Linux fans "hate" Windows, and Microsoft often denies the notion of free and open source software. But if you are a high-end server user, you may be in the blink of an eye. Many Unix users still despise Windows and Linux, claiming that one is filled with DOS errors and the other is controlled by amateurs.
Both of these perceptions are outdated. Linux and Windows are now defying the unified architecture of Unix, which binds a particular OS to a particular processor. The main driving force behind this challenge is not from Microsoft or the open source community, but both are happy to participate, but from Intel and AMD. With their new 64-bit processors, the two processors hope to make high-end servers as popular as the way open architecture PCs replace the proprietary computers 20 years ago. .
Switching to a 64-bit environment gives server users real choice, both processor and OS.
The roadmap for non-flat 64-bit processors, Intel's 64-bit architecture (IA-64) is not compatible with 32-bit x86 code, making it difficult to upgrade. AMD x86-64 is compatible with 32-bit x86 but does not run IA-64. This is the first time that Intel and AMD have gone the other direction, and have not used the same architecture of today's 64-bit processors.
Incompatibility makes Linux an advantage. Thanks to open source and free, the Linux OS and the applications running on it are relatively easy to migrate to different systems. If you are not satisfied with the cost or performance of your Intel-based server, you can switch to a system that uses Sun Microsystems, Hewlett-Packard (HP) or AMD, or even IBM mainframes.
Moreover, Linux is also distributed and supported by many companies, so if you are not satisfied you can easily change the provider. The market is so competitive that Linux distributors often charge less for support than proprietors, and open source means you can support yourself. However, the point of Linux is not at low cost (or free), although this is important in the current economic situation. The biggest advantage of freeware is the freedom.
However, not everyone has switched to Linux. Microsoft is also rapidly jumping into the 64-bit environment with Windows Server 2003. And Unix does not disappear immediately.
While Sun, IBM, and HP all took Linux, all three companies continued to develop high-end Unix systems that added support for other hardware systems (see Table 1). Compuq's Tru64 Unix has been incorporated into HP-UX. HP-UX runs on Compaq Alpha and HP Precision Architecture (PA), as well as Intel's IA-64. HP has also shifted a different Unix variant of Compaq, NonStop, to IA-64, and its long-term plan is to remove both PA and Alpha. HP has partnered with Intel to integrate several technologies from PA and Alpha into future IA-64 chips. One of the first chips of this type, codenamed "Madison", will be launched in late 2003. More comprehensive PA and Alpha features will be incorporated into the fourth generation IA-64 processor, Montecito ", launched in 2005.
Unix-based systems still dominate Linux and Windows in areas where stability and security are required, but Linux is fast approaching. In early 2002, IBM announced the Carrier Crade Linux initiative to develop an improved and stable Linux version aimed at the telecommunications sector that requires continuous working hours and is now the domain of Unix. Also in 2002 IBM announced another initiative aimed at market share, Data Center Linux. These improvements are quickly integrated into the standard Linux code, providing the same level of security and reliability for servers of all levels.
RISC Challenge
Most 64-bit processors are based on the Reduced Instruction Set Computer (RISC) architecture, which supports fewer machine code instructions than x86 - associated with the Complex Instruction Set Computer (CISC) architecture. The advantages of RISC architecture are simple, allowing the processor to grow faster and have higher chip density. Although RISC requires compilers and developers to work harder, compiling and programming is only done once.
IA-64 and x86-64 do not use RISC, at least from the perspective of the compiler or the editor (all modern processors use a part of the RISC architecture inside). AMD x86-64 is simply an extension of the original CISC x86 architecture. Intel's IA-64 has more variations, based on an expanded version of the RISC called EPIC (Explicitly Parallel Instruction Computer), which groups instructions against each other so that multiple tasks can be performed at the same time.
Programming and compiling EPIC chips are relatively difficult, but operating systems and applications will be compatible with the new generation IA-64 processors. This is why Intel developed EPIC and HP moved from its RISC processors to IA-64. Intel and HP believe that both RISC and CISC have reached the end of their life cycle (according to experts, the "life cycle" of most processor architectures is 20 years).
The IA-64 processor, Itanium shipped in 2001, has a lower processing speed than its rivals. Even with recompiled applications, Itanium 2001 can not beat Intel's 32-bit Xeon processor as well. It can run 32-bit x86 code, but sometimes runs slower than the low-end Celeron. However, Intel introduced an improved IA-64 processor in 2002, Itanium 2 ("McKinley"), which outperformed 32-bit processors.
The name of the processor is often embarrassing for users, and unofficial codenames are more confusing. In the x86 world, Intel officially uses the Xeon name for the most expensive server processors, and Celeron for the cheapest desktop processor, the Pentium is in the middle. AMD's equivalent processors are Opteron, Duron and Athlon, in the same order of magnitude. The steady progression of Moore's law means today's Xeon will be the Pentium of tomorrow and the next-generation Celeron (Moore's Law, the integrated density and the clock of the processor doubling every two years). Xeon processors now use the same "NetBurst" core with the latest Pentium 4 processor, but have a larger cache size and can be used in multiple processors. Current Celeron processors are similar to older Pentium III processors, not as fast as Pentium 4 processors, but enough for many applications.
Intel is committed to continuing to produce faster 32-bit processors, and uses IA-64 to compete with other 64-bit architectures, not a Xeon or Pentium upgrade. This is demonstrated in the Itanium support of major OS vendors. For example, Red Hat, originally created three versions of Linux for Itanium but stopped the standard version for normal servers and PCs. However, with the nature of open source software, users can purchase Itanium-based native Red Hat Linux and customize or even create new versions for use with other architectures.
Similarly, Microsoft's Windows Server 2003 has four different versions, with only the high-end Enterprise Edition running on IA-64. The cheaper versions of Standard Edition and Web Edition are only available on 32-bit x86 machines.
OPTERON choice
AMD does not have much trouble finding applications for its x86-64 architecture, as it is just an extension of the x86 architecture. This means that it can run all existing x86 software at full speed, including 32-bit versions of Windows. Moreover, it's cheaper than IA-64, so AMD recommends x86-64 as a build for everyone.
AMD has two processors in the x86-64 series. The "Sledgehammer" is currently available and the Athlon64 processor ("Clawhammer") is expected to ship in the fourth quarter of this year. The only difference between the two processors is that the Opteron has a larger cache and HyperTransport, an AMD technology that allows up to eight processors to be connected in parallel. Theoretically, Opteron will compete with Itanium and Xeon in the high-end server market, while Athlon64 will compete with Pentium 4 in lower-end servers and desktops, and Pentium-M in notebooks. .
Although a 64-bit processor can run existing applications that sound appealing, running pure 32-bit software on an Opteron processor does not offer any benefit over running the same software. Pentium or Athlon processor. To avoid wasting half of the processor's bits, the software needs to be rewritten or recompiled. Opteron allows 32-bit and 64-bit applications to run at the same time, so they do not have to be converted immediately, but 64-bit operating systems are required to run 64-bit applications.
Up until now, Linux is the only operating system running on Opteron, and only two distributors provide support for it (see Table 2). Microsoft also pledged to release Windows for x86-64, but did not release a specific release date. The 64-bit versions of Windows XP and Windows Server 2003 only run on IA-64, and will not work on x86-64.
2 x 32 = 64?
According to Intel, Hyper-Threading speeds up processing by up to 70% depending on the application, with an average improvement of about 25%. However, Hyper-Threading is too new and only supported with the latest versions of Windows (XP and Server 2003) and Linux (2.4 or later). Without a supported operating system, Hyper-Threading can reduce system performance, as some operating systems may mistake the virtual processor with a physical processor.
Once the OS supports Hyper-Threading, supporting more than one processor is not a big deal. This is a long-term goal for most chipmakers: They want to put two or more processors on a sample of silicon in a process called dual-core. The two 32-bit processors are not exactly equivalent to a 64-bit processor, although they can be equally effective. Although they still only address 4GB of RAM, they work with traditional x86 code, which makes them more attractive.
Dual-core is used in most modern 64-bit processors. IBM pioneered this area with the Power64 processor described as "server on a chip" as it also contains 32MB of cache and many other subsystems, including co-coders. HP follows the dual-core version of the PA-880 processor with 36MB of cache.
Sun is currently producing dual-core versions of its UltraSPARC processor, and Intel plans to add dual-core chips for its fourth-generation IA-64 "Montecito". HP has not been able to afford to wait so long, so the company has developed a small module containing two Madison chips, the IA-64 model 2003, which can be plugged into a regular socket. This module will allow HP to switch from PA to IA-64 without sacrificing speed by combining two processors.
At first, both IBM and HP used their dual-core chips in major computer systems, such as IBM's eServer z900 and HP's SuperDome. They were then taken down to lower level systems. Mainframes use two cores for redundancy purposes and ensure reliability, each core performs exactly the same task as its "twin brother" to check the accuracy of the results. But for servers that do not require absolute precision, a second kernel can be used to increase the processing power.
Even without dual-core chips, 32-bit systems can provide an alternative to 64-bit servers in many applications. The most obvious example are "search engine": AltaVista's leading search service was created to show the power of 64-bit processors, but was overtaken by Google - translation It uses a large cluster of 32-bit processors.
While clusters are opposed to 64-bit systems in many ways, they have one thing in common: most of them run Linux. This was originally due to the fact that open-source software did not have to cost per unit or processor, but now it offers compatibility with Unix. The penguin (Linux logo) is poised to catch up with its big gamers, whether it's a 32-bit cluster or a 64-bit server.
N.T.K
(Source: Network Computing)
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Table 1 - In addition to Itanium and Opteron, there are also four other 64-bit server architectures. Sun and IBM are actively developing their processors, and both of the HP series will continue to be available for a few more years.
|
Architecture |
Type |
OSH support |
History |
Future |
|
Intel IA-64 (Itanium) |
EPIC |
Linux, Windows, HP-UX, HP NonStop, BSD |
Launched in 2001, but disappointing. In 2002, Itanium 2 ("McKinley") was launched with many improvements. |
The architecture is designed to last until 2020. Future dual-core versions integrate HP-PA technology. |
|
AMD x86-64 (Opteron, Athlon64) |
CISC |
Linux, Windows |
Opteron launched in April 2003, targeting mid-range and high-end servers. |
Can make 64-bit computing become popular when Athlon64 is released. |
|
IBM Power |
RISC |
Linux, IBM AIX, UBM z / OS, IBM VSE |
Designed in the 1990s for IBM mainframes. BXM Power4 dual core is also used for servers. |
Power5 will soon be launched. The architecture is also integrated into the PowerPC 970 chip for low-end servers and Macs. |
|
HP Alpha |
RISC |
Linux, HP-UX, BSD |
DEC was developed in the 1980s. The latest EV-7 processor is still used for high-end servers. |
The new model (EV-9) will be launched in 2004. It will later move to Itanium. |
|
HP Precision Architecture (PA) |
RISC |
Linux, HP-UX, HP NonStop |
Developed by HP in the 1990s. The latest dual-core 8800 processor is used for mainframes. |
The new version (8900) will launch in 2005. It will later move to Itanium. |
|
Sun UltraSPARC |
RISC |
Sun Solaris, Linux, BSD |
Developed in the 1990s as the rights system, UltraSPARC III is now "open". |
The UltraSPARC IV dual-core processor will be available in late 2003, which is scheduled for UltraSPARC V. |
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Table 2 - As with Windows Server 2003, six large Linux distributions are available for Itanium and other 64-bit architectures. By its open source nature, Linux can easily migrate to new hardware platforms. Note that although there are different version numbers, all Linux versions are based on Linux kernel 4.2, and can run on 32-bit x86 processors.
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|
Supplier |
Product |
64-bit architecture |
Target market |
|
Debian Debian GNU / Linux 3.0 |
Itanium, Alpha, APARC, Power, PA |
Developers and enthusiasts |
|
|
Mandrakesoft |
Mandrake Linux 9.0 |
Itanium, Opteron |
Education, Small Business, Web Server |
|
MSC Software MSC.Linux V2002 |
Itanium |
The supercomputer cluster |
|
|
Red Hat |
Enterprise Linux Advanced Server |
Itanium, Alpha, Power |
Servers, enterprises, governments |
|
SSE SuSE Linux Enterprise Server 8.2 |
Itanium, Opteron, Power |
Server-level servers, clusters, desktops |
|
|
Turbolinux |
Turbolinux 7.0 |
Itanium, Power |
Enterprise-level servers, distributed clusters |
