All,
Another bottleneck for servers removed.
news.com
AST uses Intel RISC chip
By Michael Kanellos
October 2, 1997, 5:35 p.m. PT
Next week AST Research (ASTA) will unveil a
new Pentium II server that uses a separate RISC
chip for input/output (I/O) functions.
The Premium HS server will be one of the first on
the market to adopt the I2O-ready Ethernet and
RAID (redundant array of independent disks)
controller architecture promoted by Intel. Under the
new design, each controller is managed by an
independent Intel i960 RD embedded processor
rather than the central microprocessor, such as an
Intel Pentium II chip. Intel i960 I/O processors are
based on a RISC architecture design.
A Web server needs to efficiently transfer data
between the RAID hard disk subsystem and the
Internet gateway (the server that connects to the
Internet), since this operation is very frequently
executed by users reading Web site pages. With a
standard system, all data that is read from disk must
first travel into system memory prior to being sent to
the gateway, where it's sent to the Web browser,
according to an explanation posted on the I2O
Special Interest Group (SIG) site.
An Intel I/O processor and the I2O architecture
provide the framework for allowing direct file
transfers between the disk and the Internet
gateway, providing a potentially significant increase
in performance and scalability, according to the
SIG. Shifting the work in this manner frees up the
main processor and thereby increases performance,
according to proponents.
The Premium HS server will be targeted at medium
to large businesses. The machine will contain one or
two 300-MHz Pentium II processors, 12
hot-swapable drive bays, 64MB of high-speed
SDRAM memory, and a chassis design called
FlexChassis that allows for easier upgrades. AST
has also incorporated a number of fault-tolerant and
redundancy features, including its own Percepta Pro
server monitor agents, to prevent crashes.
Base configurations for the Premium HS will start at
$7,349. AST will begin shipping the server in
October.
Once a top computer vendor, AST has seen its
growth stall in recent years. Samsung acquired the
company earlier in 1997, but the merger has not
had a dramatic effect on AST's market share.
Clayton |
