Server Architecture

Question 1

most common Linux server architectures

Answer 1

x86 (32-bit)

x86_64/AMD64 (64-bit)

AArch64 (ARM64)

RISC-V

Question 2

x86 (32-bit) Architecture

Answer 2

● Developed by Intel, widely used in the 1990s and early 2000s

	● Processes data in 32-bit chunks (4 bytes at a time)
	
	● Memory limitation
		
		○ Can only access up to 4GB of RAM

● Still used in older machines, legacy systems, and embedded devices

Question 3

x86_64 / AMD64 (64-bit) Architecture

Answer 3

● 64-bit extension of x86, introduced by AMD in 1999 and later adopted by Intel

	● Processes data in 64-bit chunks, improving performance

	● Can theoretically address 16 exabytes (EB) of RAM, but practical limits depend on OS and hardware 
	
	● Linux systems running AMD64 architecture typically support up to 128 TB of RAM
	
	● Most modern Linux servers use x86_64 due to its power and widespread compatibility

Question 4

AArch64 (ARM64) Architecture

Answer 4

● 64-bit version of Advanced RISC Machine (ARM) processors

	● Designed for power efficiency and scalability
	
	● Popular in mobile devices, cloud servers, and energy-saving data centers

	● Many newer Linux servers use AArch64 to reduce power
	consumption while maintaining performance

	● Example
		○ Raspberry Pi 4 running Ubuntu Server

Question 5

RISC-V (Open-Source Architecture)

Answer 5

● Reduced Instruction Set Computing – 5th iteration

	● Open-source CPU design – allows for customized processors
	
	● Unlike x86 and ARM, which are proprietary, RISC-V is free to modify

	● Gaining popularity in research, embedded systems, and
	specialized Linux servers

	● Example
	
	○ Used in edge computing devices and AI accelerators for
           optimized performance in low-power environments