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Synopsys Cloud

Unlimited access to EDA software licenses on-demand

Building and maintaining the on-premises infrastructure needed to support chip design workloads is difficult and expensive. Chip design uses massive amounts of data that must be stored, secured, and backed up. Specific steps in the development process require heavy computing resources, but the rest of the time, that infrastructure sits idle, representing a huge source of waste in IT budgets. Cloud computing ensures you can access all the necessary data storage and computational power without paying for unused resources. This blog breaks down the cloud computing advantages for chip designers looking to eliminate the limitations of on-premises infrastructure.


Cloud Computing Advantages for Chip Designers

The biggest cloud computing advantages for chip designers include:

 

Scalability and Elasticity

To scale on-premises EDA (electronic design automation) and data storage systems, you must purchase and install new hardware and software, which is time-consuming and expensive. Cloud systems, however, can be scaled up or down with a button click. With elastic cloud infrastructure, scaling happens automatically, empowering you to meet spikes in demand or downsize to stay nimble during slow periods.

 

Cost Efficiency

The easy scalability of cloud computing means that chip designers can deactivate the storage and compute resources when they finish using them, so your organization won’t pay for stagnant services. Elastic cloud services often charge on a pay-as-you-go basis, automatically reducing charges when you use fewer resources. You won’t be responsible for buying, maintaining, and fixing the underlying hardware infrastructure, reducing operational overhead.  

 

Increased Throughput

The scalability and elasticity of cloud computing mean that you’ll always have the computing power and storage capacity you need at a moment’s notice. For example, silicon IP verification is very resource intensive. It can create bottlenecks in EDA development if your on-premises infrastructure isn’t robust enough to handle it efficiently. You can spin up new resources as needed to ensure a streamlined development process in the cloud, increasing your throughput.

 

Innovation and Growth

Cloud computing makes it easier to take advantage of new technologies like IoT, AI, and machine learning without a huge upfront investment in new infrastructure. With access to high-performance computing power in the cloud, you can host data- and compute-intensive applications at a lower cost. In addition, cloud providers are constantly adding new features, integrations, and extensions, so you can try out something new without the hassle of building it yourself. Cloud computing reduces the risk of exploring new ideas and technology, allowing chip designers to innovate and grow.

 

Accessibility

When your data and EDA software is hosted on-premises, you can only access them from the enterprise network. On the other hand, cloud computing solutions can be accessed from anywhere in the world with an internet connection. That means chip designers can respond to emergencies faster, work from home when health and safety issues arise, or access workloads while traveling. In addition, cloud computing can disseminate data from the foundry, giving manufacturers easy access to information they can use to manage resources within the semiconductor supply chain better.

 

Security

Cloud computing uses the shared responsibility model for security. That means the cloud provider is in charge of many of the most expensive and arduous security controls, such as on-site security guards, cameras, and biometric locks. As a chip designer, you get peace of mind knowing that your data and workloads are protected without the expense and hassle of managing every aspect of security yourself. However, this lack of control over all security measures in place means that you need to trust your cloud provider to follow best practices, so you should choose a vendor certified by a cloud security framework.

The biggest cloud computing advantages for chip designers are the cloud’s ability to grow, shrink, and extend as needed to support your workloads and requirements. 


Synopsys, EDA, and the Cloud

Synopsys is the industry’s largest provider of electronic design automation (EDA) technology used in the design and verification of semiconductor devices, or chips. With Synopsys Cloud, we’re taking EDA to new heights, combining the availability of advanced compute and storage infrastructure with unlimited access to EDA software licenses on-demand so you can focus on what you do best – designing chips, faster. Delivering cloud-native EDA tools and pre-optimized hardware platforms, an extremely flexible business model, and a modern customer experience, Synopsys has reimagined the future of chip design on the cloud, without disrupting proven workflows.

 

Take a Test Drive!

Synopsys technology drives innovations that change how people work and play using high-performance silicon chips. Let Synopsys power your innovation journey with cloud-based EDA tools. Sign up to try Synopsys Cloud for free!


About The Author

Sridhar Panchapakesan is the Senior Director, Cloud Engagements at Synopsys, responsible for enabling customers to successfully adopt cloud solutions for their EDA workflows. He drives cloud-centric initiatives, marketing, and collaboration efforts with foundry partners, cloud vendors and strategic customers at Synopsys. He has 25+ years’ experience in the EDA industry and is especially skilled in managing and driving business-critical engagements at top-tier customers. He has a MBA degree from the Haas School of Business, UC Berkeley and a MSEE from the University of Houston.

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