V-Tech Posted August 7, 2013 Share Posted August 7, 2013 Google, IBM and NVIDIA partake in OpenPOWER Consortium, a dev group for data centers It's a rare occurrence to see Google, NVIDIA and IBM working lockstep towards a common goal, but the aforesaid trio has joined Mellanox and Tyan in order to launch a development group for data centers. The aptly-titled OpenPOWER Consortium is hailed as a "development alliance based on IBM's POWER microprocessor architecture." We're told that it intends to concoct "advanced server, networking, storage and GPU-acceleration technology aimed at delivering more choice, control and flexibility to developers of next-generation, hyperscale and cloud data centers." Sounds pretty bold, and it'll require IBM to offer up open-source POWER firmware to those participating. Moreover, NVIDIA and IBM will be jointly working to integrate the CUDA GPU and POWER ecosystems, but beyond that, it's not entirely clear what the immediate impact on mankind will be. You're more than welcome to take stabs in comments, though. http://www.engadget.com/2013/08/07/google-ibm-nvidia-openpower-consortium-data-center/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alladaskill17 Posted August 7, 2013 Share Posted August 7, 2013 Pretty cool, exciting next few years for this group. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Torolol Posted August 7, 2013 Share Posted August 7, 2013 NVidia contributes: CUDA IBM contributes: POWER Google contributes: ?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
V-Tech Posted August 7, 2013 Author Share Posted August 7, 2013 NVidia contributes: CUDA IBM contributes: POWER Google contributes: ?? Google contributes: Money :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ichi Posted August 7, 2013 Share Posted August 7, 2013 Google contributes: ?? Expertise on running large datacenters with custom designed server and networking gear? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HawkMan Posted August 7, 2013 Share Posted August 7, 2013 Expertise on running large datacenters with custom designed server and networking gear? Who do you think IBM is.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Radium Posted August 7, 2013 Share Posted August 7, 2013 Companies that seem to have nothing to contribute with always show up in projects of this nature. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alwaysonacoffebreak Posted August 7, 2013 Share Posted August 7, 2013 Expertise on running large datacenters with custom designed server and networking gear? Uhm, compared to IBM they have no clue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neufuse Veteran Posted August 7, 2013 Veteran Share Posted August 7, 2013 Expertise on running large datacenters with custom designed server and networking gear? thanks for the laugh to start off the day... oh Google has no clue compared to IBM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ichi Posted August 7, 2013 Share Posted August 7, 2013 thanks for the laugh to start off the day... oh Google has no clue compared to IBM The question was about what they contribute, not if they were the freaking master gurus in the area they can contribute. Google is in the top 5 of server manufacturers, which is exactly the market this consortium is targeted at. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HawkMan Posted August 7, 2013 Share Posted August 7, 2013 The question was about what they contribute, not if they were the freaking master gurus in the area they can contribute. Google is in the top 5 of server manufacturers, which is exactly the market this consortium is targeted at. Yeah, but they're not contributing anything when the consortium already has an expert on that field, which is the very expert google calls when THEY have problems. in this case, google is part of it merely to be part of the gang. basically if they didn't have bags of money, they wouldn't even have been asked or allowed if they asked. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ichi Posted August 7, 2013 Share Posted August 7, 2013 Yeah, but they're not contributing anything when the consortium already has an expert on that field, which is the very expert google calls when THEY have problems. in this case, google is part of it merely to be part of the gang. basically if they didn't have bags of money, they wouldn't even have been asked or allowed if they asked. The consortium is open to anyone that wants to join in so I don't see why they wouldn't have been allowed. And Google might call IBM to solve problems (I don't know for sure, do you?) but they have ditched all the server providers to build their own hardware and design their own datacenters (that is, they don't use IBM servers, so I'm again not sure about why IBM would be involved in any way, more so when Google loves to keep all their data center stuff as secret as possible). Considering that while being in the top 5 server manufaturers they don't actually sell any equipment but rather user every single server they build, and also that the data centers they design rate among the best in PUE and that they are also pioneers in chiller less data centers I'd say that they know a thing or two. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neufuse Veteran Posted August 7, 2013 Veteran Share Posted August 7, 2013 The consortium is open to anyone that wants to join in so I don't see why they wouldn't have been allowed. And Google might call IBM to solve problems (I don't know for sure, do you?) but they have ditched all the server providers to build their own hardware and design their own datacenters (that is, they don't use IBM servers, so I'm again not sure about why IBM would be involved in any way, more so when Google loves to keep all their data center stuff as secret as possible). Considering that while being in the top 5 server manufaturers they don't actually sell any equipment but rather user every single server they build, and also that the data centers they design rate among the best in PUE and that they are also pioneers in chiller less data centers I'd say that they know a thing or two. just because you don't use IBM Servers and mainframes, doesn't mean IBM didn't help design it... IBM does more then hardware... they do hardware design for 3rd parties, they do mass network architecture, they do mass distributed system design... you want it on your hardware pay them and they'll say here's your plans... you want It on their hardware they will sell you racks of ultra expensive but designed to last forever systems to their specs and IBM can keep a secret if you want your plans hush hush... heck they work with some of the largest government programs out there to make designs for them... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
REM2000 Posted August 7, 2013 Share Posted August 7, 2013 IBM has some clever people as well as Google, i don't see how a company with a different view point on vast data centres wouldn't have some valuable input. Sometimes some of the best work ive seen was getting two experts together. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ichi Posted August 7, 2013 Share Posted August 7, 2013 just because you don't use IBM Servers and mainframes, doesn't mean IBM didn't help design it... IBM does more then hardware... they do hardware design for 3rd parties, they do mass network architecture, they do mass distributed system design... you want it on your hardware pay them and they'll say here's your plans... you want It on their hardware they will sell you racks of ultra expensive but designed to last forever systems to their specs and IBM can keep a secret if you want your plans hush hush... heck they work with some of the largest government programs out there to make designs for them... Doesn't mean they did, either. Google might get help from IBM, or maybe HP, or someone else, or maybe they do it all on their own. They are big enough to have their own engineers with enough expertise on the matter to be self-sufficient. Anyway, whatever Google's contribution might be in the consortium I'm sure IBM would love them to start using their Power processors in their data centers and take the business from Intel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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