14 DAY TRIAL // Intel is smug today, and we have to admit it has a reason, a reason provided by Hewlett-Packard in the form of project Moonshot, which "is not evolutionary innovation [but] disruptive innovation... This could truly be a revolution," in Meg Whitman's own words.
One would think that something called Project Moonshot would be about some new toy or gadget, or maybe a new type of PC.
Well, it's definitely a new type of system, just not a PC. Instead, HP has created a new type of server, one that exploits ten years of research to overhaul the idea of servers and data centers. Completely.
Based on the Intel Atom S1200 processor family, the servers promoted by Project Moonshot are each as large as a hardcover book.
That makes them 80% smaller than other servers, which is a great feat on its own, but is in no way the only advantage.
Indeed, the servers also use 89% less energy and cost about 77% less as well. Moonshot really does sound like an enterprise's dream come true.
The main reason is the adoption of a modular setup, like the one that blade servers already use, only made better in every way, as we said.
A bunch of small computers are stuffed inside a single enclosure and share the power supply, the cooler, and the networking hardware.
Overall, the space that would normally be filled with 128 servers can now hold 1,800, as amazing as it sounds.
All things considered, it is a surprise that HP didn't use ARM processors, going instead for Intel Atom "Centerton."
Then again, Moonshot is said to be customizable, and while Atom-powered modules are already shipping, so will AMD, Applied Micro, Texas Instruments, and Calxeda designs will eventually show (the last one uses ARM).
Enterprises that use data centers to provide social media, cloud, and mobile services are bound to be the most interested in Moonshot, HP thinks.
