The Server Room Blog

Windows Server 2008 R2 Cruises on 256 Intel Cores

scott1.e.smith@intel.com — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 23:02:43 GMT

Intel and Microsoft have had a shared goal of creating a more dynamic and efficient data center. That vision took another major step at Microsoft WinHEC, where Bill Laing, corporate vice president of Windows Server and Solutions, unveiled Windows Server 2008 R2 in which Microsoft increased Windows Server support from 64 logical processors to 256. This capability marks a significant milestone for data center mangers interested in improved energy efficiency, performance, scalability and virtualization on multicore Intel Xeon and Itanium processors, sort of like getting dragster performance and hybrid efficiency under the same hood. This scalability also enables unprecedented availability, business agility and IT productivity. If you want to see it in action, Laing along with Quentin Clark, Microsoft general manager of SQL Engine, give an impressive demo during Laing’s WinHEC keynote (at about 30:39) on both a 192-core Intel Xeon-based IBM server and a 256-core Intel Intanium-based HP server.

Server Selection – Simplified

christopher.p.peters@intel.com — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 18:59:01 GMT

OK ... Selecting the right server is anything but simple, but the process should be.

Selecting the right server to meet your business needs is critical to meet the changing needs of your business. What is right for you, is not likely right for the next IT professional – Why? In my experience, every IT and business is unique. What applications you run, the technology you have deployed today and your business goals are most likely are different from your peers and competitors.

Choosing the wrong server could result in sub-optimal business and financial results. Oversizing your server can result in too much headroom and under utilization over the life of your server deployment. On the other hand, if you under undersize, you may need to replace your server earlier than you planned or deal with increased complaints from users or customers (if they complain) about unresponsive applications during peak work times.

This guide highlights the latest technology options available from Intel and helps walk you through three easy overview steps to select and size your next server.

Step 1: Needs

What do your applications demand of your server?

Step 2: Capabilities

Compare capabilities and benefits of different servers

Step 3: Match

Optimize value by matching needs to capabilities

Server Terminology (Take 2) Outside the CPU

christopher.p.peters@intel.com — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 04:03:45 GMT

During my blog post last week titled "[processors-cpus-cores-arent-they-all-the-same|p-10936]", I got a request to talk more about server terminology, going beyond the CPU. So here we go.

The processor does all your computational calculations. The chipset is attached to the processor and manages information and data flow from the processor to the other system components like memory and other I/O (input / output) devices. If the processor is the "brain", then the chipset is the "heart". Memory and I/O devices are like "arms" and "legs" - you need them all working together. The term chipset, memory controller, and memory controller hub (MCH) are often used interchangeably

At Intel, we refer to the platform as the combination of all of these devices that comprise a server. From a hardware perspective, I see the following terms used interchangeably: platform, solution, system, server, workstation, and there are probably others I'm missing. However, I have also seen platform refer to the software stack, as well as the complete hardware and software solution together.

Another term that you may also here is form factor. Form factor refers to the size and shape of the final system you would buy from a manufacturer. The most common server form factors are rack mount, pedestal, towers and blades.

Processors - CPUs - Cores ... Aren't they all the same?

christopher.p.peters@intel.com — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 23:08:58 GMT

I get questioned often about the difference between these terms and it can be confusing. Now that we are in the era of multi-core, let's explore common terminology. What is the difference between a processor, CPU, a chip, a core and a socket? And how is threading different?

Processor / CPU: This is what Intel makes and OEMs design into their systems.
Processors and CPUs are sometimes referred to as CHIPs
*Sockets:* The physical location on the system board where the processor/CPU goes. Sockets are increasingly used to describe a servers capability. A 4S (4 socket) server supports up to 4 CPUs inside. Sometimes this might also described as to as 4w (wayness) or 4P (processor) server.

Cores: The number physical processing units contained within the processor. There can be one, two, four or more ...
*Threads:* Some Intel processors support multi-threading technology. This is simply the ability to run more than one software thread on a core (Single threaded means one stream of software per core at a time) (Multi-threaded means more than one stream of software is executed in parallel)

So ... Processor, CPU, Socket, and Chips are terms that are often used interchangeably. Cores and Threads are both features inside the processor. Was this helpful to you ? Let me know. Chris