Sun promises native Java technology support for the 64-bit AMD Opteron

By Alun Williams

Posted on 7 Aug 2003 at 16:41

Sun is promising native Java technology support for the 64-bit AMD Opteron processor, offering a migration path from 32-bit to 64-bit computing for Java applications.

It has announced it will be working with AMD to make the 64-bit Linux and Windows ports to AMD Opteron available with the release of the Java 2 Platform, Standard Edition (J2SE) v1.5. This is scheduled to appear in the summer of 2004.

'By partnering with AMD to create a 64-bit J2SE software port for AMD Opteron, Sun is able to extend Java's reach to a larger market and provide a reliable and highly performant platform for Java application and Web services deployment,' said Joe Keller, vice president of marketing for Java Web Services at Sun Microsystems. 'We're committed to ensuring that customers have the greatest flexibility and can reap the maximum value from their current Java technology-based applications when transitioning to 64-bit computing.'

While the AMD Opteron processor is the industry's first 64-bit, x86 architecture, the Athlon64 will also bring AMD's eighth-generation processor core to the desktop arena when it launches at the end of September. Being x86 based, the AMD core enables existing 32-bit applications to run unchanged, which potentially smooths the migration to 64-bit computing.

Note however, that Sun is not promising that no changes will have to be made to existing Java apps. In its official announcement it states: 'companies running Java applications on 32-bit processors will experience little to no changes in their applications' when they upgrade to a 64-bit platform.

The other key point of 64-bit processing is that it gives increased computing power, both in terms of the amount of information that can be crunched in one go and the range of memory addressing possible.

'AMD is working with Sun to develop a platform that extends the reach and seamless migration of critical Java technology-based business applications for the high performance computing market,' said Marty Seyer, general manager of AMD's Microprocessor Business Unit. 'Working directly with Sun on the J2SE technology port to AMD Opteron for 64-bit computing, our shared customers can be assured they'll receive the best possible implementation of Java technology on the scalable, high-performance AMD Opteron platform.'