On Warehouse-Scale Computers

Abstract – The popularity of Internet-based applications is bringing increased attention to server-side computing, and in particular to the design of the large-scale computing systems that support successful service-based products. In this talk I will cover some of the issues involved in designing and programming this emerging class of very large (warehouse-scale) computing systems. I will also discuss the energy efficiency challenges in this space, including what makes data centers different from laptops.

Biography – Luiz Andr é Barroso is a Distinguished Engineer at Google. His interests range from distributed system software infrastructure to the design of Google’s computing platform. Prior to Google, Luiz was a member of the research staff at Digital Equipment Corporation and Compaq, where his group did some of the pioneering work on multi-core architectures. He has B.S. and M.S. degrees in Electrical Engineering from the Pontif ícia Universidade Católica of Rio de Janeiro, and a Ph.D. in Computer Engineering from the University of Southern California.