How does a UNIX server fit into the cloud of the future?

Now almost every enterprise is concerned about cloud-related information, whether you intend to deploy or use the cloud, it is undeniable that the cloud has become any type of enterprise in the future IT development process, must face the topic. And how to use the cloud, how to plan their IT systems into clouds, how the final implementation, is a matter of opinion. Regardless of how the enterprise itself think, the concept of the relevant manufacturers are not the same, thus conveying to the customer's thinking is very different.

Not long ago, I wrote an article, "Looking at the Blade age of UNIX Server", to explore the future shape changes of UNIX servers, based on how UNIX servers evolve towards the future to adapt to the world's new changes and needs. The intrinsic motivation for this change is obviously caused by clouds. Today, we can see from a higher point of view how traditional UNIX servers will be integrated into the future cloud environment? The reason that we're still around UNIX servers is because I think it's representative or conflicting because of the new perceptions that have been built up over the years and the development of it technology, so it's especially noticeable at the advent of the cloud computing era. Moreover, this kind of conflict for many large enterprises, is must face, so relative to disregard cloud future imagination of the talk, this in the future cloud environment conflict resolution, in fact, should also deserve our attention.

In short, the role of UNIX servers in future cloud computing depends on their position in the enterprise, and if the status is no longer, then the role is dispensable. On the other hand, to see if the cloud needs a UNIX server, due to the rise and rapid development of x86 virtualization, its standardized platform design provides a great convenience for the horizontal extension of the brand-free restriction, which is a feature that the cloud needs, plus the performance of the x86 itself, which is becoming more and more prominent, So now there is a general understanding that cloud computing is based on the x86 platform, so this for the enterprise, there are two choices. First, I also need not need UNIX server, the second choice is on the basis of the first choice, if no longer need UNIX server, so good to do, the future is full of x86 platform, Cloud is the full x86 cloud, nothing to say. But if the choice of the first question is still needed, then two questions will follow--unix server needs not to integrate into the future enterprise cloud platform? If you want to fit in, how to do?

is the UNIX server obsolete?

The UNIX system has been in its more than 40-year history since its inception, apparently much older than the x86 platform. and familiar with the development of the computer history of friends know, before the UNIX also has a large mainframe (MAINFRAME), its more than 60-year history, so if the large host--unix--x86 of the development chain, and combined with market data, it is not difficult to draw a law, The fact that UNIX is replaying large hosts is not the case, since large hosts are gradually pulling out of the mainstream market after the advent of UNIX, and the x86 server has now gained a dominant position.

But so far, large hosts have not been out of the historical arena, in contrast to IBM's earnings, the launch of a new generation of large hosts has contributed a huge increase to the overall sales of IBM's server sector. HP also released a new generation of Superdome kinetic energy servers, but also launched a new generation of nonstop servers to contend with IBM's mainframe, visible market needs remain. According to IDC's research data, x86 servers based on RISC, epic, and so on, grew 23.3% in the second quarter of 2011, with the third consecutive quarter of x86 servers gaining market growth, and for the second consecutive quarter, their growth levels exceeded the overall server market growth rate.

Therefore, it is too early to conclude that the UNIX server is outdated, from a comprehensive point of view, the UNIX server in the current IT environment still has a greater space to play, and therefore will still attract the corresponding user choice. In my opinion, the reasons for this are 3 points:

1, the accumulation of data and business application load increase, so that customers need a more powerful and reliable server: the development of information age brought about by a very obvious "effect" is the rapid increase in the amount of informative, it needs a strong processing capacity, especially the enterprise's key business applications. As more and more people notice the cloud as the data accumulates and the processing power is raised, it is also giving the UNIX server a new opportunity. Many enterprises pay more and more attention to the reliability and usability of the platform of the big data age, and this x86 the ecosystem of the server can not be compared with the more than 40-year history of Unix. While the gap is shrinking rapidly, the inherent advantages of UNIX servers still exist.

2, UNIX server powerful stand-alone scalability or x86 can not be compared to: high-end UNIX server is a key feature of its single machine scalability, is x86 server is now difficult to achieve. Although the SGI company has launched a 256-slot Xeon system, but the industry is currently the only one, no semicolon, and high-end UNIX servers from 16 slots, 32 slots to 64 slots, is basically the standard scalability, and the cost is high, But the performance of the Interconnect technology also guarantees the performance of UNIX server linear upgrade, in this regard, the x86 platform is still a big disadvantage.

3. The new technology concept is also helping UNIX servers: the most typical example of this is virtualization. In fact, virtualization technology for mainframe and UNIX server is not new, but as the x86 server because of the rapid popularity of cost-effective, when the x86 platform virtualization is maturing, many users who have not contacted Unix, but feel it relatively fresh. Of course, the UNIX server also need not feel the loss, the x86 platform virtualization development actually also led to the overall virtualization application vision, this most direct consequence is-cloud computing's wind. As people become more and more aware of virtualization, there will also be a new understanding of the virtual world of Unix, and in this regard, it is true that UNIX is on the front, and its virtualization performance loss has remained a x86 advantage. Therefore, the virtualization of this "new" technology concept in the x86 scenery Unlimited, but also to help the UNIX server back to the public view, attracting new users attention.

In a sense, UNIX servers, after 2009-2010-year lows, have been POWER7 by the end of 2010, along with the release of a new generation of products, such as IBM's SUPERDOME2 series and HP's. Also has a close relationship with the current big environment. This undoubtedly reminds us that customer needs are different, the application of types, grades also vary, whether really need "uniform", all unified to a certain platform, or according to the characteristics of the new system, play their respective director, and then for business growth to provide the most reasonable solution? In my opinion, if all the conditions are met, it is better to adopt a unified platform, but in the present situation, x86 still needs a long effort in high-end performance, although virtualization can help x86 quickly increase popularity and improve flexibility and usability, But Unix is an obvious force in this regard. On the other hand, UNIX server prices can not be satisfied with everyone, and x86 compared to the nobility of the hat is not off. Therefore, I believe that for a long time, in some enterprises, both sides will still coexist.

(Editor: Lu Guang)