Archive for the category Featured Bloggers
Live Migration: The Best Keeps Getting Better with AMD Opteron™ Processors
Posted by Margaret Lewis in 8:00 AM
Loading ...It’s been a busy couple of months, as AMD has been working in tandem with Microsoft on their whole suite of “new efficiency” products – namely, Windows® 7 and Windows Server® 2008 R2. There has been a great deal of excitement over these launches for some time now; and rightfully so. Windows 7 is a big deal for the industry as a whole, and we’re specifically excited about the graphics capabilities as well as its great matchup with Vision Technology from AMD.* But, what I want to talk about is, not surprisingly, what the IT guys play with: servers. Windows Server 2008 R2 has major implications for virtualization in particular, and here’s why:
Some of the largest enhancements to Windows Server 2008 R2 focus around Hyper-V – Microsoft’s hypervisor. Hyper-V R2 works hand-in-hand with AMD Virtualization™ (AMD-V™) technology to help reduce the overall complexity and memory overhead of managing VMs, particularly through inherent features of AMD-V technology, like Rapid Virtualization Indexing (RVI). However, another one of the capabilities that you’ll find interesting is live migration. IT Managers are always vocal about the need to dynamically move virtual workloads around in order to optimize their system performance and aid with possible disaster recovery. AMD has worked with our virtualization partners since the early days of the AMD Opteron™ processor, to ensure we have the technology in place to support seamless live migration, and our consistent server platforms are critical for this.
Case in point: we recently worked with Microsoft to showcase live migration of virtual machine from our current Six-Core AMD Opteron processor to our next-generation AMD Opteron™ 6100 Series processor (currently codenamed “Magny-Cours”) with Hyper-V (you may recall, we did this previously, but from Quad-Core to Six-Core AMD Opteron processors here). Have a look for yourself:
As you can tell, Windows Server 2008 R2 is already enabled for the upcoming AMD Opteron 6100 Series processor. In fact Microsoft recently made available for download an update designed to boost the power-saving features of the latest Windows client and server releases when used with AMD multi-core processors. This refresh can tweak the Windows Server 2008 RS in order to leverage the Enhanced C1 state (C1E) for lower power consumption, which is a power efficiency feature of the AMD Opteron™ 6000 Series platform.
We’re pleased to congratulate Windows Server 2008 R2 on its introduction to the market, and can’t wait to push the boundaries on virtualization even more!
Margaret Lewis (@margaretjlewis) is a Product Marketing Director at AMD. Her postings are her own opinions and may not represent AMD’s positions, strategies or opinions. Links to third party sites are provided for convenience and unless explicitly stated, AMD is not responsible for the contents of such linked sites and no endorsement is implied.
* Windows® 7 capable PC required for full Windows 7 functionality. See http://windows.microsoft.com/systemrequirements.
AMD CPU and GPU Technology – Flying High in the TOP500 Supercomputer List
Posted by Margaret Lewis in 4:29 PM
While a lot of folks know me for having a passion (or is it an obsession) for virtualization and cloud computing – many people don’t realize that I am really a refugee from the world of High Performance Computing. This week I get to put on my propeller hat and attend SC09 in Portland to catch up on the leading innovations – and have a chance to say “Aloha” to my former colleagues at the Maui High Performance Computing Center (MHPCC).
One of the big events of this annual supercomputing conference is the release of the TOP500 Supercomputing List. In my past life I would wait impatiently to see how MHPCC systems would rank. Now I wait impatiently to see how AMD-based systems all over the world stack up. There are no disappointments in the 34th TOP500 List published this week, featuring 42 systems running AMD technology.
Five of these systems are located the elite class of the top 10 supercomputers in the world. Here are some “fun facts” for your enjoyment:
- The #1 supercomputer is Jaguar located at Oak Ridge National Laboratory – a Cray XT5 system running Six-Core AMD OpteronTM processors. Jaguar was originally built using Quad-Core AMD Opteron processors and over the past few months technicians at the Tennessee lab have been replacing many of those chips with newer six cores models. You can get more details on this very fast cat, which now features almost a quarter million high-performance cores, in John Fruehe’s blog.
- The #5 supercomputer is Tianhe-1, which represents the coming era of heterogeneous computing. Tainhe-1 was developed by NUDT for the National SuperComputer Center in Tianjin. It is the world’s highest performing GPU-based supercomputer ever and is fueled by ATI RadeonTM RV770 architecture, demonstrating the powerful computational capabilities of AMD’s GPU technology. Much like the x86 processor based systems, which first entered the TOP500 list about 10 years ago and now account for over 430 systems, this is just the beginning of a new trend – and we are already at the top already.
- The #2 system is Roadrunner, located at Los Alamos National Labs. This is another example of a hybrid computing system, utilizing both IBM PowerXCell and AMD Opteron processor technology. This system became the world’s first TOP500 petaflops system in 2008 and has previously held the #1 slot on the TOP500.
- The #3 system, Kraken is a Cray XT5 system located at the National Institute for Computational Sciences at the University of Tennessee. It is running Six Core AMD Opteron processors, and is one of the most powerful supercomputer funded by the NSF TeraGrid as well as one of the world’s largest computational platforms for open scientific research. Here is a link to a video that showcases how this powerful supercomputer is being used by the research community.
- My Alma Mater, the University of Texas, has its Ranger system located at the Texas Advanced Computing Center as #9 on the list. This system is also running Quad-Core AMD Opteron processor technology and provides unprecedented computational capabilities to the national research community. Go Horns!
And if you widen your view and take a look at #11 thru #20 on the TOP500 List, you will find that ½ of these systems are also running AMD Opteron processors. So while our competitor might claim quantity, we are thrilled to highlight the quality showing of AMD technology in the 34th TOP500. This reflects our drive to deliver leading edge innovation to the market. You can find more details about what we are planning in the future from the materials we presented on Financial Analyst Day on Nov. 11th.
And congratulations to the MHPCC, which has systems ranked at #58 and #114 on the TOP500 List. Maui no ka oi.
Margaret Lewis (@margaretjlewis) is a Product Marketing Director at AMD. Her postings are her own opinions and may not represent AMD’s positions, strategies or opinions. Links to third party sites are provided for convenience and unless explicitly stated, AMD is not responsible for the contents of such linked sites and no endorsement is implied.
Windows 7: The Dawn of the Age of Client Virtualization
Posted by Margaret Lewis in 10:00 AM
I spend a lot of time on this blog talking about server virtualization – and rightfully so. The benefits are undeniable. But, client virtualization is something that I’m also passionate about. In fact, I’ve blogged about how I, along with other industry experts, am predicting a bright future for this market. Well, I’ve got exciting news for you: the future is now.
To me, today’s launch of Windows 7 represents a turning point. The benefits for client virtualization have been clear in the enterprise for a while: you can remotely manage a fleet of PCs, empowering your staff with greater flexibility when accessing information and you can potentially save costs on individual hardware for hundreds, or thousands of employees, depending of course on the size of your organization. For SMBs, the cost savings and direct impact was less clear, and for consumers it just hasn’t been something that’s ever truly broken into the mainstream.
But now, with Windows 7, every user can – and should – benefit from client virtualization. Whether you’re a Fortune 500 company with offices around the world, a small start up with 5 employees, or simply a consumer looking to get more out of your PC – there’s something for everyone here.
Let me explain.
SMBs around the world that rely on Windows are undoubtedly considering the upgrade to Windows 7. However, an upgrade process can be costly, time-intensive and complicated when you’re trying to make certain all of your business-critical applications will migrate. With Windows 7, SMBs can rely on XP Mode enabled via AMD-VTM virtualization technology to ensure their Windows XP applications can be used as part of their new Windows 7 OS.
Consumers can also benefit from XP Mode for the same compatibility reasons, but also for added security and customization, as XP allows them the freedom to operate a completely separate OS. This can assist with balancing work information and documents with home information and documents, or can allow you to deploy a separate OS (say, for children) to ensure your critical files are safe.
Consumers and business users alike want access to documents saved on their PC while they’re on the go. That’s where solutions like Citrix XenDesktop4 become so crucial with Windows 7. As Aimee Catalano wrote on our blog earlier this week, “This enables complete workplace flexibility, business continuity and user mobility.” I couldn’t have said it better myself. At AMD, we’re very focused on addressing today’s PC lifestyle, which includes both what users do on their PC, and how they access their applications and information.
It’s an exciting time to be in this industry. Multi-core hardware is more advanced than ever, the software keeps getting better and better and virtualization is at the core of how these new solutions allow dynamic user experiences. I’m predicting very big things for the client virtualization market not only in the coming years – but starting right now.
Margaret Lewis (@margaretjlewis) is a Product Marketing Director at AMD. Her postings are her own opinions and may not represent AMD’s positions, strategies or opinions. Links to third party sites are provided for convenience and unless explicitly stated, AMD is not responsible for the contents of such linked sites and no endorsement is implied.
Cloud Computing: A Look Back and a Look Forward
Posted by Margaret Lewis in 4:39 PM
October is pretty active month in the cloud computing space, with two big events happening this week that caught my eye: the Web 2.0 Summit in San Francisco and the Cloud Adoption Arena virtual event. The Web 2.0 conference is about more than just the Internet; it’s evolved to focus on technologies & business models – particularly cloud computing. The Cloud Adoption Arena is taking a hard look at how the difficult year for the economy is actually spurring the adoption of cloud strategies. Quite simply, I love these kinds of conversations.
But all this talk about where the cloud is going got me thinking about where we’ve come from. In fact, it was almost exactly a year ago that I was talking about getting beyond the fluff of cloud computing, and eWEEK was asking if we can “bet on the cloud.” The evolution of cloud computing allows you to draw a number of parallels to similar technologies. Living and breathing virtualization, I can’t help but feel some déjà-vu when I hear the main issues of cloud computing discussed (both pros and cons): it’s incredible for efficiency, flexibility and scalability of your business, but what about manageability, security and overall maturity of the market? These are all things we’re saying about virtualization just a few short years ago.
But, like virtualization, the major players stepped up to drive cloud computing forward. VMware launched their vSphere operating system – a major step to addressing those concerns over manageability & security. Microsoft has launched their Azure platform, which helps simplify the entire development cycle of the cloud – from web developers to ISVs to system integrators. And, from a standards perspective, groups like the Cloud Security Alliance and the Distributed Management Task Force (DMTF) have taken control of this market to help ensure its evolving in a responsible way.
And, at AMD, we’ve been addressing the infrastructure needs. We now have a Six-Core AMD Opteron EE processor available that draws an ACP of 40W, as well as the “Kroner” server platform to further address energy efficiency. These low-power, highly scalable, fully-featured solutions help cloud providers operate an extremely efficient, highly utilized and dense computing environment.
The same way that AMD was ahead of the curve in developing on-chip virtualization features like Rapid Virtualization Indexing (RVI) and focusing on low-power server processors to ensure a highly utilized physical machine was saving energy costs – AMD is out in front with cloud computing again. The conversation has evolved from “will this catch on” to “how can we shift our business model to adapt,” and it’s conferences like the two happening this week that are instrumental in driving that discussion.
What do you think? Are we finally beyond the fluff?
Margaret Lewis (@margaretjlewis) is a Product Marketing Director at AMD.
Her postings are her own opinions and may not represent AMD’s positions, strategies or opinions. Links to third party sites are provided for convenience and unless explicitly stated, AMD is not responsible for the contents of such linked sites and no endorsement is implied.
Simply Spectacular Virtualization with 4P Six-Core AMD Opteron™ Processor-based Systems
Posted by Margaret Lewis in 4:40 PM
When I was attending VMworld in September, one of the most frequently asked question was “how do I decide whether to use 2P Intel Xeon 5500 processor-based servers or 4P Six-Core AMD OpteronTM processor-based servers for virtualization?” Over the past few weeks I have done a lot of research and put together a solid picture of where a 4P server can provide an amazing amount of value and efficiency.
Low and behold – I was not the only person working on this thought thread. We recently sent Johan De Gelas with AnandTech a 4P Six-Core AMD Opteron processor-based system. And in his review, “Expensive Quad Sockets vs. Ubiquitous Dual Sockets,” Johan focuses on some interesting points on the same topic (which my colleague John Fruehe discusses on the @Work blog as well). While he compares a number of workloads on 2P servers versus 4P servers- my interest was drawn to the section where Johan discusses one of my most favorite topics – virtualization (surprise, surprise).
In my research I have been taking a look at the pricing of 2P and 4P servers with larger memory configurations. Here is a snapshot of system costs using processors with similar specifications. Note how steeply the system price climbs for the 2P servers as the memory configurations grow.
| HP ProLiant DL385 G6 Server | HP ProLiant DL380 G6 Server | HP ProLiant DL585 G6 Server |
| 2 Six-Core AMD OpteronTM Processors Model 2431 (”Istanbul”), 2.4GHz, 75W ACP | 2 Quad-Core Intel® Xeon® Processor Model E5530 (”Gainestown”), 2.40GHz, 80W TDP | 4 Six-Core AMD OpteronTM Processors Model 2431 (”Istanbul”), 2.4GHz, 75W ACP |
| 64GB REG PC2-6400 16×4GB Dual Rank Memory | 64GB PC3-10600R 16×4GB 2Rank Memory |
64GB REG PC2-6400 16×4GB Dual Rank Memory |
|
$5,560.00 |
$7,272.00 |
$16,120.00 |
| 96GB Reg PC2-5300 12×8GB Memory | 96GB PC3-8500R 12×8GB 2Rank Memory |
96GB REG PC2-6400 24×4GB Dual Rank Memory |
|
$14,282.00 |
$15,922.00 |
$17,156.00 |
| 128GB Reg PC2-5300 16×8GB Memory | 128GB PC3-10600R 16×8GB 2Rank Memory | 128GB REG PC2-6400 32×4GB Dual Rank Memory |
|
$17,880.00 |
$31,242.00 |
$18,192.00 |
Johan came to a similar conclusion ”A very large database or virtualization consolidation scenario requiring more than 72GB of RAM will probably push you towards the quad Istanbul – once you need more than 64-72GB, memory gets really expensive on the Intel dual socket platform. There are two reasons for this: 8GB DIMMs are five times more expensive than 4GB DIMMs, and DDR3 is still more costly than DDR2 (especially in large DIMMs).”
OK – this is a compelling cost message. But what about performance? Johan gives two examples of performance – current VMmark scores with systems that have memory configurations ranging from 64GB to 128GB, and vApus Mark I, their own in-house developed virtualization benchmark, designed to measure the performance of “heavy” performance-critical applications and done in cooperation with the Sizing Servers Lab.
For performance details, latest results, and system configurations see http://www.vmware.com/products/vmmark/results.html.
So compelling performance - and more importantly – very compelling price/performance.
I did one other exercise during my research. Instead of just comparing server to server – I took a look at comparing a 42U rack of 2P servers versus a 42U rack of 4P servers. Using the system costs from the example above here is another snap shot
|
HP ProLiant DL380 G6 Server Quad-Core Intel Xeon processor (”Gainestown”) |
HP ProLiant DL585 G6 Server Six-Core AMD Opteron processor (”Istanbul”) |
|
| Total Number of Servers |
21 |
10 |
| Total Number of Processors |
42 |
40 |
| Total Number of Cores |
168 |
240 |
| Cost of servers with 64GB RAM |
$152,712 |
$161,200 |
| Cost of servers with 96GB RAM |
$334,362 |
$171,560 |
| Cost of servers with 128GB RAM |
$656,082 |
$181,920 |
The price difference of servers to fill a 42U rack is less than $10,000 when comparing 2P and 4P servers with 64GB of RAM – and over $400,000 more for 2P with 128GB of RAM compared to similarly configured 4P servers.
So the take away from my research – 4P servers running Six Core AMD Opteron processors provide the cores, memory and price to achieve simply spectacular virtualization! And, as I noted, to get some additional insights on the same topic, check out my colleague John Fruehe’s recent blog “AMD Opteron Processor – Delivering True Value, Not Just Benchmarks.”
Margaret Lewis (@margaretjlewis) is a Product Marketing Director at AMD.
Her postings are her own opinions and may not represent AMD’s positions, strategies or opinions. Links to third party sites are provided for convenience and unless explicitly stated, AMD is not responsible for the contents of such linked sites and no endorsement is implied.
New Efficiencies with AMD and Microsoft – How Silicon and Software Make Virtualization Happen
Posted by Margaret Lewis in 4:12 PM
Last week I was in San Francisco at the kick-off of the Microsoft New Efficiency Launch where Steve Ballmer showcased the new releases of three key products used by the businesses around the world: Windows® 7, Window Server® 2008 R2, and Exchange 2010. AMD is a sponsor of this launch and we are excited about the excellent alignment of AMD OpteronTM processor-based servers and AMD Business Class technology-based clients.
If you look at the products Microsoft is launching you see a lot of features designed to help businesses streamline and optimize their IT infrastructure. One point of interest at the launch event was the strong focus on virtualization with both Windows Server 2008 R2 and Windows 7.
Enterprise customers at the San Francisco event were talking about their implementations of Windows Hyper-V – something you might not have heard a year ago. Features like live migration and support for AMD VirtualizationTM (AMD-VTM) technology Rapid Virtualization Indexing (RVI) are new functionalities in Hyper-V R2. This is the result of the on-going collaboration between AMD and Microsoft on an engineering level – and the value it brings to customers is a virtualization platform that can efficiently and effectively run demanding applications such as database, web serving, and virtual desktops.
Virtualization with Windows 7 was showcased with a demo showing XP mode – a virtual machine running Windows XP that allowed seamless access to an older applications using Windows 7 capable machines. AMD-V technology again plays a role here – helping to improve performance to maintain a solid user experience. And virtual desktop technology – the streaming of applications and entire desktops from central servers to clients – is enhanced with Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2.
There are a number of events in progress throughout North America – check out if there is an event near you so you can see the products in action first hand. If you can’t attend the events alive and in person – visit the AMD booth at the Microsoft New Efficiency Virtual Experience.
Margaret Lewis (@margaretjlewis) is a Product Marketing Director at AMD.
Her postings are her own opinions and may not represent AMD’s positions, strategies or opinions. Links to third party sites are provided for convenience and unless explicitly stated, AMD is not responsible for the contents of such linked sites and no endorsement is implied.
AMD Showcases Virtualization Innovation at VMworld Conference
Posted by Margaret Lewis in 2:17 PM
The AMD booth has been a busy place during the VMworld Conference. One of the big draws in our booth has been three proof of concept demos that showcase up and coming technology – graphics virtualization, I/O virtualization, and secure boot of a hypervisor. We have just posted images of these demos for folks who could not attend the conference and to showcase AMD’s continued efforts to drive the maturation of virtualization technology. We’ll also be uploading the videos of these demos shortly – so stayed tuned!
Graphics Virtualization
With virtual desktops becoming more commonplace, the need is growing to support richer graphic environments that have not been easily served by traditional server hosted clients methodologies. This proof of concept demo shows how direct device assignment for a graphics card could help support demanding graphics applications like computer aided design (CAD) and digital content creation (DCC). Please note that the upcoming AMD OpteronTM 6100 Series processors, code-named “Magny-Cours” referenced below, are scheduled to be launched in the first quarter of 2010.
The demo runs on an AMD engineering development system featuring two twelve-core AMD OpteronTM 6100 Series processors (code-named “Magny-Cours”), an upcoming AMD SR5690 chipset and an ATI FireProTM professional graphics card. This system is executing 3DMark®06 or “Toy Store”/”Code Zero” from within a virtual machine running on VMware ESX 4.0. The demo compares graphics performance with and without direct device mapping and utilizes AMD I/O virtualization technology for the graphics passthru. Support for AMD I/O virtualization technology is offered experimentally with VMware ESX 4.0.
I/O Virtualization
Certain applications requiring high network throughput have not been considered as candidates for virtualization due to the overhead associated with virtualization. I/O virtualization is designed to help reduce this overhead with a goal of achieving near native network performance. This proof of concept demo compares relative network performance with and without I/O virtualization.
The demo runs on an AMD engineering development system featuring 4 twelve-core AMD Opteron 6100 Series processors (codenamed “Magny-Cours”), four AMD SR5690 chipsets, and a Solarflare 10Ge network interface card (NIC). The system is executing a network benchmark, NetPerf, on a virtual machine running on VMware ES X 4.0. The demo uses VMware’s passthru support for the direct device assignment of a certified NIC. Support for AMD I/O virtualization technology is offered experimentally with VMware ESX 4.0.
Secure Boot
Security is important consideration for virtualization, particularly as more business critical applications move to virtualized servers. This proof of concept demo highlights the use of existing hardware capabilities of a production-level AMD technology-based server for secure configuration control of a hypervisor.
The demo runs on an HP ProLiant DL385 G6 server with 2 Six-Core AMD OpteronTM processors. The DL385 server includes a Trusted Platform Module (TPM) security chip that is built into the motherboard of the system. The demo shows a secure boot of the system with VMware ESX 4.0 using a secure loader written by AMD software engineers. During the boot the configuration of the hypervisor is compared to configuration information stored in the TPM to ensure that there have been no malicious or unintentional modifications to the hypervisor. The status of the hypervisor is reported in the vSphere management console as either being secure or insecure. This allows an operator to avoid using a misconfigured or compromised hypervisor in the datacenter.
Make sure you also check out the AMD Virtual Booth on VMworld.com and the AMD Opteron Friendfeed for more VMworld-related information.
Let me know your views on the evolution of virtualization technology.
Margaret Lewis (@margaretjlewis) is a Product Marketing Director at AMD.
Her postings are her own opinions and may not represent AMD’s positions, strategies or opinions. Links to third party sites are provided for convenience and unless explicitly stated, AMD is not responsible for the contents of such linked sites and no endorsement is implied.
How to Drive a Hybrid – Implementing Desktop Virtualization
Posted by Margaret Lewis in 4:35 PM
Recently, I blogged about the market opportunities for virtualization, both in desktop and server. I now want to give you a better glimpse into the reality of implementing desktop virtualization solutions.
While there is a lot of talk out there about the benefits of virtualization and cloud-models, a lot of business are asking where the heck you are supposed to start. Let’s slow down and understand something first: one size does not fit all.
Something I’ve become a big proponent of is what I’ll call a hybrid model. What I mean is that you can think about virtualization and cloud computing in different pieces, and integrate those solutions without overhauling your entire infrastructure. In the spirit of practicing what you preach, we saw this success within AMD’s own Sunnyvale campus. In our IT department in Sunnyvale, about 100 engineers deployed server-hosted virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) so that they could share resources and a common desktop management infrastructure. The desktop virtualization runs as part of AMD’s HP blade server farm and storage environment consisting of HP’s EVA 8100 SAN and HP BL685 and BL465 blade systems with AMD OpteronTM processors.
This method of desktop virtualization provides users with access to server-based applications and related data via sessions running from central servers in the data center. We are currently able to host about 50 virtual desktops on one server! This has been a simple measure to improve the efficiency of our IT department, who could then provision the desktops of employees to more effectively manage issues without actually having to be at the physical computer. This VDI virtualization implementation increased responsiveness to ongoing project demands while helping to save operations costs.
Utilizing VDI within AMD is just one example. You can find a myriad of benefit from adaptive server and desktop virtualization. For example, security and management. In the VDI example data and applications reside on the server, not the client, which contributes to a more secure environment and on that is more easily managed by IT. It also enables more efficient software provisioning and patching. And the good news – you don’t have to implement expensive client systems with a lot of proprietary technology like Intel’s vPRO to reap these benefits.
During VMworld Conference, we plan to feature presentations from Citrix, Microsoft, and Wyse in the AMD “Masters of Virtualization” Theater, providing insights into this emerging world of desktop virtualization. Our own Tim Mueting will also feature a customer case study on desktop virtualization during his VMworld session – check out his blog for detail.
So what can you take from all this? Technology is made to empower you, not confuse you. Virtualization and cloud computing are receiving a great deal of attention because of the potential they offer to improve efficiencies and maximize resources, but there is always room for a hybrid approach. In fact, AMD’s very own Neil Kelly was at BriForum last month talking up this exact topic with Wyse Technology. In particular, they discussed solutions that are aligned at simplifying access to mixed data center cloud environments with superior user experience quality.
In this economic climate, I always encourage playing it smart. But, don’t just take my word for it – leave your experiences in the comment section.
Margaret Lewis (@margaretjlewis) is a Product Marketing Director at AMD.
Her postings are her own opinions and may not represent AMD’s positions, strategies or opinions. Links to third party sites are provided for convenience and unless explicitly stated, AMD is not responsible for the contents of such linked sites and no endorsement is implied.
Countdown to VMworld – Hear the latest trends in Virtualization Straight from the Masters
Posted by tmueting in 8:41 PM
VMworld 2009 is just around the corner and you can be sure that AMD will be front and center at what has become one of the premier technical conferences of the year. I’m honored once again to be speaking at one of the breakout sessions during the week. I invite you to come join me on Thursday at 10am for a discussion on Virtualization and Cloud Computing with AMD OpteronTM processor-based platforms. I’ll be covering the latest in AMD OpteronTM processors including exciting new features from our most recent introduction of the Six-Core AMD OpteronTM processor (formerly codenamed “Istanbul”). It is the industry’s only six-core process for 2, 4 and 8 socket servers and offers 34% higher performance-per-watt than Quad-Core AMD Opteron processor-based servers in the same power and thermal envelopes.
I promise this will be much more than just a product presentation. I will provide valuable insight into what we’re seeing in the world of virtualization and cloud computing. I’m very excited to announce that we also plan to have a special guest speaker during this session. Not to give too much away, but we expect to have a very special customer that will discuss their experiences as they move towards their goal of being 96% virtualized in their datacenter. This particular customer has been using virtualization for past several years for server consolidation and high availability and they have implemented over 1500 hosted virtualized desktops running on AMD OpteronTM processor-based servers and VMware software.
And speaking of sessions, we also have a complete line-up in our Masters of Virtualization Theater in the AMD booth in the Exhibition Hall. Please come by and say hello. You can check out several of our demonstrations featuring emerging virtualization technologies and attend a variety of presentations to learn the latest and greatest from many of our closest OEMs and industry partners including Citrix, Dell, HP, Microsoft, Sun and Virtual Computer, just to name a few. And as a bonus, we have two of our key customers lined up to present and discuss their experiences with virtualization and AMD OpteronTM processor-based servers.
The theater presentations will run every hour on the hour and last approx 20 to 30 minutes including Q&A. Please consult your VMworld schedule for Exhibition hall times and come by our booth – #1408 – for a complete schedule of the AMD booth presentations.
And if you just can’t wait for the conference you can visit the AMD booth at the VMworld Virtual Conference. I’ve just posted a new “Ask the Experts” piece highlighting the Six-Core AMD OpteronTM processor – check out some of the other new material on AMD while you are there.
We’re just a few weeks away. I hope to see you all there.
Tim Mueting is a Product Marketing Manager at AMD. His postings are his own opinions and may not represent AMD’s positions, strategies or opinions. Links to third party sites are provided for convenience and unless explicitly stated, AMD is not responsible for the contents of such linked sites and no endorsement is implied.
Countdown to VMworld – Six-Core AMD Opteron™ Processor Flexes Its Muscle
Posted by Margaret Lewis in 9:34 AM
The AMD virtualization team is doing final preparation for VMworld 2009, to be held at Moscone Center in just a few weeks. I was fortunate enough to have attended the first VMworld conference in San Diego in 2004 – and to have made every VMworld conference since then. In this timeframe the AMD OpteronTM processor has grown from its humble single core roots to an impressive six-core processor with hardware assisted virtualization called AMD VirtualizationTM (AMD-VTM) technology that is designed to deliver a perfect balance of price, performance, and power.
Since its introduction in June, Six-Core AMD Opteron processor-based servers have been achieving some solid virtualization proof points. In fact, a new top 48-core VMmark score was recently posted by HP with its AMD Opteron processor-based HP ProLiant DL785 G6 server. This is a new high score for VMmark of 47.77@30 tiles – more than 30% higher than the top 48-core score posted with an Intel Xeon 7460 processor (”Dunnington”).
Six-Core AMD Opteron processor-based servers also currently hold the three top 24-core VMmark scores – the HP ProLiant DL585 G6 has the top spot, and the highest 24-core score for blade servers is held by the HP ProLiant BL685c G6. The SolutionsOriented Blog “RIP Dunnington: HP’s 4P/24-core Istanbul Takes VMmark Summit” takes a look at the dollars per VM of some of the 24-core systems producing these VMmark scores and showcases AMD with a price performance advantage of almost 14% to 28% over the competition, depending on configuration.
Now I don’t think everyone understands how challenging it is to design a processor that achieves a “perfect balance.” AMD engineers are tasked to develop a product with as much performance as possible within a stingy power budget- and all at a cost that addresses today’s market requirements. This is not a processor designed specifically to win “raw” performance benchmarks – but rather to handle real workloads and drive new efficiencies in the data center.
We plan to do a couple of other blogs that outline some of our activities at VMworld – so keep an eye on this blog and our friends over at the @Work site!
Margaret Lewis (@margaretjlewis) is a Product Marketing Director at AMD.
Her postings are her own opinions and may not represent AMD’s positions, strategies or opinions. Links to third party sites are provided for convenience and unless explicitly stated, AMD is not responsible for the contents of such linked sites and no endorsement is implied.
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