There is some hard work that has been done on WIND. Takes some time to read. Worth it though...
From Don Mosher on G and K thread
Message 14427142
Message 14427193
Message 14427223
An excerpt...
Internet Servers. Tornado for Intelligent I/O Architecture is a complete out of the box solution for building diverse intelligent I/O platforms for Intel-integrated iServers, iLANs, iSANS, and iRAID. On today's servers, CPUs boast unprecedented levels of performance, but using the CPU for input-output (I/O) tasks unacceptably slows this performance; whereas, off-loading I/O to an input-ouput processor/IxWorks embedded system not only speeds performance but also solves many interoperability problems caused by incompatible drivers. (A device driver expands the functioning of an operating system by acting as a translator between the device and programs using the device.)
Another benefit of WRS's I2O collaboration with Intel was apparent in Intel's announcement a year ago of its Internet eXchange architecture (IXA). In post 7708, Benn described Intel's success formula, "Create a proprietary processor family that energizes a mass market of software and hardware developers that competes successfully with inflexible hardware and expensive proprietary software solutions." Intel has unleashed it considerable resources to brand IXA, striving to make it a de facto standard. To ensure rapid acceptance and standardization, it was in Intel's best interest to offer a reference design that specified WIND's Tornado/VxWorks as a compatible building block in its drive to move into the Internet switching market.
Internet Infrastructure. Tornado for Managed Switches (TMS) is an integrated software solution for building networking infrastructure, including packages for basic layer 2 and extended layer 2 Ethernet switches, and for layer 3 Ethernet switches and routers. The first product emerging from the valuable TMS solution was Cerent's technology, which led to its buyout by Cisco for 6.9 billion dollars. In post #7764, Allen Benn estimated that the run-time royalty from Cerent might run one million a year. Currently, TMS is very hot in the optical switching market, with 10 design wins last quarter. The HA in the newly introduced VxWorks AE will allow WIND to move upstream, from NICs to Controllers, going deeper into the infrastructure. |
