Why doesn't Sun release the crypto module of the OpenSPARC?

[David G. Koontz]

zooko wrote:
> On Jun 12, 2008, at 4:35 PM, David G. Koontz wrote:
> 
>> There's the aspect of competition.
> 
>> I've also wondered if a reason they didn't release it is because they
>> bought
>> the 'IP' from someone.
> 
> Those are good guesses, David, and I guessed similar things myself and
> inquired of various Sun folks if this was the "real" reason.  Nobody
> could give me any definite answer, however, until Sridhar Vajapey wrote:
> 
>  "US export control regulations prevent Sun from opensourcing the crypto
> portion of N2.".


You've got to admit, that the work load for implementation is quite a bit
higher without the PCI-E, 10GE MACs, and crypto, for a piece of competitive
silicon.  All the sudden you don't have that 'Server On a Chip' that Sun
sells.

The net result is still that you can't compete directly with Sun, but you
can still expand the range of applications for Sun processors, and oh by the
way, Sun's silicon works perfectly well in any new markets.  It still walks
like a duck.

For the record I don't begrudge Sun captive markets, it supports a fairly
decent 64 bit architecture and isn't Intel.  What they have released isn't
what they sell.  They're demonstrably Rice Christian open source advocates.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rice_Christian



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