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COPYRIGHT 2005 VNU Business Media Europe
Along with multi-core technology, energy-saving functions and security mechanisms, the new buzzword in processor development is 'virtualisation'.
Virtualisation refers to the idea of a single physical PC emulating several virtual PCs (also referred to as virtual machines), each of which runs its own operating system. These operating systems run simultaneously, but independently of each other, delivering a higher level of security as critical applications can each run on separate virtual machines. In addition, there is a greater choice of software as applications written for different operating systems can be used in parallel on one PC.
In the mainframe and large computer sector, virtualisation is a well-established concept. For example, multiple web servers can be operated on a single machine instead of needing to set up several identical pieces of expensive hardware.
Been there, done that
Virtual PC software for desktop PCs has been around for many years. These programs work quite well, but the software overhead (see box below) means that the virtual PC's performance is often not as strong as it might otherwise be. However, this is likely to change in future, enabling virtualisation to move into the mainstream.
One reason for this is that both AMD and Intel are going to integrate support for virtualisation directly into their new processors' hardware. Intel hopes to deliver the first Pentium and Xeon chips incorporating virtualisation technology by the end of 2006. The processor extensions - previously codenamed Vanderpool - now go under the official title of Intel Virtualisation Technology (IVT). The relevant specifications have been available for download from Intel's website since the beginning of 2005 (see Further information at the end of this article).
AMD...
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