NEW ORLEANS, May 6, 2003 — In his keynote address today at the 12th annual Windows® Hardware Engineering Conference (WinHEC), Bill Gates, chairman and chief software architect at Microsoft Corp., will showcase a concept of a Dynamic Data Center (DDC) jointly developed with HP. This DDC features a combination of HP servers, software, storage and networking hardware connected based on a prescribed network architecture. Microsoft®
software dynamically assigns, provisions and centrally manages the DDC resources. The software driving the DDC will enable customers to automatically deploy a distributed application; provision the associated server, storage and networking resources required for that application; and dynamically allocate resources to grow and shrink based on business and workload demands. The concept is a significant milestone in Microsoft’s Dynamic Systems Initiative (DSI) and represents the companies’ long-term collaboration to enable customers to harness the power of industry-standard hardware, maximize the value of their information technology systems, and achieve new levels of simplicity and automation.
“The software architecture underlying the Dynamic Data Center is a critical innovation that can greatly simplify IT operations while helping customers use high-volume, low-cost, industry-standard hardware more effectively,”
said Jim Allchin, group vice president of the Platforms Division at Microsoft.
“Larger workloads can get additional resources on the fly, and smaller ones only consume the resources they need. We are committed to leading the charge on the Dynamic Systems Initiative, and we’re very happy to have industry-leading vendors like HP alongside us to help deliver integrated hardware and software solutions supporting this effort.”
Shane Robison, executive vice president and chief strategy and technology officer at HP, echoed the sentiment:
“This is an exciting day for us — and for the industry overall — as the Dynamic Data Center is a key step forward for the Dynamic Systems Initiative. We are very pleased with the joint efforts that have taken place with Microsoft, and we look forward to continuing this collaboration well into the future.”
Collaboration to Create the First Dynamic Data Center
This concept Dynamic Data Center from Microsoft and HP is the result of more than a year of collaborative efforts between the two companies in support of the DSI and the underlying System Definition Model (SDM). The SDM, a fundamental building block of the DSI architecture, is a live, Extensible Markup Language (XML) blueprint that provides a common software contract between development, deployment and operations.
Collaborating around the SDM, both Microsoft and HP contributed innovations throughout the DDC development process. The Windows Server (TM) Group at Microsoft first developed a prototype of a future version of Automated Deployment Services (ADS) — a powerful server provisioning and administration tool for Windows Server 2003 — extending its support for the SDM. This future version of ADS will enable centralized provisioning and management of a prescribed set of industry-standard servers, storage and networking hardware.
HP contributed innovations in hardware, including prototypical development of an Authenticated Identity for its ProLiant servers to better enhance server boot security. HP also developed prototype SDM-enabled software providers, which allow Microsoft’s software to provision and manage HP ProLiant Servers, HP ProCurve switches and HP StorageWorks disk arrays. Microsoft also collaborates with HP due in part to HP’s expertise in datacenter innovation.
Broader Collaboration in Support of the Dynamic Systems Initiative
Joint development around the Dynamic Data Center is just one facet of a much broader collaboration effort between Microsoft and HP in support of the Dynamic Systems Initiative. HP’s combination of management software, services, storage and server assets will enable it to provide a complete set of DSI-compliant solutions including these:
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Integrated software and hardware DDC solutions through HP’s Factory Integration Services and Global Services
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Powerful new management solutions for the Dynamic Data Center that leverage the SDM
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Integration of ADS for the provisioning of Windows Servers within HP’s Utility Data Center offering now, and of Dynamic Data Center systems in the future
About the Dynamic Systems Initiative
The Dynamic Systems Initiative is a broad Microsoft and industry effort that unifies hardware, software and service vendors around a new software architecture that will enable customers to harness the power of industry-standard hardware and will dramatically simplify and automate how customers build, deploy and operate highly scalable applications. Core to this new architecture is the System Definition Model, a live XML blueprint that provides a common software contract between development, deployment and operations. The SDM will be supported by application development tools, operating systems, server applications, management solutions and industry-standard hardware, resulting in a new generation of dynamic systems.
About Windows Server 2003
Windows Server 2003 is a comprehensive, integrated and secure infrastructure designed to help customers reduce costs and increase the efficiency and effectiveness of information technology (IT) operations. Building on Windows 2000 family strengths, the new server platform helps customers extend existing resources while laying the foundation for building a new generation of connected applications that improve business productivity. Windows Server 2003 is the foundation for the Microsoft Windows Server System (TM) integrated server infrastructure, designed for building, deploying and operating agile business solutions.
About Microsoft
Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq
“MSFT”
) is the worldwide leader in software, services and Internet technologies for personal and business computing. The company offers a wide range of products and services designed to empower people through great software — any time, any place and on any device.
Microsoft, Windows, Windows Server and Windows Server System are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corp. in the United States and/or other countries.
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