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NEI Asks Software Developers: 'Are You Ready for the Power and Performance of Intel's New Xeon Processor 5500 Series and Nehalem Microarchitecture?'

Posted on: Tuesday, 31 March 2009, 11:48 CDT

Web Seminar on April 8 Features Intel, NEI and Emerson to Address Key Benefits and Opportunities

CANTON, Mass., March 31 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- NEI (Nasdaq: NENG), today offered advice to independent software vendors (ISVs), OEMs and service providers on how to reap the benefits of Intel's new Xeon processor 5500 series (Nehalem microarchitecture) and its unprecedented increase in performance.

NEI recommends that software developers take into account the following considerations when building next-generation applications for the Xeon processor 5500 series:

Is now the time to move off proprietary/highly customized boards? - The higher speeds and processing power promised by the Xeon processor 5500 series may make some highly specialized custom boards obsolete. Moving from expensive, proprietary systems to standard hardware platforms can significantly reduce upfront costs and accelerate a developer's time to market. NEI recommends that application developers understand exactly what is required to deploy high-performance applications on COTS-based platforms that incorporate the Xeon 5500 series and evaluate the timing and engineering requirements of a transition.

Is your application ready to go virtual? - The Xeon processor 5500 series' multi-core performance and multi-thread capabilities can effectively eliminate I/O bottlenecks and create significant opportunities for applications deployed in a virtual environment where virtual machines can be assigned to specific cores. Enterprises adopting Intel's Xeon 5500 series will allow a greater number of applications to be delivered as a virtual appliance. However, a limited number of applications with extremely stringent low latency requirements may still find that virtualization is not the answer. NEI recommends that ISVs carefully assess whether the Xeon 5500 processor provides the performance required to successfully implement a software appliance model.

Get the timing right - The increased speed and processing power of the Xeon processor 5500 series will benefit the majority of enterprise applications. However, applications that require the precise timing and execution of memory addressing and I/O collection will require special consideration. Developers of these timing-sensitive applications must access code and application behavior and understand the impact Intel's new processor may pose. For example, if the application assumes one thread of execution will complete before another and the processor's speed throws off this timing, race conditions may occur. NEI recommends that developers ensure that timing is tuned to handle the Xeon processor 5500 series to eliminate these potential timing issues.

Ensure OS/driver compatibility - As they do with all processor and peripheral component refreshes, software developers must ensure forward and backward compatibility. Those that elected to build solutions on a highly customized Linux operating system (OS) kernel, for example, may encounter incompatibility between their existing custom kernel and the new drivers required with the Xeon processor 5500 series. NEI recommends that developers prepare by ensuring the application's current kernel supports the drivers required by the new Xeon 5500 series - or plan carefully to migrate to a new kernel.

"The Xeon processor 5500 series microarchitecture marks a real shift in computing power and performance that will change the way ISVs and OEMs think about their applications and how they are architected," explained Jeff Hudgins, vice president of marketing, NEI. "By taking some time to prepare, ISVs will be well positioned to bring new and exciting applications to market that can take full advantage of the performance and scope that Xeon 5500 series has to offer."

For more detailed information, please visit: http://www.nei.com/default.asp?LINKNAME=XEON5500_NEHALEM

Register for NEI's webinar on April 8, 2009 featuring speakers from Intel and Emerson:

http://w.on24.com/r.htm?e=139835&s=1&k=25920E7C9477FCC3CA0905391C6D0120&partnerref=pr

About NEI

NEI is a leading provider of application platforms, appliances and services for software developers, OEMs and service providers worldwide. NEI enables customers to more effectively deploy, manage and support application platforms and appliances using its comprehensive capabilities, including solution design, integration control, global logistics, smart services, technical support and maintenance. Founded in 1997, NEI is headquartered in Canton, Massachusetts and trades on the Nasdaq exchange under the symbol NENG. For more information about NEI's products and services, visit www.nei.com.

Intel, Xeon and the Intel logo are registered trademarks of Intel Corporation in the United States and other countries.

* Other names and brands may be claimed as the property of others.

Lisa Cliver Nancy Pieretti NEI Davies Murphy Group 972-633-3491 781-418-2424 lisa.cliver@nei.com nei@daviesmurphy.com

SOURCE NEI

Source: PR Newswire

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