Interesting Hardware, Software, Networking: New Technology Workbook Assignment 2 Questions Answer

Workbook Assignment 2
Further Investigation Questions

New Technology: Interesting Hardware

What is the technology?

1. Answer – recently, on 5 Nov 2020, AMD launch a new CPU Zen 3. It is a 4^th generation Ryzen processor with aka Zen 3. Zen 3 is a high performing CPU, build on a new architecture that offer average gain of IPC, around 17% for low latency apps like games.

What does it do? How would you use it? Tell us some scenarios?

2. Answer – AMD Zen 3 processor is the new fastest processor from AMD that is recently launched. This product is far faster and more better performing as compared to Intel CPUs. It offers faster performance in this segment as it will be the latest and last microarchitecture prior to AMD switched to DDR5 memory. We can use it with our previous hardware that is based on AMD architecture with DDR4 memory, in our desktop computer. It gives us a faster environment to play high capacity games plays, to run high capacity software application and can support many high performing environments ("AMD Zen 3 release date, specs and price: everything we know about AMD Ryzen 5000", 2020). 

Briefly outline the devices interesting hardware. In what way is the hardware novel, in what way is it different, interesting or how does it revolutionise the device? If information is not publicly available you can write about what you think – suitably justified.

3. Answer – AMD Zen 3 is the latest and last CPU from AMD from Zen 3 series which support DDR4 memory. It is come with its own cooling system and chipset as Ryzon 7 5600X. Zen 3 is the code name of the CPU micro-architecture that developed by AMD. It is the last hardware from AMD prior to moving towards DDR5 memory with new sockets. It is build based on 7nm+ processor which offer much high clock speed with low power usages. It also comes with 8% to 10% increased IPC. Zen 3 offer faster boost frequency with Ryzen 500 series with 16-core and 32 threats. It can boost up to 4.90 GHz when running on 64 MB of L3 cache and 105-Watt power supply. It uses AM4 socket type which is supported by X570 chipset and B550 chipset (Alcorn, 2020). 

New Technology: Interesting Software

What is the technology?

4. Answer – Tiny AI is the software technology launched recently in year 2020. It is an improved version of artificial intelligence (AI) that will be used to solve key issues with an ease. It is also a greener approach which reduce the level of carbon emission that is also a major factor of developing this Tiny AI software (2020).

What does it do? How would you use it? Tell us some scenarios?

5. Answer – Training a single AI can release up to 284 tonnes of carbon dioxide, equal to 5 times the CO2 emission of an average car. Tiny AI has the ability to minimise environmental damage yet maintaining high levels of precision, it has developed a new technique called the Distilled Approach that can reduce algorithm sizes by up to 10x. Take an example of the BERT (Pre-trained Language Model) that offers suggestions for finishing your sentence and writing suggestions. This large project has reduced its size by 7.5x in partnership with Tiny AI while increasing speed by 9.4x, and authors also say that its performance has improved by 96 percent compared to the previous model (Bicak, 2020).

Briefly outline the devices interesting software. In what way is the software novel, in what way is it different, interesting or how does it revolutionise the device? If information is not publicly available you can write about what you think – suitably justified.

6. Answer – Tiny AI has the potential to bring out all the functionality of an AI and also works with machine learning tools. The major motive behind developing the Tiny AI, is to reduce the size of AI algorithm, for those part which usage huge amount of data and computing power. Although Tiny AI use a huge amount of energy in the form of electrical power but its carbon emission is far less than a normal running car of its lifetime. Adaptation of this new AI technology will help in keeping the environment green which is the key factor to adopt it. As another important feature / factor of Tiny AI, it provides an interface and a model to run resource limited devices like automated security devices, robotics, etc. It offers enhanced intelligence without need of a large data centre and offer better performance as it will run on a small processor which can be powered by a battery. It is capable of building algorithms inside devices in a network, such as sensors. This approach of make the hardware to do data analytics with lower power consumption and avoid backup of data over cloud. It improves latency and make the devices to consume less power. Because of these new features with a far new technology, enable the artificial intelligence to works with the mobile devices like smart phones and will enhance their functionalities and user privacy (2020). 

New Technology: Interesting Networking

What is the technology?

7. Answer – from the last two years, networking sector is growing so fast. On this year, 2020, SD-WAN is developed and becoming a new standard networking technology to work with wide area network (WAN). SD-WAN is widely used to connect cloud resources and branch offices ("5 Networking Trends to Watch in 2020 and Beyond", 2020). 

What does it do? How would you use it? Tell us some scenarios?

8. Answer – the SD-WAN or (software defined wide area networking) use a software base platform to manage, connect and configure services between remote branch office and cloud data centres. Same like the SDN, SD-WAN use data plane and control plane. It connects devices which support SD-WAN such as routers and switches, and handle all the configurations, security, networking features and manage other tools like vendor or client management. Besides these advanced features, it works with MPLS technology to helps in advance packet forwarding technique and making decision in forwarding packets. It also helps in managing security of network, aligned with cloud service providers as one of its major usage (Cooney, 2020). 

Briefly outline the devices interesting networking. In what way is the networking novel, in what way is it different, interesting or how does it revolutionise the device? If information is not publicly available you can write about what you think – suitably justified.

9. Answer – SD-WAN is a virtual model or architecture to combine the key networking services like LTE, MPLS, etc. to effectively manage and control them using a software, centrally. It is different from previous WAN technologies in term of, it combines WAN technologies and configure, manage and connect branch offices via a central network using cloud services. This architecture use encrypted traffic in distributed form and entire network is controlled centrally. The admin can configure as much security as they want using filtering and inspection aspects to allow or block possible threats. It will help in reducing traffic by filtering traffic and using encrypted connections. The approach of using SD-WAN technology, improve performance with less complexities, enhance security with the integration of cloud at lower prices. The technology used by SD-WAN is most beneficial for large or global businesses to handle challenges at that level like performance of application and acceleration of data. Cisco is the major service provider of SD-WAN. It offers services and products to works with cloud which are programmable, secure and more scalable according to large business. These cisco products have a vManage console to connect and manage data centres, branch offices and improve network performance, efficiency and security ("SD-WAN Explained", 2020).