Commodity computing: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 13:16, 24 April 2006

Revision as of 10:43, 22 May 2006

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'''Commodity computing''' is computing done on commodity computers as opposed to supermicrocomputers or boutique computers. '''Commodity computers''' are [[computer systemssystem]]s manufactured by multiple vendors, incorporated components based on [[open standard]]s. Such systems are said to be based on [[commodity]] components since the standardization process promotes lower costs and less differentiation among vendor's products.

In the beginning, computers were large, expensive, complex and proprietary. The move towards commodity computing began when [[Digital Equipment Corporation|DEC]] introduced the [[PDP-8]] in 1965. This was a computer that was relatively small and inexpensive enough that a department could purchase one without convening a meeting of the board of directors. The entire [[minicomputer]] industry sprang up to supply the demand for 'small' computers like the PDP-8. Unfortunately, each of the many different brands of minicomputers had to stand on their own because there was no software and very little hardware compatibility between them.

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During the 1980s microcomputers began displacing "real" computers in a serious way. At first, price was the key justification but by the mid 1980s, semiconductor technology had evolved to the point where microprocessor performance began to eclipse the performance of discrete logic designs. These traditional designs were limited by speed-of-light delay issues inherent in any CPU larger than a single chip, and performance alone began driving the success of microprocessor-based systems.

The old processor architectures began to fall, first minis, then [[supermini|superminis]], and finally [[mainframe|mainframes]]. By the mid 1990s, every computer made was based on a microprocessor, and most were microcomputers compatible with IBM PC. Although there was a time when every traditional computer manufacturer had its own proprietary micro-based designs there are only a few manufacturers of non-commodity computer systems today. However, super microcomputers (large-scale computer systems based on one or more microprocessors, like those of the IBM p, i, and z series) still own the high -end of the market.

As the power of microprocessors continues to increase, there are fewer and fewer business computing needs that cannot be met with off-the shelf commodity computers. It is likely that the low end of the supermicrocomputer genre will continue to be pushed upward by increasingly powerful commodity microcomputers. There will be fewer non-commodity systems sold each year, resulting in fewer and fewer dollars available for non-commodity R&D, resulting in a continually narrowing performance gap between commodity microcomputers and proprietary supermicros.

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As the speed of [[Ethernet]] increases to 10 gigabits, the differences between [[multiprocessing|multiprocessor]] systems based on loosely coupled commodity microcomputers and those based on tightly coupled proprietary supermicro designs (like the IBM p-series) will continue to narrow and will eventually disappear.

When 10 gigabit Ethernet becomes standard equipment in commodity microcomputer servers, multi-processor [[Computer cluster|cluster]] or [[Grid computing|grid]] systems based on off-the-shelf commodity microcomputers and Ethernet switches will take over more and more computing tasks that can currently be performed only by high end models of proprietary supermicros like the IBM p-series, further eroding the viability of the supermicro industry.

== Commodity PCs ==

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* Shares a base instruction set common to many different models.

* Shares an architecture (memory, I/O map and expansion capability) that is common to many different models.

* High degree of mechanical compatibility, internal components ([[Central processing unit|CPU]], [[Random access memory|RAM]], [[motherboard]], peripheral cards, drives) are interchangeable with other models.

* Software is widely available off the shelf.

* Compatible with most available peripherals, works with most right out of the box.

Other characteristics of today's commodity computers include:

* [[ATX]] motherboard footprint.

* Built-in interfaces for [[floppy drive]]s, [[Advanced Technology Attachment|IDE]] CDROMsCD-ROMs and hard drives.

* Industry-standard [[Peripheral Component Interconnect|PCI]] slots for expansion.

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* Built-in [[USB port]]s.

* Built-in video.

* Built in interfaces for [[Serial ATA|SATA]] drives.

== Other commodity systems ==

Standards such as [[SCSI]], [[FireWire]], and [[Fibre Channel]] help commodotize computer systems more powerful than typical PCs. Standards such as [[Advanced Telecommunications Computing Architecture|ATCA]] and [[Carrier Grade Linux]] are helping to commoditize [[telecommunication]]s systems. [[Blade server]]s, [[server farm]]s, and [[computer cluster]]s are also [[computer architecture]]s that exploit commodity [[Computer hardware|hardware]].

[[Category:Computing platforms]]

[[Category:IBM PC compatibles|*]]