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.

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 34^th 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 Opteron^TM 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 Radeon^TM 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 34^th 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. 11^th.

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.

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-V^TM 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.

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.

…And the timing couldn’t be better. Customers are looking for simpler ways to manage desktops, just as Windows 7 begins to drive another desktop refresh cycle. And, in these economic times, everyone’s looking to increase flexibility and efficiency. This is the promise of the virtual desktop, and why the Citrix announcement of the new XenDesktop 4 is making such a big splash in the market right now.

Citrix is excited to team with AMD to drive virtual desktops into the computing mainstream and make this all possible by making this ground-breaking product available for use with AMD hardware.  

Join the Revolution NOW!

So, what makes XenDesktop 4 so special and unique compared to what’s currently out there? The answer is with five very important features:

• Any device, anytime, anywhere. Whether working from an office thin client, home PC or mobile device, users can instantly and securely access their desktops from office or remote locations using XenDesktop. This enables complete workplace flexibility, business continuity and user mobility – something Citrix and AMD are both focused on. Users can add or remove applications using a self-service enterprise app store from a variety of devices, including PC, Mac, thin client or Smartphone.
• HDX^TM user experience. Deliver a high definition experience, over the network, with superior reliability and higher availability than a traditional PC. With Citrix HDX^TM technology, users get an experience that rivals a local PC, even when using multimedia, real-time collaboration tools, USB peripherals, and 3D graphics.
• FlexCast^TM delivery technology. Different types of workers across the enterprise need different types of desktops. Some require simplicity and standardization, while others need performance and personalization. XenDesktop is designed to meet all these requirements in a single solution with our unique Citrix FlexCast^TM delivery technology. With FlexCast^TM delivery technology, IT can deliver virtual desktops to user, on a variey devices. Each desktop is tailored to meet the performance, security and flexibility requirements with the goal of providing the best desktop for every user, every time.
• On-demand apps by XenApp^TM. To help reduce desktop management costs, XenDesktop offers the full range of Citrix application virtualization technologies. With application virtualization, IT can control data access, manage fewer desktop images, reduce system conflicts, and reduce application regression testing. Adding, updating and removing apps is simple and self-service for users, enabling them to access applications instantly from anywhere on the network, while getting a high-definition user experience.
• Open architecture. XenDesktop works with your existing hypervisor, storage and Microsoft infrastructures, enabling you to leverage your current infrastructure – while providing the flexibility to add or change to alternatives in the future. Whether you use XenServer, Microsoft Hyper-V, or VMware ESX or vSphere, XenDesktop supports them all and simplifies management of networked storage using StorageLink^TM technology. XenDesktop will also closely integrate with Microsoft App-V and System Center for application management.

It’s clear that the demands of today’s workplace and changing how and where technology powers our businesses. I encourage you to attend the on-demand Secrets, Lies and VDI virtual event, where Citrix along with partners, including AMD, decode the myths and uncover the truth about desktop and application virtualization. Here’s a few more to check out:

Watch a video of CEO Mark Templeton discussing how the virtual desktop is revolutionizing IT and the way we work.

Visit the XenDesktop 4 web experience

Join the XenDesktop 4 community

Follow us on Twitter: @XenDesktop and use the hashtag #XD4

Aimee Catalano is a Senior Director of Alliance Marketing at Citrix. 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.

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.

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

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.

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 Virtualization^TM (AMD-V^TM) 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.

We ran a full slate of theater presentations in the AMD Booth and, from what I saw, every session was standing room only.   This year we were treated to two customer presentations – Scott Ramnitz from First Data Corporation and Michael Foltz of Kroger Co. – two long time AMD customers and early adopters of virtualization shared their experiences. 

In addition to Scott and Michael, on Tuesday Steve Pope, CTO of Solarflare Communications discussed the performance challenges that virtualization presents for I/O Devices.  Solarflare is a leading silicon vendor delivering products that enable the rapid adoption of 10 Gigabit Ethernet for data center and enterprise networks.  Along with Solarflare and VMware, we demonstrated near native performance of AMD’s I/O virtualization technology on an AMD engineering development system featuring 4 twelve-core AMD Opteron 6100 series processors (codenamed “Magny-Cours”) and four AMD SR5690 chipsets running  VMware ESX 4.0 and Solarflare’s 10GeB NIC. Please note that the AMD Opteron^TM 6100 series processors, code-named “Magny-Cours,” referenced below are scheduled to be launched in the first quarter of 2010.

On Wednesday, Ron Graham, Technical Marketing Manager from Sun lead a discussion on virtualization performance on AMD Opteron^TM processor based Sun servers like the 8-socket Sun Fire X4600 M2 server and then again on Thursday Ron returned to discuss Sun’s AMD Opteron^TM processor-based Sun Storage 7000 Unified Storage Systems that deliver mission-critical entry storage. One of the most popular sessions of the week was given by Simon Crosby, CTO of Virtualization for Citrix Corporation.  Simon didn’t mince words while giving us his unique perspective on the state of virtualization today and what he believes we can expect in the future in his talk entitled  ”Cloud Computing and Desktop Virtualization.”  AMD continues our close work with Citrix on XenServer and XenApp and supported the Introduction of Xen Cloud Platform to help accelerate customer adoption of open enterprise-class cloud infrastructures.

Also on Thursday Armando Acosta, Product Manager from Dell presented “Dell Solutions to Power the Efficient Enterprise.”   Armando discussed Dell’s AMD Opteron^TM processor-based blade and rack server solutions designed specifically for virtualization and the enterprise, including the Dell PowerEdge 905 server which took home a 2009 InfoWorld Technology of the Year Award

For those of you who didn’t have a chance to attend one of these sessions or would like to revisit the slides you can see them here (along with a host of other information) at the AMD Booth on VMworld.com.  Also check out the latest AMD Virtualization Update by AMD’s Director of Commercial Solutions, Margaret Lewis.

All-in-all it was another successful event for AMD.  As virtualization is hitting mainstream AMD has released a full line of Six-Core AMD Opteron^TM processors that provides superior value for your most important virtualization workloads.  Don’t just take my word for it, according to a recent blog post at Solori that analyzes price/performance for 2-socket servers – “Istanbul continues to offer a 20-30% CAPEX value proposition against Nehalem in the virtualization use case…”

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.

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 Opteron^TM 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 Opteron^TM 6100 Series  processors (code-named “Magny-Cours”), an upcoming AMD SR5690 chipset and an ATI FirePro^TM 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 Opteron^TM 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.

That is 25% more virtual machines than the competition can claim running the same workload. As a side note, running the same workload on either a Six-Core AMD Opteron processor-based HP ProLiant DL585 G6 server or BL685c G6 blade -- we’re able to consolidate 120 virtual machines, which is 43% more VMs than the competition on a 4-socket, 24 core server.

But, don’t take my word for it, check out the video below (we also just broke our own record with HP releasing a a new top 48-core VMmark result on the same server with a score of 53.73 running 210 VMs!).

And, join us at VMworld August 31-September 3^rd. We’ll be showcasing this demo at our booth (#1408) as well as many more.

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.

¹Based on 30 tiles x 6 VMs for 48-core HP ProLiant DL785 G6 server, as tested using the VMmark benchmark (http://www.vmware.com/products/vmmark/results.html).

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 Opteron^TM 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.

 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 Opteron^TM 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 Opteron^TM 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 Opteron^TM 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.

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.

What’s unfortunate is that lately, in this economy, those opportunities have been few are far between. It’s not to say they aren’t there, but you have to search a little harder. Well, IDC and Gartner just reported some figures that show some opportunities that are pretty hard to miss. Let me summarize:

CIO.com recently ran a story discussing IDC latest predictions that virtualization spending will increase from $6.5 billion in 2006 to $15 billion in 2011 – with desktop virtualization making up roughly $2 billion of that. And, the story mentions that Gartner reported virtualization management software is set to continue strong growth and hit $2.7 billion this year.

Not excited yet? Fine.

Gartner also recently issued a press release discussing their latest predictions that – while the hosted virtual desktop (HVD) market came in at about $1.5 billion in revenue (1% of the worldwide professional PC market) and 500,000 seats in 2009 – by 2013 they expect the HVD market reach 49 million seats worldwide and bring in $65.7 billion in revenue (or 40% of the worldwide professional PC market).

Sure, this is good news for AMD, who provides the hardware infrastructure for both server and desktop virtualization – but it’s even better for our business partners. Take Microsoft for example. We’ve been blogging about their exciting new Windows 7 operating system since the Release Candidate (RC) announcement in May. It’s easy to get energized about how Windows 7 delivers an advanced multimedia and visual computing experience to consumers, but it’s also extremely important to businesses. Desktop virtualization gets a lot easier with Windows Virtual PC, which is music to the ears of OEMs and channel partners looking to capitalize on the exponential growth in this area that both Gartner and IDC are reporting. And, it sounds just as good to the customers looking to implement these solutions.

Also, you may have heard that this week Microsoft made available the Windows XP Mode Release Candidate (RC). We’d like to congratulate Microsoft on the several improvements they’ve made to XP Mode for small and medium-sized business users. Here at AMD, we’re especially excited about XP Mode’s built-in virtualization technology that is taking client virtualization to the next level by making use of AMD’s virtualization innovation at the processor level.

When it comes to server virtualization, we’re poised to ride that wave too. Our Six-Core AMD Opteron^TM processor is now in full swing in the market, and that family of products isn’t done expanding yet.  We have some exciting announcements coming up to meet the low power demand of customers looking to virtualize their servers, but I’ll let the @Work blog break that news.

Call me crazy, but I’m feeling pretty optimistic. What about you?

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.

@margaretjlewis

Virtualization is a technology well positioned to use multi-core processor technology. A virtualized server is really a “parallel environment” containing multiple virtual machines, each with their own operating system and applications spawning threads. Physical processor and memory capabilities are divided among these virtual machines with the Hypervisor performing the role of master scheduler of the hardware. Parallelism is achieved because multiple applications are generating tasks simultaneously.

Another approach to parallelism is to have the individual application simultaneously perform multiple tasks.  AMD just announced the delivery of a beta release of an OpenCL (Open Computing Language) software development kit for x86-based CPUs designed to help achieve this goal. OpenCL is an open, royalty-free programming standard for parallel programming CPUs and GPUs found in personal computers, servers and handheld/embedded devices.

OpenCL provides a framework for writing software that can tap into the vast computing power of CPUs and GPUs. A C-based language with a structure that is familiar to programmers, OpenCL is used to create compute kernels for performance-intensive parts of an application. OpenCL also includes a platform Application Programming Interface (API) to help developers query, select and initialize compute devices, and a runtime API to execute the compute kernels and to manage scheduling, compute and memory resources. 

Everyone knows that a GPU is highly efficient at manipulating computer graphics.  Not many people realize that the highly parallel structure of GPUs also makes them effective for handling complex algorithms, particularly where data requires a repeatable series of computations. Programming the GPU to work in concert with CPU to achieve more parallelism and accelerate program execution is the next big frontier in software. By creating an efficient, close-to-the-metal programming interface, OpenCL will form the foundation layer of a parallel computing ecosystem of platform-independent tools, middleware and applications

AMD is uniquely positioned as the only player in the industry currently delivering both high-performance CPU and GPU technologies. OpenCL will provide AMD’s multi-core CPUs and ATI Stream technology with a parallel programming platform that application vendors, ISVs and developers can use to better utilize all the computational capabilities available in their systems.

To learn more about OpenCL and the evolving world of paralliation, check out my colleague, Patti Harrell’s blog, ATI Stream is a Game Changer with x86 in AMD’s Corner.

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.

In our booth on the exhibition floor we demonstrated the ability to use VMware’s VMotion to seamlessly migrate a running virtual machine  between an HP Proliant G2 server running Dual-Core AMD Opteron “Rev F” processors (released in 2006), G5 server running Quad-Core AMD Opteron “Shanghai” processors, (released in 2007) and the newest G6 server with Six-Core AMD Opteron processors.  We’ve just released a video on YouTube featuring a similar demo -- except that it also includes our upcoming processor codenamed “Magny-Cours”.

I’m constantly getting questions on the topic of live migration and VMotion in particular.  Customers want to be assured that they can use VMotion to migrate virtual machines between older and newer versions of their AMD processer-based platforms.   Apparently we and our technology partners could do a better job of getting the word out. 

So let’s be clear -- the answer is a resounding YES!

Here are the facts.  With the launch of our first quad-core processors, AMD formalized a functionality that had existed in our processors for a while under the feature name of Extended Migration.  This capability enabled virtualization software vendors like VMware to support the live migration of a virtual machine between different versions of AMD processors starting with Rev E, which was released in 2004.  Subsequently, with ESX 3.5 u2, VMware released a feature as part of VMotion called Enhanced VMotion Compatibility (EVC) that uses AMD Extended Migration to support VMotion between AMD Opteron processor generations.  In order to utilize the feature, each server must be configured for EVC.  For information on configuring EVC, see the “Migrating Virtual Machines” chapter in the Basic System Administration Guide for your ESX release.  You can also gain a better understanding of EVC processor support and baseline definitions at the Enhanced VMotion Compatibility (EVC) processor support VMware web page. 

Keep in mind that live migration across AMD Opteron^TM processor generations is supported by other virtualization software, including Citrix XenMotion and Microsoft HyperV Server 2008 R2 Live Migration. In fact, you can watch a demo showcasing Hyper-V live migration between Quad-Core and Six Core AMD Opteron processors.

And don’t forget the technology demonstration we did a year ago with Red Hat, showcasing live migration between an AMD and Intel processor -- the YouTube video is still getting a lot of views.

Rest assured, AMD is pushing the technology envelope to cover all bases when it comes to offering broad support for your virtualization environment.

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.

Many of the improvements in Windows Server 2008 R2 are centered on Hyper-V, Microsoft’s hypervisor that ships with the product. Noteworthy is the support for Rapid Virtualization Indexing (RVI), a key feature of AMD-V^TM technology that is designed to reduce the complexity of memory handling and enhance performance for demanding applications like web serving and database. My colleague Tim Mueting has an  in-depth Q&A on RVI posted on the Doing It Virtual web site if you want a more detailed look at the technology.

In addition Windows Server 2008 R2 offers live migration capabilities. This long awaited functionality, which allows the migration of running VMs between physical hosts, is a standard feature of the basic Server 2008 R2 product as well as with the upcoming Hyper-V 2008 R2 Server.  This means you don’t have to pay extra for this key functionality. Hyper-V Live Migration is supported on up to 16 node clusters. AMD Opteron^TM processors have included Extend Migration functionality since 2005, designed specifically to enable live migration capabilities in virtualization software. Check out the video on YouTube that showcases Hyper-V Live Migration on AMD Opteron processor-based servers.

Windows Server 2008 R2 is also about scalability offering support of up to 64 processors cores and up to 384 VMs running concurrently per host system in Hyper-V. This provides seamless support for the HP ProLiant DL785 G6 8 Socket featuring Six-Core AMD Opteron processors.

So congratulations to Microsoft on another successful RTM. Check out Jason Perlow’s article for a more in-depth look at Windows Server 2008 R2.

And don’t forget Windows 7 – check out Nigel Dessau’s recent blog to read more about how Windows 7 combined with the upcoming DirectX 11-enabled ATI Radeon^TM graphics cards will help deliver what we at AMD like to call The Ultimate Visual Experience^TM.  Another good read is Matt Kimball’s blog on Windows 7 virtualization capabilities.

Margaret Lewis (@margaretjlewis) is a Product Marketing Director at AMD.

There are a lot of neat features in Windows 7 that should please consumers.  If upgrading from Windows XP, the most noticeable difference for most users will be the new Aero interface. In addition to the rich graphics and intuitive design, there are features built in such as Aero Snap and Aero Clip that allow users to compare windows side by side, or quickly look at inactive windows without minimizing the entire desktop.

If you’re an IT Administrator, there are also features that can make your life a bit easier. If upgrading to Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 (which also announced RTM this week), a new feature called DirectAccess will allow you to manage remote PCs over the internet. And this same feature will allow your remote users to access network resources such as file servers and intranet sites without having to go through a Virtual Private Network (VPN) connection. 

And speaking of remote users, if you are a mobile user who is looking to squeeze every minute of battery life out of your notebook, Windows 7 comes with a number of advanced power management features designed to help you realize power savings whether you are doing email during a layover or watching a movie on a long flight.

But, maybe one of the coolest features in Windows 7 is support of Windows Virtual PC and Windows XP Mode. With XP Mode, Microsoft has built in client virtualization technology that makes it easy to install and run Windows XP applications directly from a Windows 7-based PC, allowing users to enjoy the benefits of Windows 7 while maintaining support for legacy applications. Whether those applications are children’s educational games or Line of Business (LoB) applications for the enterprise – Windows XP mode is easy to install and use.

To run Windows XP Mode you will need to have a processor with hardware-based virtualization capabilities. All currently shipping AMD CPUs, with the exception of very low-end AMD Sempron^TM processors, include AMD-V ^TM a hardware-based virtualization technology needed to support XP mode.

Just remember that when using Windows Virtual PC (XP mode), you are essentially running two separate operating systems on your computer.  If you don’t lock down that Virtual PC instance, you risk exposing your entire computer to a number of security risks. So remember to apply patches, turn on the Windows firewall, Windows Defender and install anti-virus software.  In other words – whatever precautions you used to lockdown your Windows 7 environment?  Take those same precautions for your Windows XP instance.

Microsoft has made a number of optimizations for the Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) environment. Notable is an enhanced version of the Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) that allows for remote video playback in Windows Media Player 7, multi-monitor support and the ability to print local, without having to install drivers on the server. AMD has worked closely with Microsoft to deliver highly optimized virtualization platforms. Keep in mind that a senior Gartner analyst has predicted that the fastest growing server workload running in the data centre over the next two to three years is going to be the desktop.

In addition to virtualization, AMD has provided very strong support in the graphics arena. In fact, AMD just announced the release of the company’s first WHQL-certified ATI Catalyst^TM graphics drivers for Windows 7 RTM this week. We’re excited for the new OS here at AMD. How about you?

Matthew Kimball is a Product Marketing Director 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.

I’m excited today to tell you about a virtualization webinar that AMD recently hosted with valued hardware partner, Dell.  A few years ago Dell and AMD collaborated to create some of the industry’s first servers optimized for virtualization — the Dell PowerEdge R805 and R905 rack servers. In fact, earlier this year the Dell PowerEdge R905 won an InfoWorld Technology of the Year Award for Best Virtualization Server. Since then, we’ve continued to work together to fine-tune virtualization and are now expanding our efforts to reach SMBs — a rapidly growing area for virtualization.

In this Webinar, “Optimal Virtualization with AMD, Dell and Microsoft,” I join Antonio Sanchez, Senior Server Product Manager in Dell’s SMB segment to discuss the hot topic of virtualization for small and mid-sized business.  We understand that many small businesses looking to utilize virtualization have questions.  This session offers valuable information about how the software, hardware and processor technology must all work together to provide a superior virtualization solution.  As you all know, that’s what I’m all about – the magic between the software and the hardware – and Dell and AMD are working hard with software partners like Microsoft to make that magic happen. 

This is a must-listen for all you SMBs IT managers thinking about virtualization. Be sure to listen in and if it sparks any thoughts or questions, leave me a comment.

Margaret Lewis, director, AMD commercial software and solutions

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.

@margaretjlewis

So what is hot this summer? Besides Texas – we are setting records with triple digit temperatures – there is Client Virtualization. This emerging area promises to become even hotter as we move into the fall. There are several approaches to Client Virtualization – virtual desktops, streaming applications, and client hypervisors.  Before you get mired in the methodology – the key take away is that client virtualization offers you an alternate way to secure, manage, and add flexibility to your client infrastructure. I just did an interview with All Tech Radio on the topic of Client Virtualization so follow the link if you want to listen to some deeper thoughts while you are basking by the pool.

One of the gurus of application and desktop virtualization is Brian Madden. AMD is thrilled to be a sponsor of BriForum 2009 in Chicago July 21 – 23 in collaboration with Wyse Technology, a leader in thin client technology, including technology based on AMD hardware. It is well worth checking out Brian’s thoughts on advances in Client Virtualization – and we will report back to you our experiences at BriForum – hopefully the topic will sizzle but the weather will be cooler in Chicago.

When we speak of client virtualization we should not forget Windows 7 XP mode. This exciting new feature provides you with a Windows XP virtual machine where you can run XP-based applications. You do need a client system with hardware virtualization technology– and lucky for you all AMD client processors (with the exception of AMD Sempron™ processors) currently ship with our hardware assisted virtualization – AMD-V™ technology.

 Server virtualization has not cooled down. Windows Server 2008 R2, which includes Hyper-V R2, is marching towards a planned release later this year. We have just posted a new live migration video with showing the ability of Hyper-V R2 to migrate a running VM from our Quad-Core to Six Core AMD Opteron™ processors. This kind of flexibility is a result of AMD’s dedication to a stable platform and our cooperative engineering effort with Microsoft. Check out the video on YouTube. And don’t forget that this release also supports our Rapid Virtualization Indexing (RVI) technology.

This summer also has AMD in planning mode for VMworld  in San Francisco August 31 through Sept 3. We view our sponsorship at this industry leading event as a perfect close out to a “summer of virtualization.“  We are evaluating showcasing demos that push the next wave of innovation in virtualization –like virtual desktop with VMView, enhanced hypervisor security, and I/O virtualization. And of course we will also be showcasing energy efficient version of our Six-Core AMD Opteron™ processor . We already have a booth in the VMworld On-Line Virtual Conference so check us out as we ramp up to VMworld Conference.

So not only do we find Texas hot – virtualization is also heating up the summer.  Hopefully we will see you at some of these activities.

Margaret Lewis, director, AMD commercial software and solutions

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.

@margaretjlewis

Google recently posted a blog highlighting its plans to release the Chrome OS for both x86 and ARM CPUs in 2010. Google is making this move to provide mobile devices like netbooks and smart phones and with a fast and lightweight OS that gets people onto the web in a few seconds. The assumption is that the user experience takes place “in the cloud” – not on the client computing device and the OS is the vehicle to get you there.

A large number of articles and blogs have popped up on the web as the result of this blog. Since everyone loves a fight – everyone is picking a pairing. Some focus on a Google versus Microsoft battle – others on the x86 versus ARM. And of course this provides new fire power for the on-going open source versus proprietary software discussions since the Chrome OS is described as a basic Linux kernel with a new windowing system and the Chrome browser.

I believe the real issue revolves around where applications are executed. The bottom line – somewhere you need  CPU and GPU processing power  to execute the demanding applications  and deliver the high-end visual experience we all have come to love.

In the Chrome OS world the entire computational action takes place in server farms with the client device providing a window into this world- it does not execute applications or store data.  ”A netbook running Chrome OS isn’t likely to be able to do much when it is not connected to the Internet”, said Al Gillen, an analyst at IDC in a recent article by the Wall Street Journal “Google Targets Microsoft’s Turf.” The Chrome OS is banking on a fast and pervasive adoption of the Cloud Computing model – the web as the delivery vehicle for applications, data, and services.

This is in contrast to today’s most popular desktop, laptops, and mobile devices – most of which can surf the web and also execute applications. What does this mean? These devices have functions even when off-line – like playing games, watching a movie, listening to music, editing photos, or even writing a blog. This is the world where Microsoft Windows runs the majority of devices. In the government and commercial market, which accounts for a majority of PC sales, 70% of applications require Microsoft Windows, Gartner analyst Michael Silver estimates in another Wall Street Journal article “Chrome May Not Shine for Google.” That is why Microsoft is refining the client virtualization model in the upcoming Windows 7 OS to ensure that you – the end user ─ can continue to execute your favorite applications.

So who wins the battle of where applications execute? My crystal ball is cloudy today so I don’t have any predictions – but I believe we are in for an interesting time of innovation. I believe we’re moving toward server farms that can deliver impressive processing power of CPU and GPUs, client devices that can drive richer visual experience, and more and more demanding on-line application environments (take a look at my “Thunder Clouds” post to read about Facebook and some of their requirements).

The HPC world has been using the concept of compute farms to drive applications for years – check out the blog by my colleague Andy Parma wrote called “Is the Cloud a Cluster or is Cluster a Cloud” for interesting viewpoint on how the world is blurring. 

And here is a fun fact – the first OS used for real work is generally thought to be GM-NAA I/O, produced in 1956 by the General Motors research division for its IBM mainframe ─ in an era where OS were mainly developed by the end user!

Margaret Lewis, director, AMD commercial software and solutions

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.

@margaretjlewis

AMD, in collaboration with HP, were Primetime Sponsors of Structure09, which drew the “who’s who” of cloud computing – hardware, software, providers, consulting, press and users. One of the featured sessions was a Fireside Chat featuring Jonathan Heiliger, vice president of technical operations at Facebook, and Om Malik, founder of the GigaOM Network.

In this session Jonathan expressed his disappointment with AMD, Intel, and system OEMs. Specifically for AMD and Intel, Jonathan lamented that he was not getting the advertised performance from our latest processor technology. On the system provider front, Jonathan’s unhappiness was focused on the power consumption of the system.

As a representative of one of the companies called out by Jonathan – and sitting in the audience and hearing his talk first hand – it was hard not to squirm in my seat. We are supposed to be customer centric – we are supposed to be solving Jonathan’s problems so he can successfully grow his business.

So what is the take away from Jonathan’s talk?  Two points: benchmarks don’t necessarily measure real world performance, and the harsh reality of living on the “bleeding edge.” 

Benchmarks

The first point – benchmarks – is a topic that we at AMD are talking about a lot. Be it server VMmark scores or laptop battery life measurements  – we want performance measurements more relevant to real-world situations. Jonathan’s comments validate this approach – he has a very specialized software stack that he believes is not showing the performance of the industry standard server benchmarks that AMD and Intel quote. 

Life on the Bleeding Edge

The second point is life on the bleeding edge – Jonathan’s words suggest he is trying to drive his production environment to new levels of scalability.  When you hear Jonathan’s pain you realize why the research community and supercomputing world are often the leaders in implementing new innovations – they have the luxury of doing this type of revolution in non-production environments.

Perhaps Facebook has found the perfect storm. Getting the most value out of the fastest processors in the world is hinged on hardware and software working in lock step, and innovating together. This is an issue we deal with every day in developing and optimizing our multi-core technology. But, as an industry, we still need to get better.

So, how are we addressing this issue? At AMD we are focusing our efforts on designing and delivering balanced server platforms in terms of performance, price, and power consumption. The market trends of virtualization and cloud computing confirm this approach – these are not “high performance computing” workloads where raw processor power is demanded. Rather, these hard working environments need to keep utilization rates high and user response time low – all while drawing as little power as possible.

In terms of driving software to deliver better multi-threaded code, AMD is investing resources to design better optimized compilers and working to develop technologies that help with the development of parallel programs, like OpenCL.

There is a revolution coming – the way we use technology is changing. Jonathan’s talk was a reminder to all of us who design hardware and software:  we need to stay connected with the customer. Designing technology for technology’s sake is not the answer.

What are your thoughts on this topic? I’d love to hear your take on it.

Margaret Lewis, director, AMD commercial software and solutions

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.

@margaretjlewis

Now you might ask, “what do these events have in common?”  The answer ─the heart and soul of both HPC and Cloud Computing is the “compute cluster” -an approach that links groups of computers together and has been driven into mainstream by x86 computers.  And while the applications these clusters are driving and the data they are delivering might be drastically different – there are some basic commonalities on an infrastructure level.

Both types of clusters thrive on multi-core processors. More cores typically deliver more compute capabilities that can translate into performing more calculations for the HPC world and handling more transactions for the Cloud world. Power consumption is a nagging problem since larger and more powerful clusters commonly eat up a lot of energy and demand a lot of cooling. Both are driving new advancements in our digital world:  HPC clusters help us solve some of today’s most complex problems while cloud computing provides the framework for searching and sharing the answers. And, of course, there is this bothersome economy influencing how many servers can be added to any type of data center.

So, what is AMD doing to design for both types of clusters? We continue to drive a balance of price, performance, and power into our processor architectures. Our server processor road map demonstrates an understanding of the real needs of both HPC and cloud clusters.  Our G34 platforms, under the platform name of “Maranello,” are designed for expandability and performance. Our C32 platforms, under the platform name “San Marino,” help provide the low cost and power consumption that many cloud providers require.

 I spent time last month in AMD’s Bellevue office and met with a talented group of AMD engineers who are working on further developing their understanding of the hardware and software requirements for cloud computing so they can further optimize AMD processor-based platforms. As a company we are continuing our efforts to help refine the underlying technology that will enable both types of clusters in the future─toward the goal of improved platform  power efficiency,  software methodologies to efficiently drive  heterogeneous cores, enhanced graphics capabilities for improved user experience, and the continued maturation of virtualization for x86-based computers.

My colleague John Fruehe published a blog that takes a closer look at why he believes the AMD Opteron^TM processor is ideal for supercomputing.  I will similarly be posting a blog on cloud computing and giving you my first hand view of the Structure09 conference.

I can’t resist ending on a HPC note – particularly since, in a galaxy far away (it was actually last century), I was a part of the HPC community, working at the Maui High Performance Computing Center. Take a close look at the Top500 list and notice that AMD Opteron processors are in the #1 and #2 supercomputers – as are 9 of the top 20 computers. At AMD we design for innovation and quality!

Let me know your thoughts – what similarities do you see between HPC and Cloud clusters?

Margaret Lewis, director, AMD commercial software and solutions

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.

@margaretjlewis

While we talk about cloud computing as a new data center paradigm, in reality we have been steadily making the Internet a central communications vehicle for some time now. So, as the idea of cloud computing – the delivery of applications, data, and services via the Internet – gains more formal adoption, it is interesting to explore the types of clouds we are using today, and the technology driving these clouds.

One of the biggest topics of conversation I’m hearing is about internal vs. external clouds (I prefer this term over public vs. private because not all external clouds are open to the “public”). What we are really defining here is who “owns” the cloud, or, in other words, who owns the infrastructure.  Here’s how I see it:

• Internal Cloud – you are using the Internet as to deliver applications, data, and services to your users AND you own and maintain the cloud infrastructure (hardware, network, storage, OS, Hypervisor). In essence, you hold the power to say “hey, you, get off of MY cloud.”
• External Cloud – you are using the Internet to obtain services such as compute time, storage, and application stacks from a 3^rd party provider who owns the infrastructure.

I think it is actually more insightful to look at another side of cloud computing – one that classifies compute clouds by the type of services delivered as opposed to who owns the cloud computing infrastructure. So – here goes a look at the clouds in my life:

• Personal Clouds – providing services that help keep my life in order and the home fires burning.
  • Personal Communication Clouds – email and social network sites like Facebook for keeping up with friends and family
  • Banking cloud – where I go to pay bills and check on whatever money I have left after the current economic meltdown
  • Entertainment clouds – the TV guide and movies on-demand by my cable provider and the Wii network, for downloading my type of games (trivia point – AMD graphics processors power the Wii).
  • Shopping clouds – from big catalog companies to the small specialty business where I buy Kona Coffee
• Professional Clouds – clouds that drive AMD’s business or my professional persona
  • Business Communications Clouds – email, Twitter (you can find the professional me as @margaretjlewis), or Yammer (communications within the AMD community)
  • Company business clouds – Salesforce.com and AMD’s internal SAP site for example
  • Business communities – clouds where I hook up with other business people, like LinkedIn
• Performance clouds – an emerging type of cloud based on streaming data.
  • Gaming clouds – I must admit I am not an on-line gamer – so these are “foreign clouds” to me
  • GPS clouds – using spatial data to figure out where I am, like On-Star or any of the variety of GPS environments
  • HPC clouds – computational computer grids used by researchers and scientist to help solve today’s complex problems

So what is behind all of these clouds? A lot of sophisticated infrastructure – large server farms, high end networks, and petabytes of storage. A bit overwhelming. But once again let’s take a different look at cloud computing by keying in on one of the most basic component of any cloud – the processor.

The processor provides the computational and power to drive cloud clusters. It could be clusters of CPUs handling high rates of transactions like for an on-line catalog or clusters of CPUs and GPUs combined to provide astounding levels of computation for on-line gaming. One thing is for sure:  with the growing size web and cloud clusters, there is the need to balance performance with power consumption and space restrictions. This is driving demand for denser, more power efficient processors.

And, trust me: at AMD, we see how the world is evolving and take all of those factors into account. If you follow AMD, then surely you know all about our recently announced Six-Core AMD Opteron^TM processor (code named “Istanbul”). We are extremely excited about the potential of six-core performance delivered in the same power and thermal envelopes as our Quad-Core AMD Opteron processors, and so should everyone who cares about cloud computing. We are designing and driving platforms that offer a balance of performance, power, and price.

We are already seeing keen interest among cloud providers and web hosting companies in the Six-Core AMD Opteron processor’s capabilities to deliver more performance (more cores) in the same power envelope as Quad-Core AMD Opteron processors (code named “Shanghai”), and the potential for a total cost advantage. We see up to 34% more performance-per-watt delivered in the same socket infrastructure. And, we already have a number of major cloud providers using low power “Shanghai” (HE and EE) processors – so the stage is set for an upgrade to “Istanbul” – particularly when its low power versions are expected to be available later this year.

 The world of computing is changing – raw processor performance is being replaced with balanced system design. “Shanghai” continues to deliver performance/watt and price/performance and “Istanbul” is now joining the party.

 So, which clouds do you have in your life? There is a good chance that some of these clouds are powered by AMD processors.

Margaret Lewis, director, AMD commercial software and solutions

Margaret Lewis (@margaretjlewis) is director of commercial software and solutions 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.

@margaretjlewis

With the introduction of Six-Core AMD Opteron^TM processor (codenamed “Istanbul”), there is now enough public information on the web to take a closer look at configurations and pricing of Six-Core AMD Opteron processor-based systems (”Istanbul”) and Quad-Core Intel Xeon processor-based systems (”Gainestown”) that have posted top VMmark scores.

Before I dive into the comparisons, let me acknowledge that I’m sure a lot of people will call “foul” with this comparison since the Intel Xeon 5570 processor-based system uses 96GB of memory and the AMD Opteron 2435 processor-based system uses 64GB of memory. Let me remind you that these are the “VMmark configurations” which are submitted by OEMs. 

Here is the comparison of VMmark configurations for similar models of HP ProLiant 2P/2U G6 systems that were priced on the HP ProLiant Server web site on Friday, June 5, 2009. Each system had the processors and memory configuration as listed on VMmark disclosure documents along with the default disk controller, one 146 GB hard drive, and the default hardware warranty.

The HP ProLiant DL385 G6 running Six-Core AMD Opteron processors (”Istanbul”) offers the same cost per VM as the ProLiant DL380 G6 running Intel Xeon 5570 model with a system cost that is about 1/3 less. It should be noted that the DL385 is using a standard processor model as opposed to the high-end processor model used by the DL380.

You can configure the AMD technology-based DL385 with a considerably cheaper 64GB configuration using 16 x 4GB DIMMs. This results in a system cost that is almost 2/3 less than the Intel configuration using 12 x 8GB DIMMs. Assuming that there is about 10% performance difference compared to the 8 x 8GB AMD processor-based configuration with this alternate memory configuration, the estimated cost per VM would be $115. Mind you: the 10% performance difference here is not a measured result – it is more or less an educated guess of what we might see if we changed our memory configuration from 8 x 8GB to 16 x 4GB. But it shows that shows that it should be possible to get an even better cost per VM and overall system cost using AMD technology-based systems. It should be noted that the DL380 does not offer a cheaper 96GB memory configuration – the configuration listed is the cheapest.

In order to show a more comprehensive comparison I have done a hypothetical 64GB comparison (listed below). I have selected a comparable memory configuration for DL380 system using the HP DDR3 Memory Configuration Tool to decide the best configuration for the DL380 system due to the complexities surrounding configuring systems with Intel Xeon 5570 3 memory channel architecture. The recommendation from HP for virtualization was to 8 x 8GB DIMMs. For the DL385 I show both 8 x 8GB and 16 x 4GB memory configurations since both of these configurations are valid and result in well performing systems. I have also listed the cost per VM when running 10, 20, 40, and 60 VMs per system. Keep in mind the average number of VMs per server may be closer to 10. For reference, responses to SearchDataCenter.com’s 2008 Purchasing Intentions Survey reveals that only 5% of respondents are running more than 25 VMs on a server – 61% are running less than 10 VMs per server and 33% are running 10 to 25 VMs per server.

In both comparisons in this blog it is obvious that the Six-Core AMD Opteron processor (”Istanbul”) continues AMDs focus on producing a processor that offers a balance of performance, power and price. A similar comparison of VMmark systems and price/performance can be found on SolutionOrientedBlog.

Let me know your thoughts about these comparisons.

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.

Margaret Lewis, director, AMD commercial software and solutions

Margaret Lewis (@margaretjlewis) is a commercial software and solutions director at AMD.

@margaretjlewis