| Multi-Cores: The Gateway to Next-Gen SBCs and Blades |
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| Intel | |
| Mar 01 2007 | |
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Page 1 of 2 With the introduction of Intel Core microarchitecture into embedded systems, history could very well repeat itself. The company that invented the microprocessor in 1971 and created the very first microcontroller in 1976 is about to revolutionize the embedded space once again. By bringing the power of parallel processing to embedded developers in an open-standards-based building block architecture, Intel is hoping to break down the cost barriers while taking embedded systems performance to new levels that once were reserved only for expensive computer systems specifically designed for symmetric multiprocessing (SMP), while also accomplishing unrivaled levels of efficiency. Today, the industry’s state-of-the-art Single Board Computers (SBCs) are equipped with multiple processor cores for dual-processing capabilities. In December, the Intel NetStructure MPCBL0050 was unveiled — a new AdvancedTCA-compliant blade server powered by the Dual-Core Xeon processor LV 5138. This puts four microarchitecture- based cores into a 200 W form factor. By doing so, Intel is hoping these scaleable building blocks significantly will improve performance for the compute- intensive and database-driven applications of tomorrow — IP Multimedia Subsystems (IMS), IPTV, unified messaging, etc.  Multicore processors will increase the computational density of embedded systems, including new Advanced TCA communications switches, while reducing thermal issues. Click to enlarge Even though Moore’s Law (which states the number of transistors in a semiconductor device will double about every 18 months) has helped embedded processors keep pace with the everincreasing requirements of computeintensive applications, power consumption and heat flux have turned into the principle barriers of further advancements. For example, just two generations ago, Intel produced a 64-bit, singlecore Xeon processor that had been codenamed “Nocona” found in the Intel NetStructure MPCBL0030. If you look at the www.spec.org Web site (a popular one for benchmarks), you can find that it scored a SPECint_rate_base2000 of about 33 in a dual-socket configuration, ran at 2.8 GHz, and consumed about 55 Watts each (110 Watts total). The 64-bit processor from Intel that is found in the Intel NetStructure MPCBL0050 is a dual-core processor, runs at only 2.13 GHz and has a TDP of 35 Watts (70 Watts total). However, it obtains a SPECint_rate_base2000 score of 81 in a dual-socket configuration. What this means is that by going dual-core, continuing to drive the best possible lithography process, and continuously improving the Intel microarchitecture, the Dual-Core Intel Xeon processor LV 5138 can achieve 2.5 times more performance while consuming a third less power at the processor. As with all benchmarks, this is only one test of performance and should not be taken as an absolute value, but the metric of scoring several times better perform-ance while consuming less power is the type of jump that Intel is achieving by going multi-core. Optimizing for Multi-CoreParallel processing delivers very high performance to a wide range of applications, depending on the programming implementation. It is clear that multi-core is the new path that will help the computing industry avoid the physical road blocks of size, power consumption, heat generation, and increasingly expensive manufacturing requirements necessary to generate ever-smaller critical dimensions on microchips. These challenges became extremely apparent as chipmakers approach clock speeds of 4 GHz. But simply having two processors or two cores is not as simple as it may sound. In order for the blade server marketplace to truly benefit from all that multi-core has to offer, there will need to be a shift in the fundamental way that software is created. In many applications, a monolithic approach has been used since the very first Intel processors were introduced. Now, spreading the code base across many cores — both within a die and within a board — is the next stage in digital evolution. Intel recognizes this and has been doing its best to help developers make the transition by providing compilers, VTune analyzers, and cluster tools that support multi-core applications. |
