Microsoft open sources algorithm, hardware and source code for Azure data compression
Microsoft is open-sourcing its cloud-compression algorithm and optimized hardware implementation for cloud storage. Microsoft is contributing that algorithm, known as "Project Zipline," plus the associated hardware design specs and related source code to the Open Compute Project, the company announced on March 14.
"Project Zipline is a cutting-edge compression technology optimized for a large variety of datasets, and our release of RTL (Register Transfer Language) allows hardware vendors to use the reference design to produce hardware chips to allow the highest compression, lowest cost, and lowest power out of the algorithm," Microsoft officials said in a blog post.
Microsoft is hoping the Open Compute Project community will contribute to the algorithm and specs. Microsoft officials said they anticipate the Zipline compression technology could make its way into various markets in areas like network data processing, smart solid state drives, archival systems, cloud appliances, and general-purpose microprocessor, and edge devices.
