Re: They want a solution built for scalability and RAS, not just an x86 clone.
Intel's use of a shared memory bus puts a damper on anything over 2 processors. Anything over 4 processors isn't really worth the trouble. The linked node architecture and number of memory busses that scales with the number CPUs puts Hammer in whole different league when it comes to scalability.
Did you notice that Microsoft is adding memory locality logic to Windows 64? That doesn't do anything for Itanium, with its single memory path to 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, or 64 processors. An 8 way hammer system with memory locality enhanced Windows 64 will dominate any Itanium system whether it has 8, 16, 32, or 64 processors. A 4 way Hammer system will usually beat an 8 way hammer system. Now compare the pricing (hardware and software) of a 4 way system vs. an 8 way system.
Server buyers don't worry much about initial hardware costs, but 20K vs. 100K generally gets a second glance, followed by a review, followed by.... |
