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Builder’s Guide for AMD Opteron™ Processor-Based
Servers and Workstations
30925 Rev. 3.04 February 2004
52 FAQs Appendix B
Windows Server 2003 and Microsoft Windows XP. Sixty-four-bit applications for the
AMD Opteron processor include Apache Server, Mental Ray, Zeus, Cluster Strike Server,
SendMail, MY SQL, IBM DB2, and CA Ingres. Sixty-four-bit versions of Microsoft IIS,
Red Hat Stronghold, Oracle 9i, MS SQL Server 2000, MS Terminal server, Synopsys VCS,
and CA Unicenter are under development.
Q: What is the value proposition of the AMD Opteron processor?
A: The AMD Opteron processor is the world’s first x86-based processor that can simultaneously
run 32-bit and 64-bit applications, with leading performance for both. This gives businesses
a competitive advantage with world-leading 32-bit performance, while allowing them to
easily take advantage of 64-bit applications when conditions are right for their business to do
so. By choosing open-standard, non-proprietary computer architecture, a business can
maintain its current investment in IT and lower its total cost of ownership—there is no need
to retrain IT professionals in a new proprietary architecture, no forced migration to 64-bit
applications, and no need to overhaul hardware or change existing software. AMD Opteron
processor models are available for 1- to 2-way workstations, and 1- to 8-way servers that
support the full range of company’s computing needs from entry-level to enterprise
workloads.
Q: For what types of servers is the AMD Opteron processor suitable?
A: The AMD Opteron processor is suitable for different workloads across an enterprise. Some
examples are:
•
1P and 2P servers are suitable for front-end “edge-of-the-network” firewall, cache, and
load balancing servers, as well as for Web servers and general purpose IT infrastructure
servers.
•
2P through 4P servers are suitable for mid-tier heavy-duty Web servers and applications
servers and for general purpose IT infrastructure servers.
•
4P through 8P servers are suitable for back-end database, decision support, and storage
servers.
Q: What operating systems does the AMD Opteron processor support?
A: As a fully backward-compatible x86 microprocessor, the AMD Opteron processor is
designed to support all existing 32-bit server and workstation operating systems from
Microsoft (Windows Server 2003, Windows XP, etc.), major Linux distributors (Red Hat,
SuSE, TurboLinux, SCO, MandrakeSoft), and Sun Microsystems Solaris. In addition,
several 64-bit operating systems exist in production versions (SuSE Linux Enterprise
Server 8, UnitedLinux V1, MandrakeLinux Corporate Version 2.1 and NetBSD) and several,
including AMD64 for Windows, Red Hat Advanced Server 3.0, and TurboLinux, are in
development.
Q: What are the benefits of the AMD Opteron processor?
A: The AMD Opteron processor architecture is designed to provide unparalleled performance
and supports the x86 instruction set, delivering outstanding performance for both 32-bit code
and 64-bit code. As the need for memory-intensive 64-bit applications becomes greater, our