Cloud architects have long wished for more flexibility in how memory is provisioned in servers, and CXL is finally delivering on a decade of promises. In this episode of Utilizing Tech, Stephen Foskett and Craig Rodgers talk to Dan Ernst of Microsoft, who is deeply involved in bringing CXL-attached memory to fruition within Azure. Dan was previously involved in the Gen-Z effort, and feels that CXL picks up the baton and brings valuable real-world benefits to cloud server architecture. Memory has a bigger impact on overall IT platforms than many are aware, and is already the costliest component in large servers. Per Amdahl’s Law, it makes sense to look for cost savings in memory. And this is doubly the case because DIMMs only come in certain sizes so memory is usually over-specified. CXL memory modules cost a bit more than a DIMM, but this is offset by efficient right-sizing, and CXL is already cheaper than 3D stacked DIMMs.
- Stephen Foskett, Publisher of Gestalt IT and Organizer of Tech Field Day. Find Stephen’s writing at GestaltIT.com and on Twitter at @SFoskett.
- Craig Rodgers, Solutions Architect at Camlin Group. Connect with Craig on LinkedIn and follow him on Twitter at @CraigRodgersms.
- Dan Ernst, Principal Architect working on Future Azure Cloud Systems, Microsoft Azure. You can connect with Dan on LinkedIn. Read about Microsoft Azure’s work with CXL here.
For your weekly dose of Utilizing CXL, subscribe to our podcast on your favorite podcast app through Anchor FM and check out more Utilizing Tech podcast episodes on the dedicated website, https://utilizingtech.com/.
