IBM unveils 64-way NUMA server; Promises Linux support

I just found this article at Info World which talks about IBM releasing a 64-way NUMA-Q server. The interesting part is that IBM promise to release a version of Linux optimized for NUMA servers. What do you think about it?

Comments

Re:NUMA explanation

[Christopher Thomas]

"NUMA" stands for "Non-Uniform Memory Architecture". It's one approach to dealing with system memory on a machine with a large number of processors.

The idea is that each processor module has its own dedicated RAM, which can be accessed both locally and remotely by other machines across the network. System memory as a whole is the aggregate of the local memory banks on all of the processor modules. While this is all in one physical address space, access time will vary depending on whether you're accessing a local or non-local bank. Hence, "Non-Uniform".

There are undoubtedly extensions to NUMA that do more complicated things with system memory; this is just the version that I was told about at university.

Non-Uniform Multi-1st-post Access!

[Mr Z]

We already have 7, count'em SEVEN FIRST POSTS! I wonder if IBM's including a 64-way First Post server with their NUMA boxes...

--Joe
--

Re:Why bother?

[oldmanmtn]

Why would someone bother to use a NUMA-Q server for any application? Beowulf clustering (which IBM is also pushing) provides a significantly greater price/performance ratio for most applications, and gives you a better interconnect fabric for interprocess communications.

• Manageability.

  Assuming that they've got this even close to right, managing a 64-CPU NUMA-Q system should be no more complicated than managing a 1 CPU NUMA-Q system. Until the sysadmin tools for Beowulfs get a hell of a lot more sophisticated, managing a 64-CPU Beowulf is going to be much more complicated than a 1-CPU Beowulf.

• Programability.

  Again, assuming that they've gotten things right, programmers should be able to continue working with a model they know and have experience with. Applications have to be re-written (and frequently re-designed) from scratch to run on a Beowulf, and programmers need to use a totally different mindset. In theory, any application that works on an SMP should "just work" on a NUMA machine - possibly with a recompile. To really get peak performance, applications may well need some tuning, but that's certainly easier than rewriting.

• Applications.

  I'll bet that when this machine ships, Oracle (just to pick a big example) will already be running on it. When will Oracle ship a Beowulf-aware version?

It's not that difficult..

[Blue Lang]

"it" being porting linux to a NUMA-Q.

(NUMA is a method of sharing CPU and RAM access across mutliple boxen)

NUMA-Q's are x86 boxen. They have some really, really, really cool features. I do wonder if IBM plans to write drivers for the FibreChannel SCSI adaptors and etc that come standard with most NUMAs.

OTOH, there is noooo reason not to use dynix on a NUMA. It's included with the (MASSIVE) cost of the box, it's based on BSD, it's a nice OS with tons of kick-ass features, and it's symbiotically enmeshed into these servers.

Hey, I wonder if IBM is actually gonna write a NUMA layer for linux? I mean, if they don't then all you end up with a buncha 4-way rack mounted linux boxes.. for $365,000 apiece.

One other thing, Sequent (now IBM) has the absolute best support I have ever seen. I have sent email to their web site about completely esoteric crap and had them call me back and get a dialogue open with the developer of whatever I was having trouble with. If you've got the cash and don't wanna deal with Solaris, DYNIX is the way to go.

--
blue, who is wearing his Sequent hat today.