If you only know the concept of CPU, then it is impossible to understand the CPU topology. In fact, in the NUMA architecture, the concept of CPU is from big to small: Node, Socket, Core, Logical Processor.
With the development of multicore technology, we encapsulate multiple CPUs together, a package commonly referred to as a socket. Where the physical processor is plugged in, it looks like this:
Each core in the socket is called core.
To further improve CPU processing power, Intel introduced HT (hyper-threading, Hyper-threading) technology, a core opened HT, the OS appears to be two cores, of course, this kernel is a logical concept, so also known as logical Processor.
So here's the question, assuming I've got a VMware vsphere key with the type ' VMware vsphere 5 Enterprise for processors '. So is there a limit of 16 sockets, or core, or logical processor?
Also, if I am such a server, then will I be limited by this license?
Online search for this article has the following sentence:
Update September 2012:starting with version 5.1 VMware repealed the VRAM model. Nor The amount of RAM, or the number of the CPU cores matter. Licensing is now do simply by the number of CPU sockets.
This looks, then my server only 2 sockets, no more than 16 sockets limit, should not be limited.
Resources
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CPU topology
Http://kodango.com/cpu-topology
Understanding Non-uniform Memory Access
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms178144 (v=sql.105). aspx
Windows Server-sockets, Logical processors, symmetric Multi threading
http://blogs.technet.com/b/matthts/archive/2012/10/14/ Windows-server-sockets-logical-processors-symmetric-multi-threading.aspx
VMware VSphere 5 Editions Overview
Http://www.thomas-krenn.com/en/wiki/VMware_vSphere_5_Editions_Overview
Clarify Processor, Processor Sockets, Processor cores, Logical processors, hyperthreading these concepts