alibaba is making its cloud os compatible with multiple chip architectures

Alibaba Cloud Expands Apsara OS Architecture Support

Alibaba’s cloud computing division has announced the compatibility of its Apsara operating system with a diverse range of processor architectures. These include Arm, x86, and RISC-V, among others, as revealed at a recent conference.

Alibaba Cloud's Market Position

Alibaba Cloud represents a rapidly expanding segment of the Chinese e-commerce giant’s business. It currently ranks as the fourth-largest public cloud service globally, based on data from IDC’s analysis of the latter half of 2020.

The Rise of RISC-V

Traditionally, the global chip market has been largely dominated by Intel’s x86 architecture for personal computers and Arm for mobile devices. However, RISC-V, an open-source chip architecture, is experiencing increasing adoption worldwide.

This is particularly noticeable among developers in China. Originating from academic research at the University of California, Berkeley, RISC-V offers unrestricted use without licensing or patent fees and is generally exempt from U.S. export controls.

Impact of U.S. Sanctions

Restrictions imposed by the Trump Administration on Huawei and ZTE, citing national security concerns, have significantly disrupted the relationship between these Chinese telecom companies and American technology providers, including semiconductor manufacturers.

Arm, due to its U.K. origin, was able to continue licensing to Huawei. Nevertheless, Huawei continues to face challenges in securing fabrication facilities capable of manufacturing chips designed using its architecture.

China's Response and RISC-V Adoption

The U.S. sanctions have spurred increased activity surrounding RISC-V within China’s technology sector. Developers are proactively preparing for potential future restrictions from the U.S., with Alibaba leading this movement.

Alibaba Cloud, alongside Huawei and ZTE, holds a position as a premier member of RISC-V International. This membership grants them representation on the board of directors and the technical steering committee.

Alibaba's Semiconductor Efforts

In 2019, Alibaba’s semiconductor division, T-Head, introduced its inaugural core processor, the Xuantie 910. This processor is based on the RISC-V architecture and is designed for cloud edge and IoT applications.

Expanding operating system compatibility to encompass multiple chip systems, rather than relying on a single dominant architecture, positions Alibaba Cloud favorably for a future characterized by greater chip independence within China.

Standardization Through Cloud Computing

Zhang Jianfeng, president of Alibaba Cloud’s Intelligence group, emphasized the transformative role of cloud computing. He stated, “A cloud operating system can standardize the computing power of server chips, special-purpose chips and other hardware.”

This standardization ensures consistent, high-quality cloud computing services for customers, regardless of whether the underlying chip is based on x86, Arm, RISC-V, or a hardware accelerator.

Potential for Technological Fragmentation

Some observers suggest that the shift towards alternatives like RISC-V by Chinese companies could lead to increased fragmentation of technology and standards. This outcome is not optimal for global collaboration unless RISC-V achieves widespread adoption internationally.