API Expands Partner Program to Continue Growth of Alpha Linux
Alpha Processor, Inc. (API) expanded its partner program with a new group of hardware, software and services companies that will build on API processors and motherboards to deliver complete, ready-to-deploy Alpha Linux solutions.
CONCORD, Mass. — January 24, 2000 — API today announced a significant expansion of its partner program for Alpha Linux. The new members include Linux distribution vendors, system integrators, clustering specialists, storage and peripheral suppliers, and independent software vendors. Each partner will combine API technology, including the UP1000 motherboard and the Alpha 21264 processor, with its own products and expertise to bring complete systems to market rather than bare components. The expansion follows last month's announcement of a long-term Alpha growth strategy between Compaq, API and Samsung, and is part of API's plan to make Alpha the reference 64-bit platform for Linux.
Why a partner program for Linux
Linux on Alpha is not new. Alpha was one of the first architectures outside x86 to receive a full Linux port, and it has been used for years by developers, universities and research labs who need a true 64-bit environment with strong floating-point performance. What has been missing is a mainstream, commercially supported path for buyers who want a complete system: hardware, operating system, tuned applications and service, all from sources they already trust.
API's business model depends on others building and selling finished machines. The company supplies processors, boards and reference designs; partners supply integration, distribution, software and support. The partner program formalizes that relationship and gives members access to engineering resources, early hardware, co-marketing and a shared validation process so customers know which combinations are known to work.
What partners receive
Members of the expanded program gain access to a defined set of benefits designed to shorten the time it takes to bring an Alpha Linux product to market.
- Early access hardware — pre-production boards and processor samples so partners can port, tune and certify software ahead of general availability.
- Engineering support — direct technical contacts at API for BIOS and firmware questions, kernel and driver issues, and platform validation.
- Compatibility testing — a shared test process covering distributions, peripherals and key applications, with results published for customers.
- Co-marketing — joint listings, trade-show presence and inclusion in API sales materials, directing buyers toward partner solutions.
- Channel referrals — introductions to API resellers and OEMs looking for software or integration expertise.
Partner categories
The program is organized into several categories so that customers can assemble a complete solution from members that complement each other. API expects individual partners to span more than one category over time.
| Category | Typical contribution | Example use case |
|---|---|---|
| Linux distributions | Alpha-native builds, installers, updates | Standard server and workstation installs |
| System integrators | Configured, tested systems with warranty | Turnkey workstations and rack servers |
| Cluster specialists | Interconnect, job scheduling, management tools | Beowulf-style compute clusters |
| Software vendors | Compilers, math libraries, applications | Scientific, engineering and financial computing |
| Peripheral and storage | Validated controllers, drivers, storage arrays | Database and file serving |
The platform underneath
Most partner solutions will initially be built on the UP1000, API's ATX-form-factor board for the Alpha 21264. The board pairs the processor, delivered on a Slot B module with a large secondary cache, with a PC-style chipset, SDRAM memory, AGP graphics and standard PCI slots. Because it uses familiar components, partners can source cases, power supplies, drives and many expansion cards from the same suppliers they use for x86 systems, while gaining Alpha's 64-bit address space and memory bandwidth.
For partners targeting multiprocessor and higher-end server configurations, API's roadmap includes dual-processor boards such as the UP2000. The partner program will extend to those platforms as they become available, so that software validated on single-processor systems can move up without re-certification from scratch.
Linux users do not want a science project. They want to order a system, install their distribution and run their code. Our partners make that possible on Alpha.
An API company spokesperson
Target markets
API and its partners see the strongest early demand in areas where Alpha's floating-point and memory performance give a measurable advantage over 32-bit systems at a similar price.
- High-performance clusters. Universities and labs building commodity clusters for simulation and modeling can use Alpha Linux nodes to increase per-node performance, reducing node count and interconnect cost.
- Engineering and scientific workstations. CAD, computational fluid dynamics, chemistry and visualization applications benefit from 64-bit math and large memory.
- Internet and database servers. Web, mail and database workloads that need large address spaces and high I/O throughput.
- Digital content creation. Rendering and effects work, where render farms built on Alpha had already found a niche.
Customers can find listed partners and their offerings through the partner directory, and technical questions about supported configurations are handled through API support.
Next steps
API plans to continue adding members through the year and to publish updated compatibility information as new distributions, peripherals and boards are validated. The company also intends to broaden its reseller network so that partner solutions are available from local channel sources worldwide, not only from integrators that sell direct.
About Alpha Processor, Inc.
Alpha Processor, Inc. (API), headquartered in Concord, Massachusetts, was formed in 1998 by Samsung Electronics and Digital Equipment Corporation to bring the Alpha 64-bit RISC architecture to mainstream markets. API designs, markets and supports Alpha processors, motherboards, processor modules and platform solutions for OEMs, system integrators and resellers, with a particular focus on Linux, technical computing and Internet infrastructure.