AMD64 + MS SQL Server 2005 = a Revolution in Database Solutions

AMD is planning a revolution in database solutions. AMD64 and SQL Server 2005 supports database platforms that previously required high-end proprietary servers to run. The combination utilizes the advantages of 64-bit and dual-core technology, providing a comprehensive business environment and an operational environment with smaller, power efficient servers. The immediate benefit to DBAs of moving from single-core to dual-core is the ability to use smaller, more powerful servers to run databases or fewer servers to run applications.

Benchmarks show one AMD 4P Dual-Core server provides comparable performance to some of the 8 processor or single-core servers on the market today, and does it at a smaller cost. The TPC for the AMD 4P Dual-Core servers weighed in at $2.40, while for a comparable 8P server it was just below $6.00.

On the other side of the street, Intel is also offering x86 based processors that are 64-bit and they have been introducing dual-core technology in servers, just as AMD has, but with a different underlying architecture than AMD. AMD calls their architecture Direct Connect Architecture, which allows different components (the processor chips, the memory, the IO chips) to be directly connected together when you build your hardware system. This provides a high-speed environment for moving data around, compared to the Intel technology, which uses an older architecture often referred to as a front-side bus architecture, where all of the processors on the system have to go through one single chip, called the Memory Controller Hub, before it goes out to memory or IO.

“The Legacy x86 architecture tends to have bottlenecks, whereas we provide an infrastructure where the chips are interconnected with technology that allows more even data distribution and flow on the system,” said Margaret Lewis, Commercial Software Strategist for AMD. She went on to say, “One of the things the database really needs is for the processor to access data that’s in the memory banks of the computer as fast and efficiently as possible. One of our big revolutions is to provide what we call an Integrated Memory Controller.”

The Integrated Memory Controller provides fast memory access that helps improve application performance. The CPU has dedicated bandwidth for memory, and low latency. In addition, bandwidth increases with the addition of CPU’s.

In terms of customer success, Margaret Lewis pointed to MySpace.com, a popular social networking and music website. MySpace currently has 32 million users, is growing at a rate of 130,000 new users a day and processing 15 billion transactions daily. Deploying AMD64 and SQL Server 2005 technology provided them with much needed headroom for growth. The 64-bit capabilities improved connections between web servers and databases.

“AMD’s 64-bit Dual-Core technology and MS SQL Server 2005 is going to provide a lot of utility to the database world, with people’s growing data demands.” Stated Margaret Lewis.

For additional information, please visit http://www.amd.com/.

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