HP Announces First ARM Servers: Project Moonshot
HP has begun using ARM processors for a new server platform called Redstone, which will become available in the first half of next year.
Project Moonshot is the first product to leverage this platform and integrate "more than 2800 servers in a single rack." As expected, HP will be using Calxeda Energycore processors, which draw as little as 1.5 watts per dual-core unit. Down the road, HP said it wants to use Intel's Atom processors for its Redstone platform and indicated that it is interested in using other ARM-based products as well. However, Intel is currently not a Moonshot partner; the listed companies are ARM, AMD, Calxeda, Canonical and Red Hat.
To introduce Redstone, HP will pen so called "Discovery Labs," which will enable customers to test their applications on actual servers. It is a similar idea HP already had back in 2001 when it opened testing facilities for its customers in Palo Alto. The first Discovery Lab will be in Houston and go into operation in January of next year. Additional labs will be offered in Asia and Europe in the future.
HP said that its Redstone servers will consume 89 percent less energy and 94 percent less space than traditional data center installations. These servers will also be about 64 percent cheaper, the company said.
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Douglas Perry was a freelance writer for Tom's Hardware covering semiconductors, storage technology, quantum computing, and processor power delivery. He has authored several books and is currently an editor for The Oregonian/OregonLive.