Processor Value Unit - Technology Education

1. Processor Value Unit Licensing for MiddlewareEvolving the Structure to Provide a Foundation for the Future Processor Value Unit - Technology Education

2. Technology Education Agenda • What is a Processor • What is an nWay • Processor Performance • Historical • Strategies • Disparity • Processor Vendors are moving to Multi-core • Summary

3. Processor Definition is Important in Middleware Licensing • Single-core chips have 1 core per chip • Dual-core chips have 2 cores per chip • Quad-core chips have 4 cores per chip Multi-core chips Dual-core Chip Single-core Chip 1 2 1 IBM defines processor = core As do most Middleware Vendors…eg. Oracle and BEA However, some Hardware Vendors . . . Intel, AMD, and Sun define processor = chip

4. The Definition of nWay Differs by Hardware Vendor • 4 Processor Cores • 4 Single-core Chips • 8 Processor Cores • 4 Dual-core Chips Server Server 4 3 1 2 1 2 8 6 7 3 4 5 4Way 4Way or 8Way? • IBM System p & i, and HP 9000 call this an 8Way • Sun and all Intel/AMD vendors including IBM System x (xSeries) call this a 4Way All Hardware Vendors call this a 4Way

5. Most Middleware Vendors Count Processor Cores • 4 Processor Cores • 4 Single-core Chips • 8 Processor Cores • 4 Dual-core Chips Server Server 4 3 1 2 1 2 8 6 7 3 4 5 4Way 4Way or 8Way? Most Middleware Vendors say this Server has 8 Processors All Middleware Vendors say this Server has 4 Processors

6. Year 1 4 Proc Year 3 1 Core 2 Proc Year 5 1 Core 1 Proc 1 Core 1 Core 1 Core 1 Core 1 Core Constant Workload 1 Core 1 Core 1 Core 1 Core 1 Core 1 Core 1 Core 1 Core 1 Core Same Workload Processor Cores Are Not All Created Equal Today • Historically, a constant workload required fewer processor cores over time • Some processor cores increased performance faster than others • Today, the number of processor cores required for a given workload varies by processor technology

7. One Processor Core Improve Core Strategy Core Disparity Core Performance Multi-core Strategy Time Processor Core Performance Disparity Expected to Grow • The performance gap is growing between processor core technologies as a result of diverging strategies • Core performance improvement • Flat core performance, but increase cores per chip Increasing processor core performance disparity means traditional per processor licensing is not sustainable

8. Processor Vendors Are Moving to Multi-core • IBM Power introduced dual-core chips in 2001 • Octi-core chips introduced by Sun in 2005 • Most x86 servers sold in 2006 will have dual-core chips A sustainable licensing structure that addresses the processor performance disparity on these multi-core chips is required

9. Summary • Processor definition is important in middleware licensing • IBM SWG defines a processor = core • Number of nWays and processors NOT always the same • Processor Core performance disparity is expected to grow • Not all processor cores are created equal today • Two Strategies to Improve Chip Performance • All vendors moving to Multi-core chips • A sustainable licensing structure to address this processor performance disparity is required • Therefore IBM is announcing the Processor Value Unit licensing structure effective July 25, 2006

10. Backup

11. Reference Material • See the Processor Value Unit Licensing Announcement for Passport Advantage Middleware effective July 25, 2006 for more details. This, and other education material, will be available on the Passport Advantage web site * • Questions should be directed through the normal software support structure. If they are unable to answer a question, they will have access to the Processor Value Unit Licensing project office. * http://w3-103.ibm.com/software/xl/portal/viewcontent?type=doc&srcID=XT&docID=W108544T29242L86