AMD’s 32-core Naples is the next Zen chip on deck for release, and it’ll be in servers in the first half of 2016

At CES, AMD launched its first Zen chips for PCs, called Ryzen. Next on deck is the 32-core server chip code-named Naples, which will ship in the coming months.

Naples doesn’t have an official name yet, but the expectations are high. While Ryzen is set up for success in PCs, it’s a different story for Naples, which has to take on Intel’s juiced-up Xeon chips, which are used in most servers today.

AMD is trying to drum up excitement for Naples, which will be released in the first half of this year. It’s promoting Naples using the same tactic as it did for Ryzen — by talking about the performance benefits of the Zen CPU.

The Zen CPU core in Naples will provide the same performance benefits as in the Ryzen chips. AMD claims a 40 percent improvement in instructions per cycle, an important metric to measure CPU performance, compared to the company’s previous Excavator architecture.

Naples is notable for its high 32-core count, more than Intel’s Xeon chips, which have up to 24 cores. The Intel Xeon Phi supercomputing chip has up to 72 cores, but it isn’t targeted at mainstream socketed servers.

A higher core count matters as servers can do more, Forrest Norrod, senior vice president and general manager at AMD, said in a blog entry this week.

More data is moving into the cloud, which is putting more strain on servers in data centers. More cores will add processing power to help servers respond quickly to search requests, recognize images, and process uploaded videos faster. A server with a single CPU will be able to do as much as a current two-socket server, Norrod said.

AMD will come out with more Zen-based server chips with lower core counts, said Jim McGregor, principal analyst at Tirias Research.

A bulk of the servers today use quad-core chips, and the actual market for 32-core Naples will be limited. The server market is dominated by two-socket servers, while Intel’s 24-core chips go into a four- and eight-socket servers, which are used by companies like financial institutions that need a lot of horsepower.

“Intel has used Xeon to bleed the market” by forcing people to buy two-socket servers, and AMD could change that trend, McGregor said.

AMD will also pack in new memory bandwidth technology, which will boost server performance and possibly give it an edge over Xeon, McGregor said. It’s not clear what the technology will be, but it could be based on technology from Gen-Z, a consortium that is developing a high-speed throughput for use inside and outside servers.

AMD has surprised Intel in the server market in the past, only to self destruct. In 2003, it came out with the first 64-bit x86 server chip called Opteron, and Intel had to scramble to catch up. AMD lost the lead with its Opteron chips based on the Bulldozer architecture, which underperformed and were rejected by server makers.

The company killed whatever server market presence it had with another fateful decision to switch architectures. In 2013, AMD took the radical decision to put x86 on the backburner and reboot its server strategy around ARM architecture. AMD believed the power-efficient ARM chips would ultimately replace x86 in servers and have a 20 percent market share by 2017, but that hasn’t happened.

AMD shipped its first ARM server chips early last year, but ARM chips are virtually non-existent in servers today, though the promise remains.

Realizing its mistake, AMD reversed course, moving away from ARM for servers and switching back to x86 with Zen chips. In the meantime, Intel took advantage of AMD’s missteps and steadily rolled out new Xeon chips that supported the latest technologies. Intel now holds more than a 90 percent market share in server processors.

AMD has a big challenge with 32-core Naples. Companies like Google, Facebook and Amazon are building mega data centers with servers based on Xeon. Those companies have software stacks tuned closely to the processing, I/O, power, and throughput specifications of Xeon chips, and it could be tough for AMD to break into large accounts.

But AMD’s Naples is the first legitimate x86 challenger to Xeon in years. Google, Facebook, and Amazon could use AMD’s chip as leverage to get better chip prices from Intel. Xeon chips are expensive, and the margins make them highly profitable products for Intel.

Companies won’t make a switch to AMD overnight; it could take a year or more to ensure applications work on the new chips. But the competition is good, and AMD has nowhere to go but up in the server market, McGregor said.

AMD also has some technologies that could work to its advantage. It has mulled pairing a Zen server chip with its Vega GPU, which could be useful for tasks like machine learning. The company has also released a GPU targeted at machine learning called Radeon Instinct, but that’s effort is targeted toward Nvidia’s Tesla GPU, which dominates data centers.

Server wins for Naples are already coming AMD’s way. The company is also chasing the Chinese server market — which is growing fast — by licensing its Zen design to THATIC (Tianjin Haiguang Advanced Technology Investment Co.), a joint venture between AMD and a consortium of public and private Chinese companies.

By Agam Shah, source by NetworkWorld

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Want a better 2017 for your business? Then start the New Year off right by organizing your data. Cleaning out files, digitizing documents, implementing cloud storage, and developing better organizational systems are just a few ways to improve your business efficiency. Here are 10 steps you can take now to get your business in shape.

Clean out your files. Whether it’s physical file cabinets or digital folders, weeding out the documents you no longer need frees up space. It also helps you identify missing items, duplicate items, and areas that could be better organized. For documents containing sensitive information, such as customer data or financial figures, be sure to shred paper versions and properly delete digital ones.

Get a grip on paper. Some documents still need to be printed. Invest in a high-speed printer so you can spend less time printing and more time getting organized. Printer management services that help you manage your printers’ workflow can also help you reach maximum productivity. Finally, upgrading to printers with mobile printing capabilities ensures your team can print from anywhere, saving tons of time.

Digitize documents. Scanning documents and storing them in the cloud not only saves space but also makes sharing information simple. Choose a scanner that best suits your needs and budget. Features such as automatic document feed and double-sided scanning will streamline the process. Some scanners also let you send scanned documents directly to the cloud. Is office space at a premium? Then look for a small-footprint scanner or a multifunction machine that prints, copies, faxes, and scans. Make sure your scanner can handle any special needs, such as scanning a variety of different-sized documents, large-format documents, or high-quality color scans.

Think mobile. Mobile devices make it easier to stay organized. When you can access and save data anytime, from anywhere, you can feel confident you always have the latest version of a file. Make investments that enhance your team’s mobility, such as upgrading to computers and tablets with mobile broadband built right in.

Organize your devices. Managing, tracking, and maintaining your team’s mobile devices can be overwhelming. Simplify matters with a mobile device management solution that lets you monitor all your company’s devices from one dashboard so you can spot problems right away and take action. Manage security with features that let you change passwords, remotely configure settings, or wipe lost devices.

Secure your data. Security should be top-of-mind for any business owner today, but security risks are constantly changing. For instance, did you know your printer could be the weakest link in your security system? Printers with built-in security features can guard against hackers (take an assessment to find out if your printers are vulnerable to attack). Improve your computer security by choosing laptops preinstalled with security features to protect your data such as self-encrypted drives and privacy screens.

Organize your updates. Keeping track of the latest hardware and software is a full-time job in itself, so why not let the experts handle it for you? With subscription-based device-as-a-service plans, your business gets updated hardware and software whenever needed, so you’re always up to speed.

Know when to get help. Got questions about organizing and protecting your data? Looking for new solutions to help, but don’t have the time or expertise to investigate them yourself? Subscribe to an IT support service so you can get assistance, advice, or troubleshooting whenever you need it.

Use an organizational system that makes sense for you. If your approach to data organization is no longer working for your business, develop a new system. Get input from your team to choose the best solution for things like file naming conventions, folder organization, and controlling data access.

Keep on top of things. Now that you’re organized, make it a point to stay that way. Use your new organization systems—soon, they’ll be second nature. Set aside 15 minutes at the end of each week to file documents, purge outdated materials, and get organized for the week ahead.

Source by http://www8.hp.com/

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