AMD listed first ARM CPU server

AMD new Seattle server chips to start shipment, it is the company's first ARM processor, the product has repeatedly delayed, until 15th start formal delivery.AMD wanted to use the ARM processor architecture server challenge the dominance of Intel.

New Opteron A1100 processor mainly used on the web server, network equipment, store display.Chips have version 4 and 8 nuclei, with network and storage controller.AMD had planned to Seattle chip was introduced in 2015, but in the end product delays, AMD data center products, enterprise solutions department, senior vice President Dan (Dan Bounds) explained that bond's delay is mainly due to the ARM server market isn't ready.Bond also said, now everyone more and more understand the advantages of ARM server available software has increased.

Lack of software support seriously obstruct the popularity of the ARM server, Seattle chips listed will match the Linux operating system, middleware, Virtual Machine based on kernel Virtual Machine (K), the Xen hypervisor.In addition, AMD will launch Seattle developer tools, named "HuskyBoard", convenient software developers to test, the current price of the product and time to market is still not clear.AMD is also ready to provide customized for a particular network ARM chips, just not suitable for custom plans to Seattle chip.Customize ARM server chips will appear in the next generation of CPU architecture (code-named ZEN), product will be launched next year or the year after.

The ARM server market is still very tender, data center is main or use X86 chips, ARM processor has the advantage of low energy consumption, it can effectively run standard LAMP suite, used in web services and cloud storage.

Some companies have begun to set limit to test the ARM server, such as baidu, PayPal, and Morgan Stanley.Infrastructure from X86 to ARM task is very heavy, need to enterprises in the hardware and software and unprofitable.Had appeared on the market some ARM chips server, such as Cavium and AppliedMicro them ahead of AMD, these enterprises had beat a deal with server manufacturers.HP has recently used in Moonshot, server AppliedMicro chips.Analysts believe that AMD is expected to lend ARM server restore the relationship with the manufacturers, the manufacturers X86 server products, but before that it must first convince manufacturers use ARM products.In addition to HP, no large manufacturers to launch ARM server.Lenovo and dell is testing system, evaluate the interest of the clients.Lenovo CTO Peter holden (Peter Hortensius) said last week, if the user interest is very big, lenovo will launch the ARM to the server.

The server from SoftIron using AMD ARM chips in the first paragraph of the company, it also sells a system called "Overdrive".AMD is working with Beaconworks development of storage system, and foxconn support Caswell company development network virtual system.

The development of ARM server chip maker is not smooth, AMD will face fierce competition.Opteron A1100 shipment price of about $150, the product performance and Intel Atom server chips.The latest Atom C series chips, launched in 2013.The top Opteron A1170 chips running frequency of 2.0 GHz, A1150 frequency of 1.7 GHz.The power consumption of the chip is 32, with 4 MB L2 cache and 8 MB L3 cache, support DDR3 and DDR4 memory.Chip also supports the article 8 of the three generations of PCI - E channel, support two 10 g Ethernet interface, support 14 SATA 3 storage interface.Carry the subsidiary chip also supports authentication and encryption function.