The majority of compute and storage systems have been running on the x86 – or, more recently, the 64-bit version, x86-64 or x64 – CPU architecture. That majority is so large that many aren’t even aware there are other options available. Of course, there is always competition in technology solutions.
This is why StorPool has partnered with AmpereⓇ to add support for our software-defined storage on the Ampere Arm64 CPU architecture.
Why It Matters
While x64 CPUs have been the standby for years, they tend to draw a lot of power and produce a lot of heat. These problems are multiplied as multi-core architectures grow larger. The increased power draw not only increases cost, but also has an effect on carbon footprint. The heat generated by these CPUs only makes it worse, as data centers need to spend even more money to power cooling systems. Cloud computing in general – and bitcoin mining in particular – has been a huge contributor to increased carbon emissions due to this increased energy usage.
Arm64 CPUs are extremely power-efficient, and come in compact sizes. In fact it’s very likely that your mobile phone uses Arm64. With this power efficiency, Arm64 is seeing more adoption in servers providing a partial solution to the carbon footprint issue.
However, since Arm64 is newer than x64, its software ecosystem (the software that is compatible with the architecture) is smaller, meaning not all applications can be moved on Arm64 as-is.
StorPool and Arm64
StorPool Storage is known for its hyperconverged clusters where server nodes run both our storage software and our customers’ applications like Linux KVM, making very efficient and cost-effective infrastructure solutions.
Today, there are many Linux distributions that support Arm64, like Ubuntu, Debian, Fedora, and others. StorPool’s support for Arm64 allows customers to use the hyperconverged deployment model to run Linux KVM on StorPool, creating a high-performance and energy-efficient foundation for their clouds.
Customers using applications that don’t run on the Arm64 architecture can still benefit, however. StorPool Storage also supports a disaggregated deployment model where our storage software and our customers’ applications run on separate server nodes. While not as energy-efficient as an all-Arm64 deployment, customers can reduce cost as compared to an all-x64 infrastructure.
The StorPool Advantage
StorPool’s adoption of Arm64 and our technology partnership with Ampere allow our customers to deploy clusters with the same compute power as x64 clusters, but taking up less data center rack space and at significantly lower energy costs.
One of our customers, CloudSigma, took advantage of the Ampere AltraⓇ Arm64 CPUs when they adopted StorPool Storage and, as a result, increased their margins by 15%, a direct effect on the company’s bottom line.
Saving money while reducing carbon footprint is a win for our customers, their customers, and the planet – a triple-win. To learn how StorPool can help you win like this, you can read about our joint solution with Ampere or contact us today.