Data monster

Why graphics processors will transform database processing?. The graphics coprocessor, invented in the 1970s to churn through voluminous and repetitive calculations and render smooth and realistic-looking images on computer screens, can now chew on large-scale databases. Database processing is a cornerstone of computing, and it is a market that last year generated approximately US $27 billion, according to technology analysis firm Forrester Research, in Cambridge, Mass. The firm projects that this number-which includes new database licenses, technical support, and consulting-will grow to $32 billion by 2013. Every time you bid on an eBay auction, search for a movie on Netflix, look for a Kindle title on Amazon, or do a Google search, massive database applications spring into action, delving into huge quantities of data spread across tens of thousands of machines. This radical new task for graphics chips evolved from their role as the engine of computer games. So what does sifting enterprise-class databases have in common with rendering virtual monsters in a game? Both require handling huge amounts of data: Realistic-looking virtual monsters require generating millions of pixels every second, while searching large databases involves accessing millions of records per second. So why not take the same hardware that accelerates virtual monsters and put it to work on real-world applications, like the databases that are a large part of our daily livesa-more so than pixel monsters?