Makers of white-box supercomputers hit their stride

CNET ^ | May 10, 2004 | Michael Kanellos

[antiRepublicrat]

Pretty impressive, but I wonder if the price/performance ratio would be as good as a rack of XServe Cluster computers ($126,000 for a full 42U rack, 88 2GHz PPC970 processors). Or can the Cray, with it's high-speed interconnect, blow it out of the water well enough to make price not an issue?

[CyberCowboy777]

I have not read any head to head comparisions and any marketing claims are suspect at a minimum.

You want preformance? - look for ways to open the bottleneck - which is not genrerally the CPU.

[CyberCowboy777]

I generally would place imaging guys in the same usage category as Gamers - but many are in the MAC world.

Nice system - except the Intel crap! *grin*

my short specs are on my profile as well.

[antiRepublicrat]

You want preformance? - look for ways to open the bottleneck - which is not genrerally the CPU.

That's why I was thinking Cray's high-speed interconnect could make an actual peak much higher than a rack of XServes, which might make it worth the money. OTOH, VA Tech got 10 teraflops off 1,100 machines using infiniband at 20 Gbps. I can't wait to see what the XD1 can really do, and if it'll shake up the world of HPC clusters.

[CyberCowboy777]

That is my thinking as well - but I have no idea how well the interconnect works or what increase it gives in preformance.

Of course I never get to play in the cluster world so it is all drool reading to me. Dual Xeon is as close as I get.

[Golden Eagle]

Unfortunately the "open source" availability of Linux allows US adversaries to get their hands on the software and build these supercomputers, despite export controls that prohibited that previously with Unix. No one wants to talk about that nasty little side effect, though.

[Joe_October]

....Of course no self respecting gamer would buy a pre-built PC from HP! LOL!....

but, but, but, HP used an X in the title "X Gaming".

Isn't that all they need?

HP, how lame is that?

[CyberCowboy777]

Yeah , they are so cool! lol!

About the only Gamer-in-a-box I would buy would be Alienware.

But for their prices I could build cheaper.

[Bush2000]

But Bush tells us Linux isn't any good for serious stuff.

Linux is perfectly suitable for running porn sites.

[antiRepublicrat]

Linux is perfectly suitable for running porn sites.

Of course, it's a good OS. And unlike Windows it's also suitable for running big iron and top supercomputers. In all those, time=money and Windows' high downtime rate isn't suitable.

[antiRepublicrat]

Unfortunately the "open source" availability of Linux allows US adversaries to get their hands on the software and build these supercomputers, despite export controls that prohibited that previously with Unix.

Except that Linux isn't a completely American product, and that it's likely the high-speed switches and interconnects with their accompanying software required to make the supercomputer something more than just several boxes sitting in a warehouse are restricted.

You think Windows is so much better than Linux, but you don't seem to have a problem with its sale to China -- including letting the communists have a look at the source code.

[Golden Eagle]

You think Windows is so much better than Linux, but you don't seem to have a problem with its sale to China -- including letting the communists have a look at the source code.

Not true, I think it "sucks", but they aren't giving it to them so it can become renamed "red flag" and the official operating system of the PRC like Linux is. Besides, if it wasn't for Linux, MS would have never showed those "peeks" of the windows source in the first place, that is simply a response to Linux. Nontheless, it still sucks. I think China should be embargoed the way the former soviet union was, at least until they ditch communism and respect our intellectual property.

[Golden Eagle]

it's likely the high-speed switches and interconnects with their accompanying software required to make the supercomputer something more than just several boxes sitting in a warehouse are restricted.

More like a wing and a prayer. Not when there's already at least 4 vendors selling this type of equipment, SANS have made high speed switches a common product.

[Revolting cat!]

It boggles the mind, don't it?! A 21st century super duper [powerhouse computah running a 35 year old operating system designed for telecom terminals! One 8 bit character at a time. vi anyone?

[Golden Eagle]

Yeah it does boggle the mind, that this international copycat version is stealing the *nix market from us (the US).

[antiRepublicrat]

I think China should be embargoed the way the former soviet union was, at least until they ditch communism and respect our intellectual property.

Now that's a good idea, but it'll never happen with all the US companies, including Microsoft, that want to make money there.

[antiRepublicrat]

Not when there's already at least 4 vendors selling this type of equipment, SANS have made high speed switches a common product.

Of course if they could get the switches, they could just buy Windows to run their supercomputer as there are currently a few on the Top 500 -- pretty far down, but there nevertheless.

[antiRepublicrat]

this international copycat version is stealing the *nix market from us

I'd say worldwide US companies are making more off of Linux than anyone else. Why? Give Americans any product and we'll figure out how to make money off it. That Bill has made billions off of successive sub-standard operating systems is a great testament to this.

[Golden Eagle]

Now that's a good idea, but it'll never happen with all the US companies, including Microsoft, that want to make money there.

The current crop of politicians are to blame. Past US governments didn't allow Data General or Honeywell to go outfit the Kremlin.

[Golden Eagle]

Of course if they could get the switches, they could just buy Windows to run their supercomputer as there are currently a few on the Top 500 -- pretty far down, but there nevertheless.

Windows clients aren't designed for utility computing clusters and are inefficient in that role. Plus Microsoft could be prohibited from supplying or even supporting those systems if necessary, something that can't be controlled with Linux.