Sparc systems also launched at SunNetwork See correction belowSun Microsystems on Tuesday introduced a reference architecture and product bundle for setting up Intel-based computing grids. At the same time it announced a four-processor UltraSparc IIIi server and the company’s first tower server in five years.Launched at the SunNetwork 2003 conference in San Francisco, the Sun Fire V60x Compute Grid is a reference platform featuring an integrated hardware and software combination for technical customers in design automation, mechanical computer-aided engineering, petroleum, and life sciences markets. Featured are Sun Control Station 2.0 management software and Sun Grid Engine Enterprise Edition, preloaded on a Cluster Grid Manager management node for simplifying grid management and improving compute resource utilization, according to Sun. “We’ll be able to ship to the customer under one model number everything integrated into [the grid],” said Neil Knox, Sun executive vice president of Volume Systems Products.A rack consisting of 32 dual-2.8 GHz or 3.06 GHz x Intel Xeon processors, Sun Fire V60x servers and integrated management software starts in price at $185,000, Sun said.A Sparc-based grid reference architecture is planned for 2004, Knox said. Among the new UltraSparc IIIi boxes being rolled out Tuesday is the Sun Fire V440 Server, a four-processor, rack-optimized UltraSparc server priced at $9,995. Sun is targeting rivals such as Dell Computer with this Solaris system, which is suited for application server deployments, according to Sun. The system was described by Knox as a “very aggressively architected, low-cost, four-way system” intended to compete with Intel boxes. Technology Industry