Developed as part of The Machine, HP’s computer of the future, the prototype leads the company’s efforts to transform the fundamental architecture by which all computers have been built in the past 60 years. With The Machine, HP is looking to smash all previous technology in existence, as their new supercomputer has memory for its brute speed unlike depend on traditional processors.
This HP’s new supercomputer is capable of storing huge amounts of data in smaller spaces. It is so effective that it can dramatically reduce the space required by an entire data center. HP said, “It’s simulations show that memory-driven computing can achieve improved execution speeds up to 8,000 times faster than conventional computers.” The Machine uses photonics to transmit data using light, and thanks to its massive, and super-fast memory pool. This helps processors access data from a very huge memory pool at super-fast speeds. However, when the data needs to be transferred between processors, things slow down. But in The Machine numerous processors can access the same memory pool at the same time, making faster calculations. HP’s current prototype of The Machine has 8TB of RAM, which is around 30 times what a traditional server is typically equipped with. HP has plans to support anywhere between 8TB and hundreds of terabytes of RAM in its supercomputer. The company is also developing a new kind of experimental memory chip called a memristor that can retain data even when powered down. HP is hoping that memristors will be ready for when The Machine launches in 2018 or 2019. “With this prototype, we have demonstrated the potential of Memory-Driven Computing and also opened the door to immediate innovation,” said Antonio Neri, Executive Vice President and General Manager of the Enterprise Group at HP. Though the new supercomputer sounds exciting and looks to provide a huge performance boost, only time will tell how it performs once available in the commercial market. Source: Sciencealert
