Maker Pro
Maker Pro

A hint at a new computer architecture

davenn

Moderator
Sep 5, 2009
14,254
Joined
Sep 5, 2009
Messages
14,254
something from the latest issue of Elektor e-magazine I get ......

The Great Bit Forward?

Big Data is certainly in vogue, but very few people can explain it clearly. To keep it simple, here is my definition: the storage and further analysis of extremely big amounts of data, for which we're still using current technology. Data grows exponentially, while computing power and storage capabilities don't. It is clear that at some point, our information-processing systems will “collapse,” and we will be forced to find new ways of dealing with it.

A couple of weeks ago, in a smart marketing move HP announced that they're working in a new concept, that they named The Machine. In theory, this is not just another faster computer, but a complete replacement of most existing basic building blocks of every architecture. Some good stuff here: a new OS, a memristor-based memory, a CPU built up with clusters of interconnected processors and super-fast buses using silicon nanophotonics. HP says that this beast could handle 160 petabytes (= 160 x 1015 bytes!) in 250 nanoseconds. 8× faster than state-of-the-art servers, requiring 80 times less energy. These figures are quite difficult to picture yet, but it seems that around 75% of HP's RandD team manpower is working on this. All or nothing? Or more like death or glory?
Jaime | Elektor



something to ponder on :)

cheers
Dave
 

(*steve*)

¡sǝpodᴉʇuɐ ǝɥʇ ɹɐǝɥd
Moderator
Jan 21, 2010
25,510
Joined
Jan 21, 2010
Messages
25,510
I'll give you one example of big data.

A single medical test which produces 64GB of data. And we're not talking image data.

Now imagine running that same single test on thousands of people and looking for similarities/differences that may be related to disease.

Oh, and that 64GB is unordered, so one of your first tasks may be to find and extract just the bit you're interested in (presuming you know that).

The other obvious example is Google.
 
Top