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Linux To Power NWS's Storm Prediction System
Mr. Plow writes "The National Weather Service is migrating to Linux-based IBM workstations and has purchased 900 IBM computers and 160 servers to do so." He includes links to coverage at Forbes (a Reuters wire service story there), Government Computer News, and
Computerworld.
Startup times are affected more by disk access times than processor speed. Disk access times don't increase anywhere near as fast as processor clock frequencies.
If I seem short sighted, it is because I stand on the shoulders of midgets
Of course... With windows all you see is blue
Of course, the NWS is using Linux to replace HP-UX workstations.
load times is a wrong benchmark to pick, it doesn't show proccessing power well. Load times are mostly disk-bound.
Load times more than 3x faster IS a LOT faster. And no doubt they will have many many times faster actual data crunching speed.
VIVA1023.com | Political Fashion.
Did you have to fight for getting Linux onto your desktop or was there the cost motivation to push it along?
My impression is that any beaurocratic organization would be loathe to consider anything but Microsoft on the grounds that selecting Microsoft is safe. Examples of this would be trying to use Linux in large companies.
The old machines were RISC boxes which were pretty damn quick on a Mhz per Mhz basis. While I wouldn't classify them as fast, they're definitely not 24 times slower. Given the clock cycle efficiency of the processors, I'd imagine that all things considered, the new boxes probably have at best ~20-30 times the raw computing power. Now, add things like disk speeds, memory speeds, bus speeds, and other things that haven't increased at the same rate as processor speeds, and things start making more sense. Add in the fact that startup of applications is probably a fairly serial process, a dual processor machine probably won't help that much in that portion of execution time metrics.
Marxism is the opiate of dumbasses
I'm a meterologist, not computer dude. But my guess is that since the software was already written in a unix environment (HPUX), choosing Linux made it the logical choice.
Journal
The computing context is similar where I work (Meteorological Service of Canada). There is a big difference between the forecaster's (technical) desktop and the clerical desktop. Our technical desktop never belonged to MS WIndows. Cost remains a concern, obviously, which is why we are moving away from proprietary Unix.
For what it's worth, our next-generation workstation is going to be java-based. (Joint effort with a handful of European countries led by Germany.) http://www.dwd.de/de/Technik/Projekte/NinJo/ (German language)
Dunno about the NWS, but for our clerical desktop to move away from Microsoft would be nothing short of miraculous.
At least RTFS (read the fucking summary)
The National Weather Service is migrating to Linux-based IBM workstations and has purchased 900 IBM computers and 160 servers to do so." He includes links to coverage at Forbes (a Reuters wire service story there), Government Computer News, and Computerworld.
If John Smith of 45 Roadway buys 900 IBM computers and 160 servers for Linux and gets covered at Forbes, Government Computer News and Computerworld, then yeah! I'd say that's news for nerds.
they paid ibm for them and ibm is going to develop for linux as long as they have customers willing to purchase it.
So, your point while valid for small minded people, failed to extend to the long term and missed the obvious benefit to the Linux Community in supporting one of our more powerful corporate supporters.
Not to mention that when they need some extra functionality such as better desktops...they will be able to pay for it.
Lastly, its a governement agency, and you should be happy that your tax dollars aren't being wasted on proprietary software. Once they train enough sys admins at NWV they can cut IBM support out of the picture and support themselves...thus saving tax people some money.
I, for one, give a shit. I am a meteorology professor who has been using Linux for over a decade. Having the NWS transition over to Linux means it is possible for me to run the same software that NWS operational forecasters are using. In fact, that's already possible - I have a copy of the AWIPS software on a CD-ROM sitting in my office, ready to install. This, in turn, opens the door for research possibilities and just as importantly, allows me to expose students to the kinds of software they will be using should they opt to work for the NWS (many do).
I visited the Grand Rapids NWS office a month ago and most of the workstations were already running Linux. The SOO (Science Operations Officer) seemed to be pretty happy with this. Why shouldn't he - hardware and software costs go down, machines are faster, and the OS is something that most scientists are using anyway.
Leigh Orf
A squid eating dough in a polyethylene bag is fast and bulbous, got me?
First, as I repeatedly say, this isnt an organization choosing "Linux". This is an org choosing IBM, who is intelligently exploiting a free product in order to sell their product. Im shocked more companies arent jumping on the OSS bandwagon for the same reason- having people make your programs for you, for FREE? Amazing!
IBM is probably getting very good value for the money they spend on Linux but saying they get it for free is showing a complete lack of understanding on how IBM has been doing buisness for the past 3 years.
Just off the top of my head.. they have three Linux development labs of their own staffed with people who have PHDs (not cheap) plus they contribute to OSDL.