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Throughput Computing, the underlying strategy for Sun's next-generation UltraSPARC processor family, is a radically new approach to processor design that significantly increases real-world application performance while helping to cut the cost and complexity of network computing. In simple terms, Sun is going to build processors to maximize throughput--or the aggregate amount of work done - for network computing workloads. Within two years, Sun plans to dramatically improve price/performance by delivering blade chips designed to increase today's blade application throughput by 15 times. Beyond 2005, expect to see systems with 30 times today's performance.
The Bottom Line
Sun is focusing on what's really important--not clock speeds or megahertz, but the amount of work a processor gets done. Increased throughput allows fewer systems to handle the same workloads, and dramatically reduces space, power, and maintenance requirements, thereby helping lower total cost of ownership while increasing reliability and availability.
Technically Speaking
Throughput computing is important because while processor speeds have been doubling every two years in accordance with Moore's Law, memory speeds have only been doubling every six years. The result: more and more time wasted waiting to fetch data from memory.
To address this disconnect, Sun's throughput approach is in stark contrast. Instead of waiting for memory, another process is started (process or thread). When a thread is delayed waiting for memory, another thread is activated. This means that not only are several threads being processed at once, but the processor doesn't have to spend three quarters of its time waiting for more data to be fetched. Essentially, it is symmetrical multiprocessing on a chip. This approach dramatically improves chip utilization and helps application throughput to skyrocket.
Chip Design Boosting Company's Bottom Line
Sun's throughput computing strategy offers long-term strategic benefits. By helping to lower your total cost of ownership, throughput computing can help free up resources, helping you to maintain a competitive advantage through the strategic delivery of new network services. And isn't that where you would rather focus your IT budget anyway?
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» Throughput Computing
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