Which Operating System Best Suits Your Needs?

The operating system is to a computer what a foundation is to a house. The operating system is the low-level software that performs all the basic functions of a computer, providing the underlying foundation for all other applications executed by the machine. Examples of some of the functions of an operating system include: handling the interactions between the processor, memory, keyboard, display, and peripheral hardware; scheduling software tasks; authorizing users; tracking files and directories; and representing a default interface to the user. For most servers, the operating system carries the added responsibility of helping to ensure that multiple users and applications run across multiple processors without interfering with each other.

At AMD we view the operating system as one of the most critical components of the AMD64 software Ecosystem. Applications like databases, Web servers, and graphic design tools are constructed to run with a particular operating system, making the choice of operating system a key decision factor for users when purchasing a server or workstation.

Designed to provide users with the freedom to choose the software environment that most suits your needs, the
AMD Opteron™ processor extends the x86 instruction set to support 64-bit capabilities. By retaining x86 compatibility, the AMD Opteron processor is capable of running today’s most poplar 32-bit operating systems and applications. There is also a growing base of 64-bit operating systems for the
AMD Opteron processor that provides the flexibility of running both 32-bit and 64-bit applications. There are currently over 40 different versions of operating systems available including:

• Market-leading 32-bit Windows® XP, Windows Server 2003, and Windows Small Business Server 2003 products from Microsoft. Beta releases of 64-bit Windows XP and Windows Server 2003 for AMD64 are also available.
• Over 20 different versions of Linux, including production-level 64-bit distributions from MandrakeSoft, Red Hat, SUSE, Turbolinux, and UnitedLinux. This also includes community Linux projects that are developing free 64-bit Linux distributions, including cAos, Debian, Fedora, and Gentoo.
• Four UNIX-based operating systems, including 32-bit Solaris x86, an enterprise-class operating system from the industry-leading hardware and software vendor, Sun Microsystems. An AMD64 version of Solaris x86 is currently under development.

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Now Available — Pre-release Versions of Windows® Server 2003

Windows Server 2003 for 64-Bit Extended Systems provides high performance for both 32-bit and 64-bit applications on the same system. The underlying architecture is based on 64-bit extensions to the industry-standard x86 instruction set, allowing today's 32-bit applications to run natively on 64-bit extended processors such as AMD Opteron. At the same time, new 64-bit applications are executed in 64-bit mode, which processes more data per clock cycle, allows greater access to memory, and speeds numeric calculations. The end result is a platform that leverages the existing wealth of 32-bit applications while also providing a smooth migration path to 64-bit computing. Windows Server 2003 for 64-Bit Extended Systems is currently under development, with delivery scheduled for the second half of 2004. Evaluate this operating system for yourself now>>>

The AMD64 Ecosystem — A Software Solution Showcase

The availability of software solutions is a major decision point for users when purchasing a server or workstation. The AMD Opteron processor provides users with the freedom to choose the Linux, Solaris, or Windows operating environment that best suits your business needs. Designed to retain compatibility with hundreds of 32-bit x86-based server and workstation applications, the
AMD Opteron processor also provides the flexibility for customers to migrate to a growing base of 64-bit applications based on business needs. AMD and its major server and workstation partners - FSC, IBM, Microsoft, Red Hat, Sun, and SUSE - are working with commercial software developers, the Open Source community, and in-house corporate developers to build a rich ecosystem of software.

The AMD64 Ecosystem currently showcases over 400 software packages, including approximately 100 64-bit versions, (including software that is generally available and in development) from over 100 software developers. This includes:

• Core software technologies that provide the underlying foundation for other software. Over 40 versions of Linux, Solaris, UNIX, and Windows operating systems are featured along with over 130 development tools that support these operating systems.
• Over 25 versions of database engines that help manage the growing needs driving our digital world. This includes software from the industry-leading database vendors, Computer Associates, IBM, Microsoft, Oracle, and Sybase as well as the Open Source community.
• Over 208 versions of infrastructure software and vertical applications that enable organizations to successfully run their global businesses.
• Infrastructure software includes security and management tools and Wweb servers, application servers, email servers, and transaction servers from industry-leading software vendors such as Computer Associates, IBM, Microsoft, Oracle, and Sun.
• Vertical applications include software to organize and analyze data, design and build better products, solve complex scientific and engineering problems, and create and deliver digital content from vendors such as AutoDesk, Cadence, EDS, Landmark, Microsoft, and Softimage.

We designed the AMD64 Ecosystem with your business needs in mind. Now software solutions and their availability are always at your fingertips.

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The Joy of 64-Bit Fortran

Fortran applications have long pushed the boundaries of computing as the numerically intensive algorithms that make the language shine have proven to be voracious consumers of processor power. These demands are further compounded by the tendencies of scientific and technical applications to become more complex, differentiated, and resource- intensive over time. These needs, once met, give rise to new and more difficult problems, which in turn demand new and more sophisticated tools. According to Allan McNaughton, the principal analyst at Technical Insight LLC, Fortran programmers can benefit from migrating to the AMD64 platform because it combines high-performance 64-bit computing with the familiar, industry-standard x86 architecture. And the performance benefits go beyond just the larger addressable memory size. Read more>>>

Mapping the Human Genome - Yet Another Valuable Task For the AMD Opteron Processor

BLAST®, BLAT, and HMMer are highly processor-intensive applications used to help scientists solve Life Science research problems. In fact, historic advances in Life Science, such as mapping of the human genome, are aided by algorithms very similar to those we've benchmarked here. Who knows, maybe some day an AMD Opteron processor-based system will help researchers find the cure for cancer!

BLAST (Basic Local Alignment Search Tool) is a set of similarity search programs designed to search protein or DNA query sequences against protein or DNA databases.

Similar to BLAST, BLAT is a hash-based algorithm used to align protein sequences amongst a more limited set of data.

HMMER is an implementation of profile hidden Markov models for biological sequence analysis. HMMer allows researchers to locate characteristically similar protein sequences by searching large databases of information.

The BLAST, BLAT, and HMMer benchmarks measure the time in seconds (lower is better) required to perform a given search.

How does the AMD Opteron processor stack up against the competition?

Take a closer look at this high performance computing benchmark>>>