Scalable Informatics siFlash Topples Wall Street Benchmarks

Published on Wednesday, 12 June 2013 10:33

Written by Douglas Eadline

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There is fast, then there is Scalable fast

Other people outside of HPC like fast computers and storage. One of these groups are the Wall Street mavens who operate on a simple premise "fast makes more money than slow." Recently, super really fast storage vendor Scalable Informatics had their siFlash and JackRabbit boxes tested by STAC (Securities Technology Analysis Center) and the results were quite impressive. The actual results are described in reports KDB130528 and KDB130529, which are only available to STAC members. There is a summary on the STAC Website which provides a summary and some additional information.

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Intel Splits The Network

Published on Friday, 19 April 2013 11:53

Written by Douglas Eadline

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In a good way, we think

Intel has recently announced a new Ethernet Open Network Platform that splits ("disaggregates") the control plane from the data plane and provides users the ability to control network aspects that were previously hidden "inside the box." The idea is to create global control of large networks, rather than relying on local switches. The control processors are of course of Intel x86 variety. There is an SDK called the Data Plane Development Kit (includes kernel by-pass tools) so that users can twiddle with the network design at a low level.

Don't expect to see products right away, but these are open reference designs offered by Intel. They may offer some interesting options that allow networks designed and tuned for HPC. There is a good in-depth write-up at SemiAccurate.

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The Core-Diameter

Published on Tuesday, 28 May 2013 08:42

Written by Douglas Eadline

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Does the speed of light limits how big a cluster we can build

Recently, I started to think about the physical limits and how these limits would effect the size of clusters. I did some back of the envelope math to get an estimate of how c (the speed of light) can limit cluster size. As clusters continue to grow in size and the push toward exascale performance, the following analysis may become more important in designing HPC systems. I want to preface this discussion, however, with a disclaimer that I thought about this for all of 20 minutes. I welcome variations or refinements on my ciphering.

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Experiments With Switchless 10GigE (GbE): The Bonded Loop

Published on Thursday, 11 April 2013 12:27

Written by Douglas Eadline

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When the best solution just won't fit the box and the budget

Modern Ethernet technology is based on network adapters and switches. Using Ethernet without a switch only happens in rare situations where a small number (e.g. two) systems need to be directly connected together. Such a connection is often called a "cross over" connection because a special cable may be needed.

The cost of adapters and switches follow a very predictable commodity pricing trend. At first the cost of systems is quite high and decreases as the sales volumes increase. Currently Gigabit Ethernet (GigE or GbE) enjoys low cost and wide availability from multiple vendors. Ten Gigabit Ethernet (10GigE or 10GbE) is now experiencing greater acceptance and thus decreased costs. Although volumes are growing, 10GigE still commands a high per port price (Adapter/Switch) and thus can be an expensive option for many small projects.

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