Intel and Microsoft provide higher 32-bit applications performance on Itanium

From: Keith Parris (keithparris_NOSPAM_at_yahoo.com)
Date: 01/30/04 

Date: 30 Jan 2004 10:42:51 -0800

Intel and Microsoft release new technology for HP Integrity servers
by Jeff Kyle

Intel and Microsoft have released the IA-32 Execution Layer (EL) 4.3
software driver for systems powered by the Intel® Itanium® 2 processor
running Microsoft® Windows® Server 2003. The IA-32 EL technology
provides greater flexibility for customers migrating applications to
the 64-bit Windows operating system on Itanium 2-based servers by
increasing the performance of many 32-bit software applications. IA-32
EL is a software package integrated with the operating system. Itanium
processors have always provided support for 32-bit applications using
on-die hardware; however, with IA-32 EL, support for IA-32
applications will be carried out in software. At run time, the IA-32
Execution Layer software translates the IA-32 application code into
native Itanium architecture code and allows it to run as native code.

HP Integrity system customers are taking full advantage of the
performance and scalability offered by Itanium 2 based systems running
Windows Server 2003 with fully functional 64-bit database, decision
support, and line-of-business application environments. Now, customers
can take advantage of IA-32 EL software to run their 32-bit supporting
software on the Itanium 2-based server. This new approach facilitates
customer migration to Integrity servers and provides the flexibility
needed for future performance and scalability enhancements, as well as
giving customers the ability to seamlessly deploy Integrity servers
throughout their data centers. The full line of HP Integrity servers,
from the 2-way Integrity rx2600 to the 64-way capable Integrity
Superdome running Windows Server 2003, supports IA-32 EL software.
IA-32 EL is supported today in Windows Server 2003 Enterprise Edition
for 64-Bit Itanium-based systems, Windows Server 2003 Datacenter
Edition for 64-Bit Itanium-based Systems, and Windows XP 64-Bit
Edition.

IA-32 EL software is available for download at
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserver2003/64bit/ipf/ia32el.mspx. The
software will be included with the Service Pack 1 release of all
editions of Windows Server 2003 for Itanium 2 based systems.