Advanced Micro Devices today announced it will license its I/O virtualization technology specification.

The effort is designed to encourage the technology’s widespread adoption by hardware and software developers and continues AMD’s push toward the x86 processor architecture. As explained by the company, the I/O virtualization technology can be directly built into a computer's I/O bridges to extend the benefits of CPU-assisted virtualization by addressing the performance bottlenecks and security issues that can be encountered when virtualizing I/O devices in x86-based servers, desktops and notebook computers.

"Continuing our leadership role, AMD's I/O virtualization technology is expected to provide performance benefits in commercial servers, but it also opens the door to new and exciting uses for virtualization in desktop and notebook PCs, where device virtualization is particularly challenging," said Marty Seyer, a senior VP at AMD, in a statement. "We have embraced the industry's ecosystem, and are very pleased to continue our collaborative approach to the development of AMD's virtualization technology by sharing this specification publicly and making it available through licenses across the hardware and software development community."

AMD's CPU virtualization technology delivers CPU efficiencies to traditional software only-based virtualization approaches. AMD I/O virtualization technology complements and extends those efficiencies by providing mechanisms to support virtualization software in managing, partitioning and securing I/O devices, which is anticipated to result in improved performance and less implementation complexity in providing I/O in virtual environments.

AMD's I/O virtualization technology is expected to be supported by all AMD processors in mid-2006, and is also anticipated to be implemented in chipsets and core logic designed for AMD64-based platforms this year.

AMD's collaborative approach to providing the industry with technology designed to allow virtualization solutions is demonstrated through ongoing and strategic alliances with companies including Microsoft, VMware and XenSource.

"Virtualization helps customers overcome the physical boundaries and underused capacity of IT systems, and is a key stepping stone for customers to increase operational efficiency and become more dynamic and responsive to business needs," said Jeff Price, senior director of Microsoft’s Windows server division, in a statement. "Microsoft is working closely with AMD to help open the way for a new class of innovation, to make IT systems not only more cost-effective, but also more secure, manageable and interoperable."

By: DocMemory
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