask for a replacement or full money back.
- 【Module interface support】motherboard interface 24P*1, CPU interface 8P*1, CPU interface 4P*1, hard disk interface *4, video card interface 6+2*2, ultra-thin optical drive interface *1（No module cable***）
The contemporary EE Times account described eight streamlined cores derived from UltraSPARC IIi, with each core handling four threads, and noted integrated memory and networking functions. IEEE Spectrum’s account also describes Niagara’s focus on memory latency and multiple cores sharing a high-bandwidth on-chip memory hierarchy. The design reflected data-center concerns about power and space, alongside demand for processors able to handle many concurrent tasks.
UltraSPARC T1 specifications in the Netra CP3060 documentation
Oracle’s product-specific manual says UltraSPARC T1 was available with four, six, or eight cores, with four threads per core. In the eight-core configuration, that means up to 32 active threads concurrently. The same CP3060 documentation lists up to 16 GB of system memory and a 200 W blade power budget. These are historical configuration and product specifications—not independent benchmark results or specifications for every Sun blade.
Rank #2
- 【850W D850EF-00 Power Supply Compatibility】48Y6D 850W Power Supply Compatible with Dell Alienware Aurora R2 R5 R6 R7 R8 R9 R11 R12 A51 ，XPS 8910 8920 8930 T3630 T3640 T3650，Inspiron MAX 5675 5680 Power Supply.
- 【D850EF-00 Power Supply Replaces PSU Model Numbers】 D850EF-00, HU850EF-00, DPS-850AB-2A, DPS-850AB-2 A 850W power supply replacement
- 【850w dell Power Supply Replacement for Part Numbers】 48Y6D N1WJD 0N1WJD 048Y6D D1J02 N0DMP J2GNJ Switching power supply
- 【Input & Output】100-240V~10A(47-63Hz) , DC Output: Max Output 850W. 1 Year warranty. 100% new part and high quality. All motor fans are TESTED rigorously before shipping. For any reason you're not completely satisfied, you can ask for a replacement or full money back.
- 【Module interface support】motherboard interface 24P*1, CPU interface 8P*1, CPU interface 4P*1, hard disk interface *4, video card interface 6+2*2, ultra-thin optical drive interface *1（No module cable***）
Did every Sun blade use Afara-derived processors?
No. The evidence ties Afara’s technology to Niagara and UltraSPARC T1 blades, but Sun’s broader blade line also included modules based on AMD Opteron and Intel Xeon processors. A Sun Blade product-line overview provides a secondary cross-check for those other processor families.
These were different processor architectures and software ecosystems. The available sources do not establish a directly comparable performance result, so they do not support a claim that Niagara was faster or more efficient than Sun’s x86 blade options.
Windows Errors? Fix Them Before They Spread
Repair common Windows errors and clear accumulated junk for a smoother, more stable PC - no reinstall needed.Free scan · no reinstallCrashes, No Sound, or Screen Glitches?
Random freezes, missing sound and display glitches usually trace back to one bad driver. Find and replace yours safely.Free scan · under a minuteRank #3
- 【Compatibility】DPS-1000AB-13A 1000W Power Supply Compatible with Dell Alienware Aurora R2 R5 R6 R7 R8 R9 R10 R11 R12 A51 XPS 8920 8930 T3630 T3640 T3650 Inspiron 5675 5680 0WTGN 0PDJK Power Supply
- 【Model Number】 D1000EGM-00 HU1000EGM-00 1000W power supply replacement
- 【Part Number】 WTGN 0WTGN PDJK 0PDJK DPS-1000AB-13A Switching power supply
- 【Input & Output】100-240V~12A(50-60Hz) , DC Output: Max Output 1000W. 1 Year manufactured. 100% new part and high quality. All motor fans are tested rigorously before shipping. For any reason you're not completely satisfied, you can ask for a replacement or full back
- 【Module interface support】motherboard interface 24P*1, CPU interface 8P*1, CPU interface 4P*1, hard disk interface *4, video card interface 6+2*2, ultra-thin optical drive interface *1（No module cable）
How was Afara different from Kealia?
Afara is the startup most directly connected to the processor-technology clue: Sun acquired its technology, and Niagara carried that technology into Sun’s processor roadmap. Kealia was a separate acquisition. Sun acquired it in February 2004; the startup, led by Sun co-founder Andrew Bechtolsheim, was developing Opteron-based servers. eWeek’s account of Sun’s Galaxy servers places Kealia in the company’s broader server strategy, not as the source of Niagara’s processor technology.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- 2GB KIT (2 x 1GB) DIMM DDR2 ECC Unbuffered PC2-5300 667MHz Single Rank RAM Memory
- Genuine A-Tech Memory
- Lifetime Warranty
- Designed For Sun Ultra Series. (See Compatibility List Below)
Rank #4
- Capacity: 8GB Kit (2 X 4GB)
- Speed: PC2-5300 DDR2 667MHz
- Form Factor: 240 pin ECC Registered DIMM
- Halogen Free; ROHS Warranty: Lifetime
- FOR LISTED SERVERS ONLY. PLEASE DO NOT BUY FOR STANDARD PC DESKTOPS.
What the historical evidence does—and does not—show
- Supported: Afara technology contributed to Niagara, which Sun planned to use in single-processor blades.
- Documented product: The Netra CP3060 was an ATCA blade based on UltraSPARC T1.
- Not established: A quantified speed or energy-efficiency advantage over competing Sun blade processors. The cited specifications are not performance benchmarks.
- Important scope: Afara-derived SPARC technology was one part of Sun’s blade portfolio, alongside Opteron and Xeon options.
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
