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Virtualization: Article

ScaleMP Makes Virtual SMP Systems Out of Opterons

vSMP Foundation will support the current eight- or 12-core Opteron 6100 Series chips
By Maureen O'Gara
Article Rating:
September 21, 2011 09:00 AM EDT
Reads:
 1,850

ScaleMP has announced a strategic collaboration with AMD in the name of its high-end vSMP Foundation virtualization. It's the first time the eight-year-old ScaleMP has supported AMD. Its heart has previously belonged to Intel but customer demand reportedly pushed it to add AMD.

So starting in a couple of weeks, it will scale Opteron-based servers beyond four processors into a single virtual symmetric multiprocessor (SMP) system with a maximum 512 multi-core processors and 64TB of memory.

vSMP Foundation will support the current eight- or 12-core Opteron 6100 Series chips, AMD's Magny Cours, as well as the upcoming Opteron code-named Interlagos based on AMD's new x86 Bulldozer core. Interlagos, which should be out next week as the 6200 Series, is supposed to deliver eight, 12 and 16 cores.

ScaleMP rates its ability to aggregate up to 128 individual Opteron-based servers into a virtual high-end SMP computer as a "game-changer."

Traditional multiprocessor systems require a custom chipset and board to enable processor communication and shared memory. The larger the system the more complex and costly the solution is. vSMP Foundation, however, creates a single virtual SMP system out of commodity boxes, enabling multiple physical systems to function as a single logical system and cutting TCO.

ShareMP's upcoming release of vSMP Foundation will aggregate up to 128 AMD servers, providing customers with up to 64TB RAM and 512 sockets, offering a maximum 8,192 cores (10,240 cores for Intel). A limited release of vSMP Foundation will be available October 1 followed by general availability November 21.

Figure $100,000 for a mid-range Interlogos system with 512 cores and 2TB of memory.

ScaleMP says it's now got 300 customers. Demand has been doubling every quarter. It's serving three markets: the private cloud folks; the single operating system segment where it competes with clustered management solutions; and the single large system segment served by, say, SGI and other proprietary solutions. It claims it has no competition in the private cloud.

Published September 21, 2011 – Reads 1,850
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More Stories By Maureen O'Gara

Maureen O'Gara the most read technology reporter for the past 20 years, is the Cloud Computing and Virtualization News Desk editor of SYS-CON Media. She is the publisher of famous "Billygrams" and the editor-in-chief of "Client/Server News" for more than a decade. One of the most respected technology reporters in the business, Maureen can be reached by email at maureen(at)sys-con.com or paperboy(at)g2news.com, and by phone at 516 759-7025. Twitter: @MaureenOGara

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