JDK-8044397 : RSA HMAC and AES performance can suffer on SPARC T3 and earlier
  • Type: Bug
  • Component: security-libs
  • Sub-Component: javax.crypto
  • Priority: P4
  • Status: Closed
  • Resolution: Won't Fix
  • OS: solaris_10,solaris_11
  • CPU: sparc_64
  • Submitted: 2014-05-30
  • Updated: 2014-05-30
  • Resolved: 2014-05-30
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Description
The UCrypto provider uses software-based algorithms from the ucrypto API in Solaris 10u10 and Solaris 11.  It was built for use on Sparc T4 and later systems that have ISA instructions.  Sparc T3 and earlier systems have discrete crypto units inside the CPU that are accessed through PKCS#11.   When a T3 uses ucrypto API, it only uses the slower pure software algorithms, hurt performance.

On T3 and earlier systems with heavily use HMAC RSA or AES, it is best to reorder to the end or remove the UCrypto provider from the java.security config file.

This must be addressed on a per system basis by the customers of these systems.  Making a global change to the JRE will result in decreasing performance on T4 and later systems, which are the current shipping Sparc systems.  T3 and earlier are legacy systems using legacy CPU architecture.