In my previous blog I talked about some of the Intel's key technology advances, including 45nm high-k metal gate technology and our core microarchitecture.

Technology is providing tremendous benefits to IT

Now let's see how we apply these and other technologies to our server roadmap.

We've recently changed our segmentation strategy for servers - instead of segmenting by number of sockets (1S, 2S, 4S ...) we focus on an end user based model. The new categories are Entry Level (most cost effective for entry servers), Efficient Performance (focus on power effiency and ability to scale out), Expandable (more memory, more I/O, scale up) and Mission Critical (highest availability and scalability)

2008 is the "tock" in our "tick tock" model where we introduce our new microarchitecture code-named "Nehalem". Some of the new innovations include an integrated memory controller and 2-way simultaneous multithreading. Quick Path Interconnect dramatically increases the bandwidth of the platform, and there are a number of new features to reduce energy consumption. The Efficient Performance version of Nehalem is a 2 socket quad core platform using 45nm technology.

In the Expandable segment we introduce our "Dunnington" 6 core processor, which is socket compatable with current four socket platforms. More cores, more cache, more memory, more I/O makes this a great platform for consolidation and virtualization. Speaking of virtualization, this is another key technology in Intel platforms. VT (vritualization technology) is now available in all Intel server platforms, and enables virtualization of both the processor and the I/O subsystem. Our Flex Migration feature enables the live migration of virtual machines between processors of different vintages, incresasing the flexibility of virtualization deployments.

Mission critical systems based on the Intel Itanium processor need a massive amount of resources in order to scale to the highest processor and core counts to get maximum performance. The next-generation processor code-named "Tukwila" will provide multiple cores and resources in a chip with over two billion transistors. These systems incorporate the next-generation Intel QuickPath Interconnect to support reliability and additional performance.

Here are a couple of links to examples of customer success stories with quad core processors and 45nm technology

Case Study: Quad-Core Processors Pass the Test at Cornell University

Case Study: Sohu.com Powers the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games* Official Website