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Article

Title: Made for Opteron

Author: Yager, Tom Article Type: Product Analysis
Source: InfoWorld, v28 n14 p20(1) Publication Date: Apr 3, 2006
  ISSN: 0199-6649
URL of Publication: http://www.infoworld.com

The x86 server architecture has two different platforms: enterprise and generic. Advanced Micro Devices' enterprise version is known as Opteron, which is a mainframe-grade system that provides both high scalability and high availability. Opteron features HyperTransport bus controllers. It also links the controllers to I/O. Opteron's x86 platform offers an endless supply of virtualization solutions. It features both dynamic and fixed partitioning, and offers limitless potential in the areas of power management and scheduling. Generic x86 falls somewhere between AMD's Opteron and Intel's Core Microarchitecture. Many software programmers write their programs for the Intel x86 platform, which has on off-board memory controller, a shared pool of RAM, and a shared bus. Software written for the x86 platform often assumes that Opteron has the same limitations that Intel's x86 does. When Intel x86 software is run on an Opteron-based server, it is unable to experience the same scalability and potential as a program that is specifically optimized for Opteron. This problem will be exacerbated as more hardware-based virtualization solutions arrive in the marketplace. Software programmers are strongly advised to write their enterprise programs in an optimized manner so that they take advantage of all that Opteron has to offer.

Companies:
Advanced Micro Devices Inc (AMD)

Products:
AMD Opteron x86

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