Service providers are finding it increasingly impractical to meet expanding cloud computing demands by adding more conventional servers. In fact, many data center operators are realizing that expensive and power-hungry high-end servers are not well-suited to performing simple data transactions in the cloud.
We agree. Which is why we introduced our new Socionext SynQuacer (SC2A11) multi-core processor as a cost-effective, power-efficient and scalable solution designed specifically for cloud servers. SynQuacer packs 24 ARM® Cortex™-A53 64-bit cores, 3 levels of cache and multiple interfaces within a compact 30mm x 30mm BGA package.
The multi-core SynQuacer processor is an ideal foundation for low-cost, highly-integrated and power-efficient server systems deployed to handle edge computing, Internet of Things (IoT) data processing and cloud service applications.
Socionext SynQuacer-based server designed for cloud and IoT applications
We recently demonstrated a prototype Distributed Processing Server designed specifically for cloud and IoT data centers. The server features eight SynQuacer processors connected in a cascade on a system switch board. Socionext’s proprietary high-speed CPU-to-CPU communications technology interlinks eight of these system switch boards to form a server rack. That’s 64 multi-core processors boasting 1,536 ARM Cortex-A53 cores in one integrated server!
The Socionext Distributed Processing Server offers many advantages for IoT and cloud services compared to conventional servers:
- Affordability: Server architectures based on high-end CPUs are overkill for most cloud and e-commerce transactions. The Socionext SynQuacer server integrates multiple lower cost and power-efficient general-purpose cores as a more cost-effective and efficient solution.
- Scalability: Cloud service providers must respond to changing business needs. The SynQuacer cloud server easily scales to handle increasing task loads over time.
- Power efficiency: Power consumption is a major part of ongoing operating costs. The SynQuacer server achieves the same performance as a conventional server with just one-third of the power. And since cloud servers don’t need to run at full capacity all the time, the SynQuacer includes a power saving mechanism to idle CPUs when not needed to further reduce energy use.
- Optimized I/O: CPU speed is only part of the performance picture. The SynQuacer server features a proprietary switch architecture for very low-latency clustering of multiple CPUs and an optimized memory architecture to prevent I/O bottlenecks.
- Security: The SynQuacer cloud server solution includes features like secure boot technology and built-in IPSec for enhanced security.
The SynQuacer multi-core processer combined with Socionext’s high-speed switch architecture achieves extremely efficient synchronized operations between cores. This enables the highly-integrated Distributed Processing Server platform to outperform conventionally configured servers on intensive distributed computing tasks like data mining, indexing and other processing-intensive applications.
SynQuacer offers dramatically reduced power consumption in the data center
The SynQuacer-based architecture, with its power-efficient ARM cores and no need for water cooling, offers drastically reducing energy consumption compared to conventional servers.
Conventional vs. SynQuacer-based servers
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For example, a conventional chip operating at 2,060,000 DMIPS consumes 420W of power. The Socionext multi-core ARM-based CPU system uses only 141W, or only one-third the power!
At the data center level, the Socionext server solution has a power efficiency about two-and-a-half times higher than conventional-based systems.
When performing a side-by-side comparison of power usage effectiveness (PUE), a typical conventional server has a PUE value of 1.4 compared to a PUE of just 1.2 for the SynQuacer-based cloud server. To put this in context, a typical data center with 300,000 conventional servers needs ten 10-megawatt wind turbines to power it. Switching to the Socionext Distributed Processing Server would reduce this to only three 10-megawatt wind turbines.
Learn More About the SynQuacer-based Cloud Server Platform
The Socionext Distributed Processing Server prototype powered by our highly-integrated and power-efficient SynQuacer multi-core processor will revolutionize hardware infrastructure for cloud services. The server platform is ideal for edge computing, IoT gateway data processing and cloud applications.
Contact us today to speak with an application engineer about the SynQuacer multi-core processor and Distributed Processing Server.
Related Material:
SynQuacer (SC2A11) multi-core processor – Product Page
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