Intel is partnering with database software vendor GroovyChannel to develop a
new range of database appliance servers for enterprise cloud computing.
The appliance servers will be based on Intel's multicore processors and
GroovyChannel's patent-pending multicore database virtualization software. The
collaboration is aimed specifically at dealing with the growing demands of Web
applications and cloud computing environments. According to GroovyChannel, the
requirements of Web
2.0 and cloud computing exceed the capabilities of today's RDBMSes (relational
DBMSes) when it comes to price and performance.
"Cloud computing sees the need for more utility-style database offering[s]
which can be shared across multiple customers," explained GroovyChannel CEO
Joe Ward. "The problem [with] using traditional DBs is that they are
required to rack multiple blade servers together to scale and … databases are
then 'sharded,' splitting up the database. This doesn't help the
price/performance equation needed for database cloud computing to be
economical."
Google and Amazon.com try to work around this by offering a scalable, shared
solution; however, the architectures then unwind the relational-databaselike
properties, he said.
"GroovyDB makes utility-style, scalable relational data in the cloud
simple by providing a shared, scalable relational database across many
customers using many cores with the added benefit of live, interactive data—no
refresh, or polling," Ward continued.
The appliance is based on a 24-core Intel server powered by four six-core
Xeon processors. Its architecture is designed to incorporate high-performance,
real-time virtualization embedded at the processor core level to make full
use of Intel's multicore servers in database applications.
The idea is to break through bottlenecks affecting real-time data access in
networked relational databases, and to challenge Sun's MySQL database as an
answer to enterprises' Web 2.0 needs.
In addition to the collaboration, Intel Capital has taken a warrant to
purchase ordinary shares of GroovyChannel. The appliance itself is slated to be
generally available within six months, officials at GroovyChannel said.
"In this relationship, we see Intel and GroovyChannel pioneering a
substantial lead in high-performance scalable, live data management," Narendra
Bhandari, director of APAC Software and Solutions
Group at Intel, said in a statement. "Our objective in this agreement is
to provide our customers with the necessary technology alliances that will
enable the GroovyDB in a performing and cost-effective manner."
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