Because technological behemoths such as Google, Amazon and Facebook deal with such heavy workloads and high volumes of data, they’ve begun to build their own hardware and use open-source software solutions. In fact, the Open Compute Project, which promotes the development of open-source data centers through collaboration, started as a small initiative at Facebook to build a more efficient IT infrastructure. This is critical in hyperscale data centers that require greater efficiency and agility. However, interest in the hyperscale computing approach is making its way to smaller organizations that are looking for ways to better manage IT resources and contain costs.
The OpenPOWER Foundation was launched two years ago to create open server platforms by following the same open-source principles. Spearheaded by IBM, the OpenPOWER Foundation is an open, collaborative group that makes it possible for organizations to use and customize IBM’s Power CPU architecture to optimize their data centers according to specific business needs and use cases. The goal is to encourage innovation and motivate IT professionals to rethink their approach to technology beyond the traditional x86-based server model.
Of course, this begs the question, “How can OpenPOWER be open if it’s based on IBM technology?” IBM has provided third parties with hardware reference designs for its Power servers and various software so these companies can build and share the specifications of their own systems. Google was an early adopter, introducing its own Power server hardware and announcing a proof-of-concept project within weeks of the OpenPOWER launch. The overarching goal of OpenPOWER is to provide an open ecosystem that serves as a catalyst for change, resulting in more choice and flexibility, lower and more transparent pricing for Power-based servers, and a simplified data center architecture.
IBM’s new OpenPOWER systems include Power Systems LC servers, designed in collaboration with Canonical, Mellanox, NVIDIA, Tyan and Wistron. The LC line of servers enables big data analytics, cloud, and high-performance computing workloads for Linux users. These Linux servers, available later this year in three variations, promise to deliver more than twice the performance per dollar spent for less than half the cost of comparable solutions. New systems have also been introduced from Rackspace, RedPower, Inspur, Wistron and Cirrascale.
The OpenPOWER Foundation has grown to 149 members in 22 countries and 11 chartered workgroups at last count. It serves as another important example of the movement towards open-source computing as organizations look to meet the demand for high-performance computing and big data analytics without increasing data center costs. Let Technologent, an IBM Premier Business Partner, show you how the OpenPOWER model can deliver business value to your organization.
