System Service Processor

The System Service Processor (often abbreviated as SSP) is a SPARC-based computer that is used to control the Sun Microsystems Enterprise 10000 platform. The term SSP is often used to describe both the computer hardware and the software that are necessary to accomplish this task.
Functionality.
The System Service Processor software provided for the following functionality:
Several utilities were provided with the SSP software packages, including "hostview", a program that provided an X Window System interface for platform maintenance, and several CLI programs.
Implementation.
Normally, two System Service Processors were used per platform. One was configured as "Main" and the other as "Spare". Only the SSP in the role of "Main" could control the platform at any given time. Failover between "Main" and "Spare" was performed automatically by the SSP software.
Supported hardware platforms.
The following systems were supported for use as System Service Processors: