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Linux clusters outshined by supercomputers in HPC (Search Enterprise Linux)
Search Enterprise Linux talks
with Paul Terry, CTO of Cray Canada. "Terry: The Cray XD1
system, together with Cray's Red Storm platforms, will be the first Linux
system purpose-built to handle HPC workloads. It uses a new architecture
that presents a real alternative to clusters, while preserving the
economics of commercial components. The Direct Connected Processor
architecture breaks the communications bottleneck by embedding the
interconnect and removing the PCI bottleneck to directly connect processors
to each other and memory. The Cray Red Storm system, designed for Sandia,
take this same direct connect approach.
(Log in to post comments)
Linux clusters outshined by supercomputers in HPC (Search Enterprise Linux) Posted Aug 18, 2004 2:54 UTC (Wed) by snitm (guest, #4031) [Link] Cray has "purpose-built" a Linux cluster with a lower latency interconnect. They are simply connecting each "shelf" aka SMP/NUMA node via Infiniband (mellanox chips) direct to HyperTransport. This isn't the paradigm shift Dr. Terry and Cray would like you to believe it is. ITS LINUX CLUSTERING!
Cray _needs_ to spin the XD1 as something amazingly different from traditional Linux HPC clustering to justify the inflated cost...
Linux clusters outshined by supercomputers in HPC (Search Enterprise Linux) Posted Aug 18, 2004 5:00 UTC (Wed) by bojan (subscriber, #14302) [Link] I don't know much about high performance clusters, but I got confused by the title and then the text that followed. It seemed as if they have an *alternative* to Linux clustering. Turns out, they just made it (Linux) run a bit faster. Weird...
Linux clusters outshined by supercomputers in HPC (Search Enterprise Linux) Posted Aug 18, 2004 8:21 UTC (Wed) by joachim.W (guest, #24088) [Link] You need to differ between COTS clusters (commercial-off-the-shelf) which means plugging together hardware from possibly different vendors, and custom-designed clusters like the Cray ones.
The fact that both types of these clusters can run Linux is not really relevant. But the difference in communication latency (and to a lesser degree bandwidth) is highly relevant for the scalability of applications running on these clusters.
Linux clusters outshined by supercomputers in HPC (Search Enterprise Linux) Posted Aug 18, 2004 14:26 UTC (Wed) by snitm (guest, #4031) [Link] You don't _need_ to differ between the two. Cray's XD1 uses COTS cpus, memory, and infiniband. The fact that they have their own custom IB to HT bridge, motherboard and chassis, while significant, does not not justify Cray's "purpose-built" marketing campaign. All high-end HPC Linux clusters are purpose-built. Cray has acquired a high-end Linux clustering architecture from OctigaBay. They should call it like it is and not spin the XD1 to be something its not.
Linux clusters outshined by supercomputers in HPC (Search Enterprise Linux) Posted Aug 19, 2004 7:28 UTC (Thu) by joachim.W (guest, #24088) [Link] O.k., then go ahead and order parts to build a system with the same performance and system-view characteristics. Good luck.
Linux clusters outshined by supercomputers in HPC (Search Enterprise Linux) Posted Aug 19, 2004 15:57 UTC (Thu) by snitm (guest, #4031) [Link] Zinger... flip comments don't win out on differences of opinion; you just look small.I'm saying Cray's aquistion of Octigabay bought them the XD1 which IS significant and does offer the cream of the crop of high-end LINUX CLUSTERING. I was not saying Cray has nothing to be marketing; I just think they shouldn't try to spin their XD1 as something other than Linux cluster technology. Yes the XD1 employs more advanced technologies and Cray is ahead of the curve BUT its the logical evolution of high-end Linux clustering. Cray has a window of opportunity being the first to market but they are floundering because the XD1 is so much more money than traditional high-end Linux clusters that use IB or Myrinet. So they are trying to sell the new cadilac of Linux clustering and at the same time distance themselves from the XD1's Linux clustering roots. Its comical.
Linux clusters outshined by supercomputers in HPC (Search Enterprise Linux) Posted Aug 18, 2004 4:02 UTC (Wed) by jonsmirl (guest, #7874) [Link] Simple overview of hypertransport and infiniband.
http://www.techonline.com/pdf/pavillions/hypertransport/a...
Misleading title Posted Aug 18, 2004 9:15 UTC (Wed) by vaxcluster (guest, #21475) [Link] Perhaps, the title should be "Linux clusters outshined by Linux supercomputers in HPC" ? The real news here is that Linux is the OS of choice for both COTS clusters (commercial-off-the-shelf) and bespoke high performance hardware.It's all good news for us GNU/Linux fans.
Misleading title Posted Aug 18, 2004 17:39 UTC (Wed) by ctg (subscriber, #3459) [Link] I would prefer "Linux clusters outshone by Linux supercomputers in HPC" ;-)
Misleading title Posted Aug 23, 2004 7:50 UTC (Mon) by dberkholz (subscriber, #23346) [Link] I would prefer "Linux supercomputers outshine Linux clusters in HPC" rather than that passive subject-object inversion.
Linux clusters outshined ?? Posted Aug 18, 2004 9:20 UTC (Wed) by sdalley (subscriber, #18550) [Link] Hmm. In this part of the world (the Queen's empire), that should read *outshone*.
LWN faithfully reproduced the error in the article's title.
This, of course, makes the article immediately suspect ....
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