在日前于美國舉行的年度開放運算高峰會(Open Compute Summit)上，由Facebook高層主導(dǎo)的開放運算計劃(Open Compute Project，OCP)為 ARM核心服務(wù)器處理器打開了進(jìn)駐資料中心的一扇門。 該計劃針對采用各種 ARM核心或x86架構(gòu)服務(wù)器處理器的插板(plug-in board)發(fā)表一套規(guī)格標(biāo)準(zhǔn)，而包括Applied Micro Circuits與Calxeda等廠商，展示了符合新規(guī)格并采用自家ARM核心處理器的電路板級設(shè)計。 但Facebook也清楚表示，目前該類芯片性能還達(dá)不到要求水準(zhǔn)。此外他們也指出，閃存供貨商需要重新擬定其產(chǎn)品計劃，以因應(yīng)今日資料中心對儲存的爆炸性需求。 Facebook是第一家向ARM服務(wù)器張開雙臂的 基于以上消息，F(xiàn)acebook現(xiàn)在成為第一家向ARM核心處理器服務(wù)器張開雙臂的大型資料中心業(yè)者；該公司的一位高層在去年底就曾透露，F(xiàn)acebook可能會為 32位ARM處理器找到一些少量應(yīng)用，但在64位處理器問世前恐怕還看不到該架構(gòu)處理器在主機(jī)服務(wù)器領(lǐng)域的大量運用，可能得等到2014年之后。 在近日于美國加州舉行的開放運算高峰會上(Open Compute Summit)，AMD也宣布了該公司有一位金融服務(wù)客戶正在測試其去年五月提出給OCP的電路板設(shè)計；板卡制造商Mellanox則展示了一款資料中心應(yīng)用的整合式連網(wǎng)產(chǎn)品。 透 過OCP，F(xiàn)acebook鼓勵大大小小的資料中心以及相關(guān)供貨商，在服務(wù)器與其它資料中心設(shè)備上采用一套共通標(biāo)準(zhǔn)以降低成本；而Facebook的競爭 對手如Amazon、Google與Microsoft還是采用特制服務(wù)器主機(jī)板以及其它資料中心相關(guān)設(shè)備，并沒有公開他們的設(shè)計細(xì)節(jié)。 Applied Micro宣布，該公司開發(fā)了一款采用自家X-Gene系列64位ARM核心服務(wù)器處理器、符合新OCP規(guī)格標(biāo)準(zhǔn)的主機(jī)板設(shè)計；該Common Slot規(guī)格可支持各種不同架構(gòu)的處理器。此外Calxeda也展示了采用 32位ARM核心處理器的主機(jī)板設(shè)計，可作為類似Facebook的Open Vault磁盤陣列系統(tǒng)的儲存控制器。

Facebook的Open Vault磁盤陣列系統(tǒng)
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Applied Micro表示，該公司可在2013年第一季結(jié)束之前，為關(guān)鍵客戶提供X-Gene系列處理器樣品，而采用64位ARM處理器的服務(wù)器主機(jī)版，可望在今 年底進(jìn)駐資料中心。Calxeda除了展示采用32位ARM處理器之Common Slot 規(guī)格主機(jī)板，也與Avnet Embedded 合作展示其資料中心設(shè)計，預(yù)計今年秋天可上市。 Calxeda表示，該公司的64位ARM核心處理器計劃在2014年推出。至于AMD與Intel也將推出支持Common Slot規(guī)格的 x86 服務(wù)器芯片。 本文授權(quán)編譯自EE Times，版權(quán)所有，謝絕轉(zhuǎn)載 第2頁：希望服務(wù)器和處理器廠商多考慮使用者的意見 第3頁：存儲方案也需要創(chuàng)新

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• 對話ARM：IC世界的競爭是場拉力賽
• 移動終端引領(lǐng)存儲器需求，NOR和DRAM各有困擾6ebesmc

{pagination} 在開放運算高峰會的專題演說與采訪中，F(xiàn)acebook高層表示，他們希望服務(wù)器處理器除了多核心之外別加入太多其它東西。 擔(dān)任開放運算基金會主席的Facebook硬件設(shè)計暨供應(yīng)鏈部門副總裁Frank Frankovsky表示，F(xiàn)acebook要的是“可分解(disaggregation)”的服務(wù)器，這類服務(wù)器能每年升級CPU，且無需同時抽換可能只要每五年左右再更新一次的內(nèi)存、網(wǎng)絡(luò)與I/O芯片。 目前至少有五、六家廠商計劃推出64位ARM核心服務(wù)器處理器，目標(biāo)是為大型資料中心節(jié)省能源，但所有這些方案或是相關(guān)產(chǎn)品發(fā)展藍(lán)圖，都是聚焦于打造以太網(wǎng)絡(luò)、專屬架構(gòu)或其它功能的高度整合組件，而那些功能是Frankovsky不希望加進(jìn)處理器的。 “我不敢說已經(jīng)有人表示可以確切按照我們的要求方式打造處理器，”Frankovsky在高峰會專題演說后接受EETimes美國版編輯采訪時指出：“不過當(dāng)他們聽到這樣的“可分解”消息，他們可以開始改變產(chǎn)品策略方向?！? 他補(bǔ)充指出：“今天是這樣的概念第一次被公開討論，所以處理器設(shè)計業(yè)者可能還需要一些時間來改變想法，考量他們要整合多少功能或是納入不同選項組合?！? Frankovsky 在演講臺上展示了一款符合開放運算新規(guī)格的 Common Slot 主機(jī)板，采用x8 PCI Express 連接器來將任何一種處理器主機(jī)板連結(jié)至其它服務(wù)器零組件，包括x86架構(gòu)英特爾(Intel)處理器與Applied Micro的ARM核心處理器。他表示，F(xiàn)acebook可能會在今年底以前首度布建使用該種 Common Slot 規(guī)格主機(jī)板的服務(wù)器。 根據(jù)Facebook表示，設(shè)計一款全新的服務(wù)器大概需要一年時間，透過采用開放運算規(guī)格零組件，該公司最近只花了六個月時間完成新設(shè)計；不過這還是跟不上軟件更新的速度。 “這是軟件與硬件發(fā)展速度之間的“阻抗不匹配(impedance mismatch)”問題；”Frankovsky在專題演說中表示：“當(dāng)所有的東西都被固定在PCB上，或是被金屬薄片包裹起來，我們就無法取得較佳的彈性?！? 本文授權(quán)編譯自EE Times，版權(quán)所有，謝絕轉(zhuǎn)載 第3頁：存儲方案也需要創(chuàng)新

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• 對話ARM：IC世界的競爭是場拉力賽
• 移動終端引領(lǐng)存儲器需求，NOR和DRAM各有困擾6ebesmc

{pagination} 存儲方案也需要創(chuàng)新 Facebook 基礎(chǔ)架構(gòu)部門副總裁Jay Parikh則是在另一場專題演說中幽默地表示，如果以汽車經(jīng)銷商來形容儲存方案供貨商，他們應(yīng)該要考慮在跑車(閃存)以及貨車(硬盤)之間提供折 衷的車款選項；而他想要的是一臺混合動力車，也就是具備大儲存容量的閃存，可允許讀寫次數(shù)耐受度較低，但價格也要低一點。 “當(dāng)我們得把不那么理想的東西硬塞進(jìn)來，對創(chuàng)新實在是一大阻礙；”Parikh表示：“底層的儲存系統(tǒng)是今日的一大問題?！彼谘菡f后接受采訪時指出，低成本NAND閃存可能開創(chuàng)許多資料中心新應(yīng)用，他正在定義特殊相關(guān)需求并將透過開放運算基金會公開。 Parikh 表示，打造該類大容量、低成本的產(chǎn)品可能會打亂閃存供貨商目前的產(chǎn)品計劃，但有助于支持資料中心領(lǐng)域快速擴(kuò)展的新應(yīng)用。在高峰會上，F(xiàn)usion IO宣布該公司將推出每GB約3.89美元的ioScale系列快閃記憶卡；至于硬盤機(jī)廠商則可提供每GB低于1角美元的的儲存方案。 根據(jù)Parikh分享的數(shù)據(jù)，在過去兩年使用者制造了約2.8 Zettabytes的新數(shù)據(jù)量，其中包括數(shù)以百萬計的、貼在Facebook頁面的圖片；為了因應(yīng)巨量資料，他的團(tuán)隊甚至認(rèn)真考慮采用藍(lán)光光盤做為新的儲存媒介。 Parikh還介紹了一種Facebook最近設(shè)計的、名為“Cold Storage”的客制化服務(wù)器，可讓儲存在單一機(jī)架的2 petabyte信息被快速存取；他表示：“為了因應(yīng)龐大的資料潮，我們必須投入所擁有的一切資源來加速儲存設(shè)備層面的創(chuàng)新?！? 本文授權(quán)編譯自EE Times，版權(quán)所有，謝絕轉(zhuǎn)載 編譯：Judith Cheng 參考英文原文：ARM backers jump on Facebook’s server bandwagon；Facebook covets core-heavy ARM SoCs，by Rick Merritt

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• 把握云服務(wù)衍生的市場新機(jī)遇
• 對話ARM：IC世界的競爭是場拉力賽
• 移動終端引領(lǐng)存儲器需求，NOR和DRAM各有困擾6ebesmc

{pagination} ARM backers jump on Facebook’s server bandwagon Rick Merritt Applied Micro and Calxeda are among ARM server SoC vendors supporting a new CPU-agnostic board spec that is as part of the Facecbook-led Open Compute Project. SANTA CLARA, Calif. – The Facebook-led Open Compute Project (OCP) announced a specification for a plug-in board that can accommodate a variety of ARM- and x86-based server SoCs. Applied Micro Circuits Corp. and Calxeda are among SoC vendors contributing board-level designs that meet the spec and use their ARM SoCs. With the news, Facebook becomes the first major data center to open the door to ARM SoCs in servers. An executive for the social networking giant told EE Times late last year that Facebook might find some low volume roles for 32-bit ARM SoCs, but that it sees no widespread use of the architecture in host server processors until 64-bit parts are available, probably in 2014 or beyond. Separately, Advanced Micro Devices Inc. (AMD) announced it has financial services customers testing board designs it submitted to OCP last May. In addition, Mellanox is showing an integrated networking product for data centers at the Open Compute Summit here. With OCP, Facebook is encouraging large and small data centers and their vendors to set common specs for servers and other data center gear to lower costs. Facebook competitors such as Amazon, Google and Microsoft specify custom server boards and other data center gear but don’t openly share details of those designs. Applied Micro announced it developed a board design that uses its X-Gene 64-bit ARM server SoC and complies with the new OCP spec. The so-called Common Slot specification announced at the summit can accommodate all SoC architecture types. Calxeda will show this week a 32-bit ARM SoC board that could be used as a storage controller for a disk drive array like this controller board in Facebook’s Open Vault. (To view a slideshow detailing Facebook's Open Compute project, click on the image). Applied said it is on track to sample silicon for X-Gene to key customers before the end of the quarter. “As the first to deliver silicon based on the ARM 64-bit architecture, Applied Micro gives consumers an opportunity to evaluate the benefits of this compelling processor architecture,” said Frank Frankovsky, chairman of the Open Compute Foundation and vice president of hardware design and supply chain at Facebook, in a prepared statement. “An alternative processor architecture such as ARM, coupled with open source software, has the potential to radically increase the amount of compute power we can get from the energy we consume and the money we spend,” Frankovsky said. “An ARM 64-bit server motherboard design has the potential to reach the data center by the end of this year,” Paramesh Gopi, president and CEO of Applied Micro, said in the statement. Separately, Calxeda showed a Common Slot board at the summit using its 32-bit ARM-based SoC. It also demoed Project Knockout, an ARM-based board that can be used as a controller for disk arrays in the OCP Open Vault storage spec. In addition, Calxeda partnered with Avnet Embedded to show other data center designs it will release in the fall. “Partners like Calxeda are critical to bringing creative new design options to the Open Compute Project community, and we applaud their technical contributions to the project,” Frankovsky said in a Calxeda statement. Calxeda is currently shipping a 32-bit ARM server SoC. It has announced plans for a 64-bit version that will ship in 2014. AMD and Intel will also support the Common Slot spec with x86 server chips. AMD shows boards, Mellanox net subsystem AMD aims to leverage the OCP process for a wide range of server buyers. It showed at the summit the first boards based on its Open 3.0 platform, a spec contributed to OCP in May. The boards are based on AMD’s 6300 processors and were developed in collaboration with 14 financial services companies including Fidelity. “A lot of customers I talk to like the OCP model,” said Bob Ogrey, an AMD fellow and cloud evangelist. “After the first OCP summit in New York in October 2011, I sat down with some of the financial services people,” said Ogrey. “We met again in January 2012 with a draft spec and had multiple conference calls to review and revise the spec which was released at the OCP summit in San Antonio in May,” he added. AMD will consider a similar board design for its 4300 series. It is also approaching server customers in other markets such as oil and gas with the designs. The approach aims to lower the cost and simplify the management of servers by letting multiple vendors tag on to a single high volume design. The boards currently are made by two Taiwan ODMs, Qunta and Tyan, a division of Mitac. The move effectively cuts branded server makers such as Dell and Hewlett-Packard out of the loop. They could offer to sell such boards, but it’s not clear what value they would add since their boards are also made by third-parties such as Quanta and Mitac. Click on image to enlarge. AMD's Open Compute 3.0 board is geared for financial services with a variant for Facebook. The Open 3.0 motherboard measures 16 x 16.5 inches, uses two 6300 CPUs and comes in versions that fit into 1U, 2U and 3U high racks, depending on how many hard drives, DRAM cards and adapter boards they use. One variant of the board is geared for Facebook’s Open Rack servers. Ogrey declined to comment on the Common Slot spec. AMD announced late last year it will ship ARM-based server SoCs in 2014. Separately, Mellanox showed sat the summit CoolBox, an integrated networking subsystem geared for data centers. It includes a top-of-rack switch and a server network interface and supports 10-40 Gbit Ethernet and 10-56 Gbit Infiniband links. Facebook covets core-heavy ARM SoCs Rick Merritt Vendors need to design simpler server SoCs and lower cost flash if they want to fill the many sockets emerging in data centers for the social networking giant. SANTA CLARA, Calif. – At the same event where Facebook managers opened the door for ARM server SoCs in the data center, they also made it clear that today’s chips fall short of what they seek, In addition, NAND flash vendors need to refocus their plans to fill exploding storage needs in the data center, they said. In keynotes and interviews at the Open Compute Summit, Facebook executives said they want server SoCs that pack lots of cores and not much else. They also called for a spectrum of NAND flash products in between the extremes of today’s consumer chips in USB drives and the premium products in solid-state drives. Facebook wants disaggregated servers, said Frank Frankovsky, the chairman of the Open Compute Foundation and vice president of hardware design and supply chain at the social networking giant. Such servers should accommodate upgraded CPUs when they arrive every year or so without needing to swap out memory, networking and I/O chips that might only change once every five years or so. At least a half dozen companies are planning 64-bit ARM server SoCs geared to save power for large data centers. But all those with existing chips and road maps are focused on highly integrated parts that build Ethernet, proprietary fabrics and other features Frankovsky doesn’t want into the SoCs. “I can’t say anyone has come saying we will build it exactly the way you are asking for it,” said Frankovsky in an interview with EE Times after his keynote. “When they hear this disaggregation message, they can start changing their direction,” he said. “Today is the first day that a lot of this has been discussed publically, so it may take time for SoC providers to think differently about how much they integrate and have different sets of options,” he added. He showed on stage a so-called Common Slot board based on a new Open Compute specification. It uses a x8 PCI Express connector to link any processor board into other server components. Intel x86 and Applied Micro ARM chips populated a board shown on stage Facebook may deploy its first servers using such Common Slot boards before the end of the year, he said. Shaving design time, flash costs It once took Facebook at least a year to design a new server, but using Open Compute components it completed a recent design in six months. That’s still far behind the pace of software which changes by the hour. “There’s an impedance mismatch now between the speed at which software and hardware moves,” said Frankovsky in his keynote. “Everything is bound to a pcb and wrapped in sheet metal, and that doesn’t allow us good flexibility,” he said. Separately Jay Parikh, vice president of infrastructure at Facebook, quipped in a keynote that if storage vendors were car dealers they would be offering a choice between a sports car (NAND flash) and a van (hard drives). He joked that what he wants is a Prius, large volumes of flash chips with relatively low write endurance and lower prices. “It really puts a crimp on innovation when we have to shoehorn into things that are suboptimal,” he said. “The underlying storage systems are a big problem today,” he said. Parikh said low cost NAND could open up many new flash uses in the data center. He is working to define his specific requirements and share them publicly through Open Compute, he said in a brief interview with EE Times. Creating such high volume, lower cost products could disrupt the current business models for flash vendors, he said. At the summit, Fusion IO announced it would supply its ioScale flash cards for as little as $3.89 per Gbyte. By contrast, hard disks provide storage for less than a dime per Gbyte. The disruption would help serve a rapidly expanding market. Users generated an estimated 2.8 Zettabytes of new data in the last two years, including millions of pictures posted to Facebook, he said. Parikh’s team is even contemplating the use of Blu-ray drives as a new storage medium to keep pace with the flood. He also described a custom server called Cold Storage that Facebook recently designed to pack into a single rack two petabytes of information that can be readily accessed. “There is a huge data deluge, and we have to throw everything we have at it to innovate faster at the storage device layer,” he said.