Hardware Compatibility List Overview

The Hardware Compatibility List (HCL) identifies hardware that is compatible with the Solaris Operating System (the Solaris OS) and provides information about available software support.

Browsing the Lists

The HCL is available for the Solaris 9 OS and Solaris 10 OS releases as well as OpenSolaris. There is also a section for Virtualization Platforms available.

HCL Structure

When you click View the HCL, you see that the HCL for the Solaris OS is organized into Systems and Components. Within each of these two main categories, you have two ways to organize the HCL data:

• Sort Order. At the top of each table - below the All Results tab and above the Manufacturer column - is a list that enables you to select the order in which you want to see the data displayed in the table. By default, the HCL entries are displayed in the order in which they were submitted to the HCL, with the most recent submission at the top of the table (Last Updated). When you click Manufacturer, the entries are displayed alphabetically by manufacturer name and secondarily by last updated date. When you click Model, the entries are displayed alphabetically by model name. Components tables also can be sorted by Technology. For example, Storage technologies include Fibre Channel, RAID, SCSI, and USB.

• Tabs. The tabs at the top of each table select a subset of the data for that category. See below for detailed descriptions.

The following list shows the tabs that are available in each category:

Systems Categories

• Sun Systems. These are x64 and SPARC systems that are manufactured by Sun.
  Only Solaris 10 information is provided here for Sun SPARC systems. For details on support for Sun SPARC systems that are supported by the Solaris 9 OS and earlier releases, see the Sun Hardware Platform Guide documents published for Solaris releases earlier than Solaris 10.

  Tabs in this category are:

  • SPARC. Click this tab to display only SPARC systems.
  • x86/x64. Click this tab to display only x86/x64 systems from Sun.
  • Server Systems. Click this tab to display only server systems from Sun.
  • Desktop Systems. Click this tab to display only desktop systems from Sun.

• OEM and System Vendor Products. These are tested products from OEMs and system vendors. OEM hardware carries a special service arrangement with the hardware vendor.

  Tabs in this category are:

  • Servers. Displays only server systems from OEMs and system vendors.
  • Desktops. Displays only desktop systems from OEMs and system vendors.
  • Laptops. Displays only laptops from OEMs and system vendors.

• All Servers

  Tabs in this category are:

  • Sun Systems. Displays all x64 and SPARC server systems from Sun.
  • OEM. Displays all server systems from OEMs and system vendors.
  • Certified. Displays all server systems that have been tested with the HCTS (Hardware Certification Test Suite).
  • Reported to Work. Displays only server systems that have been registered by an end user or developer as "reported to operate with the Solaris Operating System." These systems have not necessarily received formal testing.

• All Desktops. Tabs in this category are the same as above: Sun Systems, OEM, Certified, and Reported to Work.

• All Laptops. Tabs in this category are OEM, Certified, and Reported to Work.

• All Motherboards. Tabs in this category are Certified and Reported to Work.

Components Categories

Currently, the components list only shows components for x86 systems. All the components categories have tabs that enable you to display only the Certified components or only the Reported to Work components. Some components categories also have a Solaris Ready tab. The Solaris Ready tab displays only the components that are authorized to display the Solaris Ready logo. See http://www.sun.com/solarisready for information about the Solaris Ready Logo Program.

Available Service Plans

New in the HCL is the option to purchase support for the Solaris OS running on third-party systems in the form of Solaris Service Plans.

Read the FAQ to understand how Service Plans apply to your choice of system.

Statement of Policy

Sun required no re-certification for Solaris 10 for systems already certified with Solaris 9. (Note that certain systems might be unsupported because of EOF or third-party driver issues. See below.)

To certify a 64-bit system or device, you must run the HCTS tests with the system in 64-bit mode. Results from a 32-bit test run are not acceptable to certify a 64-bit system or device.

Systems and devices that were previously listed as Reported to Work on Solaris Express for Solaris 10 have been moved to the appropriate section on the HCL.

The HCL lists some system configurations and products that require third-party device drivers. If the third party elects not to continue support for their drivers for the Solaris 10 OS, Sun cannot guarantee ongoing interoperability between the third-party device and the Solaris OS running on a system that contains the third-party device.

Lifecycle Management

System configurations may change over the lifetime of a product; Sun is not guaranteed to receive product change notifications from third parties. Software support will continue for systems under contract in the original configuration listed in the HCL, but additional certification may be required for modified configurations.

System vendors who provide support for the Solaris OS may elect not to certify their products with certain OS releases or updates; in this case Sun will typically continue to support such systems with current Solaris software as if they are "Reported To Work".

Sun may decide to remove systems from the HCL. This happens only rarely, for example, in cases of obsolescence or a vendor going out of business. Software support will continue for contract customers for their installed base of systems, noting that Sun may not be able to resolve hardware related issues.

Device driver support in Solaris is continually being updated to address new chipset versions and additional vendors. Device drivers, and consequently certain systems, may be removed according to published lifecycle policy. Notice of such transitions is provided in the Solaris 10 Release Notes in the Solaris 10 Release and Installation Collection.

Certification Using the HCTS (Hardware Certification Test Suite)

Following are the guidelines for a successful system or controller certification:

• All certifications should be done with the latest Solaris release. Contact Sun if you have questions about certification with earlier OS versions.
• Any drivers needed for a system/controller should be available from:
  • Solaris OS media
  • Download from Sun
  • IHV (Independent Hardware Vendor) web site
• Modifications to the Solaris image or drivers are not permitted. System or controller submissions with such modifications can be listed only as Reported to Work.
• To list your hardware as Certified, do the following steps:
  • Download and run the Hardware Certification Test Suite.
  • To certify a 64-bit system or device, you must run the test suite with the system in 64-bit mode. Results from a 32-bit test run are not acceptable to certify a 64-bit system or device.
  • Follow all HCTS instructions that apply to your certification.
  • Submit the test results to Sun.
  • On the submission form, select "Yes" to answer the question "Have you run the Hardware Certification Test Suite?"

Submitting Hardware as "Reported to Work"

The HCL can accept "Reported to Work" entries for systems and components that operate with the the current shipping versions and "Software Express" releases of the Solaris OS.

Users must download and install the Solaris OS and can then submit the results so that others can gain from their experience. Either complete systems or components can be submitted using the HCL submission form. On the submission form, select "No" to answer the question "Have you run the Hardware Certification Test Suite?"

There is no requirement to run the HCTS. However, submission forms must be completed in full, noting that the HCTS was not run.

Adding Notes to HCL Entries

The Detail view for each HCL entry has a link to allow any user to submit additional information and updates.