A systems administrator is tasked with deploying a new fleet of general-purpose enterprise Linux servers for a data center. The primary requirements are support for over 128 GB of RAM, broad compatibility with a wide range of commercial off-the-shelf software, and strong performance for virtualization. Which of the following server architectures should the administrator choose to meet these requirements?
The correct answer is x86_64/AMD64. This 64-bit architecture is the de facto standard for enterprise servers and workstations. It supports vast amounts of RAM (theoretically up to 16 exabytes, though practically limited by the OS and hardware to many terabytes), which easily meets the 128 GB requirement. Furthermore, it has the widest support from both commercial and open-source software vendors, making it ideal for general-purpose use and virtualization.
x86 is incorrect because it is a 32-bit architecture with a primary limitation of addressing a maximum of 4 GB of RAM, which is insufficient for the specified requirements.
AArch64 is a 64-bit ARM architecture that is gaining traction in data centers, especially for power efficiency and specific workloads. However, x86_64 still maintains broader support for general-purpose commercial software and is the more common choice in traditional enterprise environments.
RISC-V is an open-standard 64-bit architecture that is highly customizable and gaining popularity, particularly in embedded systems and specialized accelerators. Its ecosystem for general-purpose enterprise servers and broad commercial software support is not yet as mature as x86_64.
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