在針對未來計算機運算大戰(zhàn)開打以前,AMD、ARM、蘋果(Apple)與英特爾(Intel)幾家業(yè)界巨擘正為本周一場具關鍵性的小規(guī)模前哨戰(zhàn)作好了準備。這一場悠關誰將取得云端市場而誰又能主導移動終端的前哨戰(zhàn)本周將在英特爾開發(fā)者論壇(IDF)期間悄悄展開。
在美國舊金山IDF期間,英特爾公司將發(fā)表新的客戶端與服務器產品與開發(fā)藍圖,以捍衛(wèi)其于Ultrabook到百萬兆次(exascale)級超級計算機等領域的地盤。該公司還將試圖在至今尚未站穩(wěn)腳跟的智能手機、平板電腦與物聯(lián)網(IoT)等熱門行動市場占有 一席之地。
英特爾的主要競爭對手──AMD與ARM,也將針對相同的整個領域展開左右夾擊行動,將為英特爾帶來更大的競爭威脅。以下是即將在本周發(fā)生的幾件業(yè)界頭號大事。
AMD在周一(9月10日)舉辦了一場新聞發(fā)布會,說明該公司收購SeaMicro及取得服務器技術后的發(fā)展計劃細節(jié)。我們已經知道SeaMicro公司的互連技術將繼 HyperTransport 后成為 Freedom Fabric 的技術基礎,AMD并將為 x86 與ARM芯片建立一項業(yè)界標準──同時也是打造各種大型資料中心系統(tǒng)的關鍵基礎。

SeaMicro公司在其原型板上以ASIC建置的專有互連技術,如今已成為AMD Freedom Frbric的一部份。
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就在AMD將召開記者會的同一天晚上,英特爾公司也將邀請媒體與其服務器業(yè)務主管餐敘。該公司也將同時在周一發(fā)布互連技術計劃相關演示文稿。
英特爾先前收購Cray公司的互連部門以及QLogic公司的Infiniband業(yè)務,正說明了該公司的計劃。很顯然地,英特爾的目標在于強化其處理器上的專有 Quick Path Interconnect 與CPU指令集的連結,以實現(xiàn)高性能運算與各種云端應用。
最近在 Hot Interconnects大會的一場主題討論中,與會工程師們熱切探討英特爾的計劃及其意涵。其中一位RaipdIO組織的代表表示正積極推動他們的技術,以作為可應用在ARM服務器SoC上的一項業(yè)界標準。
值得注意的是,在互連技術戰(zhàn)火結束以前,還會有多家新創(chuàng)公司投入競爭。新創(chuàng)的KandouBus公司正以一項與瑞士洛桑學院共同開發(fā)的超快速新技術伺機而動。
ARM當然也不會錯過躋身本周新聞頭條的機會。周一下午,ARM在距離IDF會場Moscone West會議中心附近的辦公室也對外開放。ARM行動與服務器部門主管將說明公司的發(fā)展計劃。
這真是一個令人振奮的時刻。不過,互連技術之爭還只是一個復雜且吸引人的部份,業(yè)界廠商更看重的還是關鍵的云端運算領域。
我們也期望能了解更多有關英特爾Ultrabook的新處理器產品。這些處理器在 Windows 8 正式發(fā)表前幾周首次亮相,將可同時支持 x86 和 ARM SoC,以應用于多款平板電腦中。AMD也將在此上演新戲碼,在新的管理團隊下,預計將在2013年推出一款低于5W的 Temash 芯片。
蘋果將正好位于這場移動戰(zhàn)火的中心位置。在IDF期間,蘋果公司預計將在舊金山的Yerba Buena Center正式發(fā)表眾所期待的 iPhone 5 ,這與英特爾將大力宣傳其 Medfiel d智能手機平臺及其相關產品的時間幾乎相同。
本文授權編譯自EE Times,版權所有,謝絕轉載
編譯:Susan Hong
參考英文原文:Intel forum is next front in x86 vs ARM war,by Rick Merritt
相關閱讀:
• 2012英特爾信息技術峰會(IDF2012)專題報道
• 傲游攜手英特爾邁向云時代IDF2012創(chuàng)新技術前瞻
• 西部數據亮相IDF 2012:誰說超極本一定要用SSD?SfXesmc
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Intel forum is next front in x86 vs ARM war
Rick Merritt
AMD, ARM, Apple and Intel are gearing up for a small but significant skirmish next week in the big war over the future of computing—and it’s all happening around IDF。
SAN JOSE, Calif。 – Next week's Intel Developer Forum is shaping up as the next front in the battle over who will own the cloud and who will own the mobile client。
During IDF in San Francisco, Intel will roll out new client and server products and initiatives to defend its turf in everything from ultrabooks to exascale supercomputers。 It also will try to grab some territory in hot mobile markets like smartphones, tablets and the Internet of Things were it lacks a firm foothold today。
Arch-rivals Advanced Micro Devices and ARM are setting up flanking actions all across the same terrain。 Here’s a bit of what it looks like from our vantage point。
Monday (Sept 10), AMD will host a press event to provide the first details about what it will do with the server technology it acquired with SeaMicro。 We already know SeaMicro’s interconnect will form the basis of a follow on to HyperTransport AMD will name Freedom Fabric and try to make an industry standard for an ecosystem of x86 and ARM chips—a key plank for building big data center systems of all sorts。
SeaMicro used ASICs on its original boards to implement the proprietary interconnect now part of AMD’s Freedom Fabric。
As AMD prepares its advance, Intel is inviting press to a small group dinner Monday night with one of the heads of its server business。 It has also put together a pre-briefing on its interconnect plans that will be announced Monday (Sept。 10)。
Intel’s acquisitions of Cray’s interconnect group and the Infiniband business of QLogic telegraphed Intel’s plans。 Clearly, the company aims to bolster the proprietary Quick Path Interconnect on its processors to link clusters of CPUs for high performance computing and other uses in the cloud。
The engineers at Hot Interconnects recently devoted a whole panel to speculating on Intel’s plans and their implications。 At the panel a representative of the RapidIO trade group said it is pitching its technology as a standard for use on ARM server SoCs。
Wild cards
Watch for wild card players to parachute in before this interconnect battle is over。 Startup Kandou Bus is waiting in the wings with an ultra-fast new technology created by an academic in Lausanne, Switzerland。
ARM is elbowing its way into next week’s headlines, too。 It’s hosting a Monday afternoon open house at offices near the Moscone West convention center that will host IDF。 There ARM mobile and server execs will regale the press with their plans。
It’s a heady time。 The interconnect battles are just one complex and fascinating part of it that’s central to cloud computing。
We also expect to hear about new Intel ultrabook processors。 They debut just weeks before the formal roll out of Windows 8 that will enable both x86 and ARM SoCs to power a variety of tablets。 AMD has a new play here too, under its new management, with a sub-5W Temash chip coming next year。
Apple will be right in the midst of the mobile battle。 During IDF it is expected to formally launch its much expected iPhone 5 at San Francisco’s Yerba Buena Center, spitting distance from IDF, at almost the exact same time Intel will be trumpeting its Medfield smartphone platform and its follow-ons。
責編:Quentin