Multi-core CPUs, x64 servers advance server consolidation efforts

Multi-core processors

Dual-core processors currently abound and it's looking like 2007 will be the year of the quad-core. Intel already offers a quad-core (although it is not a true quad-core, since it links two dual-cores on the same wafer). In this respect, it is much like the 80286 processor, which had two 16-bit processors linked to the same wafer to emulate 32-bit operation.

Advanced Micro Devices is working on delivering a true quad-core this year. AMD also guarantees that if you obtain a dual-core system today, you will be able to simply replace the processors with quad-cores when they become available—something you cannot do today with Intel processors. AMD processors also run cooler and require less power than Intel processors. In data centers that are running out of power (as well as out of air conditioning), processors that reduce consumption and maintain their cool make a lot of sense. Multi-core processors support server consolidation in that they pack more processing power into the same casing. This lets you reduce your server footprint while gaining processing power.

Move to 64-bit servers

Multiple cores are ava

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ilable for 32-bit as well as 64-bit servers. In addition, the current price point for 32- and 64-bit server-class machines is nearly identical. Both AMD and Intel offer x64 processors. But do not confuse them with IA64 or Itanium processors from Intel, which are based on a proprietary architecture. Since x64 is an extension of the x86 instruction set, it can run x86 applications natively.

The advantage of x64 systems is that they address more memory, up to 32 GB of RAM and up to 16 TB of virtual memory. Because of this:

Although x64 servers run either x86 or x64 operating systems, you're obviously better off with a true x64 OS. You will have to upgrade some of your system utilities, but moving to x64 systems is relatively painless (see Resources). Because x64 systems make better use of memory resources, they are an excellent vehicle for server consolidation.

Conclusion

These technologies and the changes manufacturers have made in licensing make it all the more compelling to move to a server virtualization environment. But because the objective of server consolidation is to reduce server proliferation, we'll need to look at other technologies before we go any further. After all, if you just take every physical instance of your server operating systems and virtualize them, you'll end up with more server than you had before since you'll now have to manage the host operating systems as well as the guest operating systems.

Continue to Guest OS virtualization furthers cause of server consolidation

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