Upgrading and Repairing Servers

Chapter 2 Server Microprocessors

Server processors can be divided into three major categories:

• CISC-based processors—CISC (complex instruction set computer) is a processor architecture used by x86 processors such as the Xeon, Opteron, and other server and desktop processors manufactured by Intel, AMD, and other vendors. It uses variable-length instructions.
• RISC-based processors—RISC (reduced instruction set computer) uses a smaller number of instructions than CISC to improve processor efficiency. Server processors such as the PowerPC, Power Architecture, PA-RISC family, MIPS, Alpha, and Sun SPARC are RISC based.
• EPIC-based processors—EPIC (explicitly parallel instruction computer) groups instructions together into very long instruction words ...