Intel Silicon Breakthrough Speeds Server, Network Responsiveness

Press release: “Microsoft to Support Intel I/O Acceleration Technology In Future Windows Server Releases

Intel Corporation today provided the first glimpse of a set of silicon technologies that speed the interaction between network data and server applications by up to 30 percent. Intel also announced an agreement with Microsoft to support the technology in forthcoming operating systems.

The breakthrough, known as Intel I/O Acceleration Technology (I/OAT), is Intel’s newest “*T” technology, a collection of premier silicon innovations. The technology comes at a time when the demands of applications - such as Web commerce, messaging, storage and server clustering - are beginning to chronically overwhelm servers’ responsiveness and the ability to deliver network data to applications quickly and reliably….

Intel I/O Acceleration Technology takes a platform approach to addressing this problem by breaking up the data-handling job among all of the components that make up the platform - the processor, chipset, network controller and software. This platform approach reduces the workload on the processor while accelerating the flow of data. The processor’s job is reduced by giving the chipset and network controller responsibility for moving data in and out of memory. Intel also optimized the TCP/IP protocol - an open “etiquette” that enables all types of computers to exchange data via a common language - for Intel-based servers, which cuts the processor’s workload in half,. further freeing it to work on other jobs.

Overall, this platform approach achieves at least a 30 percent faster data exchange between the platform and applications, and enables the processor to spend more time on other computing tasks.”

Full press release: Intel Silicon Breakthrough Speeds Server, Network Responsiveness