How the Java-Optimized Vega Chip Happened

An airhacks.fm conversation with Gil Tene (@giltene) about:
discussion of Azul Systems' Vega chip, a custom-designed processor
optimized for Java workloads, Vega's architecture and features
including multiple generations (Vega 1, 2, and 3), high core count
(up to 54 cores per chip), custom instruction set, hardware-managed
register windows, type-aware pointers for efficient method calls,
fully symmetric multiprocessing with up to 16 chips (864 cores
total), memory striping across controllers for even distribution,
Hardware Transactional Memory support for concurrent Java
operations, custom coherency and memory ordering instructions,
comparison with contemporary processors from Intel and Sun,
challenges in chip design and manufacturing, impact on Java
performance and concurrency, evolution of the technology and its
influence on modern processor designs, Gil Tene's role in
developing the Vega chip and related software technologies at Azul
Systems, Gil's blog: Stuff Gil Says

Gil Tene on twitter: @giltene