Multicore processors are making a splash. The CPU vendors believe this arena is so hot they are regularly updating their product road maps and plans.
Advanced Micro Devices and Intel inundated us with news releases about new lines, new names and new chips throughout the second half of 2005, and we expect the barrage to continue. These processors join two or more CPUs to take multiprocessing to a new level. They do process more, and can speed your applications, but remember to question the increase in heat dissipation, and how much processing power your application really needs. Although the marriage of virtual servers and multicore will be a major win for users, most standalone applications that can run on a single server won't benefit too much from these processors.
To determine your need for multicore processors, consider whether your applications are CPU-bound, or if you're running many applications on the same server. If your app relies most heavily on storage, memory or the network, multicore isn't likely to benefit your setup.
This technology has added a new twist to an old nightmare: multiple CPU licensing fees for software that runs on multicore systems. This per-CPU pricing model has a flaw: Vendors that charge extra for installing an application to a multicore machine get bad buzz, but if they charge the single-CPU fee for a multicore installation, they lose revenue. We expect multicore technology to force software vendors to change their pricing models from per-CPU to per-application, per-user or per-network.
Per-user pricing works well within an enterprise, while per-application pricing works well for applications open to unlimited users on the Internet. Per-network pricing doesn't exist but would make sense as midway between user and application licensing.
Subsea cable alternatives can provide a level of comfort for those concerned about disruptions. Realistically, they will continue to play a small, but critical role in the short term.
Maintaining existing network infrastructures often incurs huge technical debt before newer technologies are adopted over time.
Amid ongoing regional uncertainties, telecom infrastructure in the Middle East has expand to include terrestrial low-latency network infrastructure, which offers resilience and agility in navigating political complexities without relying solely on undersea networks.
