SanDisk and HP Begin Collaboration on Memory-Driven Computing Technology
On October 8, 2015, SanDisk Corporation and HP announced the start of a long-term partnership that aims to develop a new technology in the Storage Class Memory (SCM) category. The core of cooperation will be the developments of Hewlett-Packard in the field of creating a storage device based on the concept of the memristor, and the experience of SanDisk associated with non-volatile memory ReRam.
The efforts of companies in this project are aimed at creating new corporate solutions based on the Memory-Driving Computing technology. This is a computer architecture in which memory plays a key role in performing calculations. In addition, the collaboration will extend to equipping HP data center solutions with solid state drives (SSD, Solid State Drives) from SanDisk.
Martin Fink (Martin Fink), executive vice president and chief technology officer, HP, says that the flow of data that falls on organizations is constantly growing. This is a test for everyone. He notes that SanDisk shares HP’s understanding of how important it is to cope with this challenge. He is particularly pleased that both companies see a solution to the problem in moving to the Memory-Driven Computing technology. According to him, HP and SanDisk plan to bring to the market a new data storage technology and promote its implementation in corporate systems. In addition, the results of the joint work are planned to be used in the development of The Machine project.
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Already today, according to Siva Sivaram, executive vice president of memory technology at SanDisk, the partnership will lead to a deeper relationship between companies in the use of the latest SanDisk data storage solutions in advanced HP corporate products. He notes that the results of work on a completely new type of memory can lead to a revolution in the world of computers.
One of the main bottlenecks of modern computing systems is the transfer of information between fast and expensive RAM and relatively slow, but accessible drives for permanent data storage. One of the applications of SCM technology that HP and SanDisk are working on is aimed at solving this problem.
The use of new solutions will allow you to create data storage modules that are superior to the existing DRAM memory in all. They will be cheaper, more economical and more compact. Do not forget that we are talking about non-volatile memory, that is - to this list, you can add the possibility of permanent data storage.
If we compare the new technology with existing storage devices based on NAND-memory, it is expected that it will be, firstly, about 1000 times faster, and secondly, it will be able to withstand the same great load created by write-erase cycles . A new kind of memory will remove the boundary between the notions of "RAM" and "permanent memory."
Where will such a memory be used, not only combining the best qualities of modern RAM and ROM, but also complementing them with new qualities?
Answering this question, you need to take into account that the volumes of data that have to be stored, transmitted and processed are constantly growing. Their sources are the flow of information from social networks, the processing of “big data”, cloud computing, mobile devices, the Internet, official data that are invisible to users, but necessary to ensure the safe and uninterrupted operation of the network infrastructure.
Therefore, during the joint work of HP and SanDisk, a new type of memory is planned to be integrated into existing corporate solutions for storing data on solid-state drives. The introduction of new technology will begin with server nodes, each of which will be equipped with dozens of terabytes of SCM-memory.
Such systems will be designed to work with databases that are stored in memory, to perform analysis of large amounts of information in real time, to carry out transactional and high-performance computing.
After successful use of the technology in the corporate environment, in data centers, it will find application in computing systems designed for end users, that is, in personal computers and mobile devices.
The above options for applying the new SCM solution are limited to existing computing device architectures, the development of what is today. Traditional memory - fast or slow, non-volatile or in need of constant recharge - is the passive element of modern computers. What if you look at memory in a new way? A new look at memory is the path to computing, in which it is directly involved, the path to a new computer architecture, which is already embodied today in the prototype of The Machine.
The existence of the fourth basic component of electrical circuits was predicted in 1971 by Leon Chua. He added a memristor to the resistor, capacitor, and inductor. This passive element is able to memorize its own state. It can be characterized as a resistor, the resistance of which varies depending on the charge flowing through it. When the element is de-energized, the changed resistance is retained.
Currently, the commercial implementation of the memristor is under development. This will open up the possibility of creating new types of memory, which, in addition to storing information, will be able to participate in its processing: theoretically, memristors can replace transistors. We are talking about a completely new computer architecture that will change the traditional understanding of how computer systems are built and how software is written for them.
Should we put off work on a new architecture until the “fourth element” is ready for mass production? HP Labs says no.
It will take years to create an infrastructure that can take advantage of memristors. Therefore, to develop prototypes of devices of the future is needed now. And in this area, HP has already received quite specific results. Created by The Machine - the first implementation of the computing architecture of tomorrow. The Machine is currently working on existing hardware, but the day is not far off when new electronic components will be fully utilized.
Memory The Machine is created on the basis of memristors. For data transmission between the components of the system, optical communication channels will be used, which are already being worked on today.
New computer architecture - this is a new approach to the creation of hardware components, to their relationship with each other, and to software development.
In The Machine, there is no border between RAM and persistent data storage. All memory is operational. This simplifies the system architecture, removes the problems associated with the transfer of data between storages operating at different speeds. In addition, and this is one of the main revolutionary features of the new architecture, the calculations are getting closer to the data than before. Memory is involved in information processing.
The way to develop new computer technologies, especially revolutionary ones, is not easy. You can not name the exact date of the goal. But the path itself has the same value as its end point. The goal of the path taken by HP and SanDisk is to produce mass products based on memristors and create revolutionary computer architecture capable of adequately responding to the informational challenges of the future. And in the course of this path, new, faster, affordable and reliable memory modules will appear. It is also very likely that in the foreseeable future, even within the framework of the traditional computing architecture, all computer memory will become operational. There will be new approaches to software development, new ways of organizing the hardware interaction of the components of computing systems ... All this is the engine of progress in the field of information technology.
Follow the news. In the meantime, we are ready to answer your questions in the comments.
The efforts of companies in this project are aimed at creating new corporate solutions based on the Memory-Driving Computing technology. This is a computer architecture in which memory plays a key role in performing calculations. In addition, the collaboration will extend to equipping HP data center solutions with solid state drives (SSD, Solid State Drives) from SanDisk.
Word to officials
Martin Fink (Martin Fink), executive vice president and chief technology officer, HP, says that the flow of data that falls on organizations is constantly growing. This is a test for everyone. He notes that SanDisk shares HP’s understanding of how important it is to cope with this challenge. He is particularly pleased that both companies see a solution to the problem in moving to the Memory-Driven Computing technology. According to him, HP and SanDisk plan to bring to the market a new data storage technology and promote its implementation in corporate systems. In addition, the results of the joint work are planned to be used in the development of The Machine project.
')
Already today, according to Siva Sivaram, executive vice president of memory technology at SanDisk, the partnership will lead to a deeper relationship between companies in the use of the latest SanDisk data storage solutions in advanced HP corporate products. He notes that the results of work on a completely new type of memory can lead to a revolution in the world of computers.
Permanent RAM
One of the main bottlenecks of modern computing systems is the transfer of information between fast and expensive RAM and relatively slow, but accessible drives for permanent data storage. One of the applications of SCM technology that HP and SanDisk are working on is aimed at solving this problem.
The use of new solutions will allow you to create data storage modules that are superior to the existing DRAM memory in all. They will be cheaper, more economical and more compact. Do not forget that we are talking about non-volatile memory, that is - to this list, you can add the possibility of permanent data storage.
If we compare the new technology with existing storage devices based on NAND-memory, it is expected that it will be, firstly, about 1000 times faster, and secondly, it will be able to withstand the same great load created by write-erase cycles . A new kind of memory will remove the boundary between the notions of "RAM" and "permanent memory."
Application in traditional computing systems
Where will such a memory be used, not only combining the best qualities of modern RAM and ROM, but also complementing them with new qualities?
Answering this question, you need to take into account that the volumes of data that have to be stored, transmitted and processed are constantly growing. Their sources are the flow of information from social networks, the processing of “big data”, cloud computing, mobile devices, the Internet, official data that are invisible to users, but necessary to ensure the safe and uninterrupted operation of the network infrastructure.
Therefore, during the joint work of HP and SanDisk, a new type of memory is planned to be integrated into existing corporate solutions for storing data on solid-state drives. The introduction of new technology will begin with server nodes, each of which will be equipped with dozens of terabytes of SCM-memory.
Such systems will be designed to work with databases that are stored in memory, to perform analysis of large amounts of information in real time, to carry out transactional and high-performance computing.
After successful use of the technology in the corporate environment, in data centers, it will find application in computing systems designed for end users, that is, in personal computers and mobile devices.
The above options for applying the new SCM solution are limited to existing computing device architectures, the development of what is today. Traditional memory - fast or slow, non-volatile or in need of constant recharge - is the passive element of modern computers. What if you look at memory in a new way? A new look at memory is the path to computing, in which it is directly involved, the path to a new computer architecture, which is already embodied today in the prototype of The Machine.
Memristors and new computer architecture
The existence of the fourth basic component of electrical circuits was predicted in 1971 by Leon Chua. He added a memristor to the resistor, capacitor, and inductor. This passive element is able to memorize its own state. It can be characterized as a resistor, the resistance of which varies depending on the charge flowing through it. When the element is de-energized, the changed resistance is retained.
Currently, the commercial implementation of the memristor is under development. This will open up the possibility of creating new types of memory, which, in addition to storing information, will be able to participate in its processing: theoretically, memristors can replace transistors. We are talking about a completely new computer architecture that will change the traditional understanding of how computer systems are built and how software is written for them.
Should we put off work on a new architecture until the “fourth element” is ready for mass production? HP Labs says no.
It will take years to create an infrastructure that can take advantage of memristors. Therefore, to develop prototypes of devices of the future is needed now. And in this area, HP has already received quite specific results. Created by The Machine - the first implementation of the computing architecture of tomorrow. The Machine is currently working on existing hardware, but the day is not far off when new electronic components will be fully utilized.
Memory The Machine is created on the basis of memristors. For data transmission between the components of the system, optical communication channels will be used, which are already being worked on today.
New computer architecture - this is a new approach to the creation of hardware components, to their relationship with each other, and to software development.
In The Machine, there is no border between RAM and persistent data storage. All memory is operational. This simplifies the system architecture, removes the problems associated with the transfer of data between storages operating at different speeds. In addition, and this is one of the main revolutionary features of the new architecture, the calculations are getting closer to the data than before. Memory is involved in information processing.
Conclusion
The way to develop new computer technologies, especially revolutionary ones, is not easy. You can not name the exact date of the goal. But the path itself has the same value as its end point. The goal of the path taken by HP and SanDisk is to produce mass products based on memristors and create revolutionary computer architecture capable of adequately responding to the informational challenges of the future. And in the course of this path, new, faster, affordable and reliable memory modules will appear. It is also very likely that in the foreseeable future, even within the framework of the traditional computing architecture, all computer memory will become operational. There will be new approaches to software development, new ways of organizing the hardware interaction of the components of computing systems ... All this is the engine of progress in the field of information technology.
Follow the news. In the meantime, we are ready to answer your questions in the comments.
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/269079/
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