Compaq 112726-001 - ProLiant - 6500 White Paper page 9

ECG078/0498
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HITE APER
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PCI bridge. Compaq's decision to combine its I/O design with Corollary's memory subsystem
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and the next-generation Deschutes/Slot-2 processor by Intel is clearly the right one. With the
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Pentium Pro soon to reach its natural end of life, the Compaq/Corollary/Intel combination will
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yield a balanced, high-performance system architecture for the future.
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Compaq Implementation of Merced Technology
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Compaq is prepared to develop innovative and optimized industry-leading systems for the Intel
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Architecture (IA)-32 architecture to provide a clear and straightforward migration path to Intel's
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Merced microprocessor generation, the first true 64-bit member of the IA family. Merced
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processors, expected to be delivered sometime in 1999, will run all software that currently
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operates on 32-bit Intel processor-based machines. Compaq will be the leading supplier of
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Merced processor-based servers and expects to ship systems with Intel's first Merced production
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processor.
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Intel is committed to the concept of a level playing field concerning Merced, according to Linley
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Gwennap in his MicroDesign Resources forecast report. "Although there were initial indications
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that HP would be allowed to develop and even manufacture its own IA-64 processors, the
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companies have now made it clear that all IA-64 chips will be built by Intel and available to all
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interested system vendors."
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Gwennap added that in the long run, the Intel partnership probably gives HP no significant
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hardware advantage over other IA-64 system vendors. "Assuming equal access to the chips,
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which Intel will provide, the key issue for system vendors is getting input to and advance
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information on the system interface of the processor. Although HP played a major role in
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defining the internal architecture of Merced, Intel drove the definition of the external interfaces,
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working with Compaq, Sequent, and other key customers as well as with HP. Once the interface
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definition was complete, these vendors had the same early access to Merced documentation that
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HP did." 3
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Thus, with this early access and as the only leading vendor with servers and workstations focused
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solely on Intel architecture, Compaq has dedicated a substantial team of its best hardware,
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integration, and systems engineers to work directly with Intel on advancing the capabilities of
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Compaq systems using the Merced processor. Compaq is working to ensure that applications and
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operating systems used by Compaq customers today will work smoothly on IA-64 processor-based
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systems. Together with Intel, Compaq will conduct extensive systems testing and integration to
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help ensure a compatible growth path for customers that use Compaq systems running Pentium,
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Pentium Pro, Pentium II, or Deschutes processors.
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Compaq has established Compaq Solutions Centers to help strategic independent software
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vendors (ISVs) and customers optimize their applications for Compaq servers based on current
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and future Intel microprocessors, including Merced. Through the centers, Compaq helps ISVs
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ensure that applications used by Compaq customers today will work seamlessly on future Compaq
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systems based on Merced.
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Compaq Solutions Centers provide various porting and compiling tools jointly with Intel, as well
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as dedicated hardware to help software partners, including Microsoft, optimize their applications
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for multiprocessor IA-32 architectures and port the applications to future IA-64 architectures.
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"The company's experience and extensive systems expertise in Intel servers and efforts with Intel
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on future 64-bit platforms help ensure that Compaq Solutions Centers will provide valuable
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3
"Intel's Merced and IA-64: Technology and Market Forecast" by Linley Gwennap; MicroDesign Resources, 1997.
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