Project Moonshot: 2800 servers in one rack

In November, HP spoke about a new program to develop its server line, called Project Moonshot . This is not just a new model or a line of servers, and not only the development of the ideology of a convergent infrastructure. HP says that Moonshot can be compared to the discovery of another chapter in the evolution of computing systems.

The program includes three components:

• new ultra-efficient servers on processors with low power consumption - first on ARM, and then on Intel Atom, AMD chips and other vendors. Based on such servers, the HP Redstone platform is being built, which allows using more than 2,800 servers in one rack;
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• HP Discovery Lab , a research lab that customers can use to test solutions for the new platform;

• HP Pathfinder Partner Ecosystem, created to develop the Moonshot project. Currently HP partners include AMD, ARM Holdings, Calxeda, Canonical and Red Hat.

The main goal of the Project Moonshot program is to create a server platform with almost unlimited and affordable scalability. The name “Project Moonshot” reminds of the main achievement of the American space program - the flight to the moon. And the ambitions of the creators of the program are appropriate. It is stated that for some types of loads and applications, the savings will be fantastic - the systems on the new platform will consume 89% less energy compared to traditional servers and take 94% less space, which will mean a decrease in operating costs by an average of 63%!

As a result, the Moonshot program should provide convenient and transparent sharing of network infrastructure, data storage, power and cooling systems in super-scalable environments, including thousands and tens of thousands of compute nodes. Such environments are already in demand in a wide variety of industries, where there is an avalanche-like growth in the amount of information that needs to be processed in real time - from finance to social networks. The transition of everything and everything to a cloud model is also difficult to imagine without convenient means of scaling.



But when using solutions based on traditional architecture, such scaling still pulls a serious increase in costs. Therefore, HP Redstone is an extension of the ProLiant family of servers with low-cost and energy-efficient processors — with “mobile” ARM and others. At first, chips from the Calxeda startup will be used, and later special versions of Intel processors and (according to unofficial data) AMD are expected.

The first information about the Redstone platform looks like this:

• Calxeda EnergyCore ARM Cortex processors;
• Servers are executed as a board with four nodes;
• Each node includes a processor, memory, and a connector for external connections of various types, including DAS (Direct Attached Storage);
• Server modules are installed in the HP SL6500 chassis. At the same time in one chassis fits up to 288 servers, and in the rack, respectively, up to 10 times more (2880).

New servers will be available to a limited number of HP customers in the first half of 2012.

Now about the other two components of the Project Moonshot. HP Discovery Labs is a dedicated platform provided to HP customers to test solutions on the Redstone platform. The first lab is due to open in January 2012 in Houston. It is expected that the matter will not be limited to one lab, and later platforms in Europe and Asia will be created.



As for the HP Pathfinder Program , this is a program designed to engage third-party companies in the development of Project Moonshot. It, in turn, is part of a more general AllianceONE initiative, focused on the development of HP technology partnerships with independent software, storage, network and other equipment manufacturers. To date, AMD, ARM Holdings, Calxeda, Canonical and Red Hat already participate in the HP Pathfinder Program.

Well, all this is very, very interesting. I would even say exciting. We will all closely monitor the development of the Moonshot program, so stay with us!