Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

New 640-Node Apple Xserve Cluster at UIUC

Posted by timothy on from the keeps-you-warm-at-night dept.

frostyboy writes "At the University of Illiois at Urbana-Champaign's Department of Computational Science and Engineering , a new high-performance computing cluster comprising 640 Dual G5 Xserves has completed benchmarking runs for the top500 list. The New Turing Cluster is a replacement for an old 208-node linux cluster. Preliminary results have it at about 4.6 teraflops, not too shabby. Slide Presentation and Photo Album"

67 comments

  1. Linux? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    This isn't mentioned in the summary: does it run Linux?

    1. Re:Linux? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      As we speak: Darwin Kernel Version 7.?.?

    2. Re:Linux? by keeleysam · · Score: 0

      I would assume that since it replaced a Linux cluster, it probobly runs close to the same form that it replaced so all their old apps will continue to work without much tweaking.

      --
      Nothing for you to see here, Please move along.
    3. Re:Linux? by geoffspear · · Score: 5, Insightful
      Ah, Slashdot. Where people reply to people who haven't read the article with assumptions based on nothing in particular, but make it clear that the person replying hasn't read the article, either.

      It's running OS X.

      --
      Don't blame me; I'm never given mod points.
    4. Re:Linux? by Enrique1218 · · Score: 4, Informative

      Read the slide presentation. On pg 9, it shows a picture of Mac OSX at the terminal and on pg 16 it lists OSX under the software. However, linux will still operate the NFS server because Apple's implementation of NFS server only allows fifty clients. I am not sure whether a XServe or an old computer from the previous cluster will run it.

      --
      You don't have to be smart to use a Mac, you just have to be smart enough to buy one
    5. Re:Linux? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It's running OS X.

      Is this evil or not?!? AAARRGH, I can't figure this stuff out!

    6. Re:Linux? by SunFan · · Score: 1

      However, linux will still operate the NFS server because Apple's implementation of NFS server only allows fifty clients.

      This is interesting, because Solaris 10 would be the best choice for an NFS server (especially for a super-computer, where these things matter).

      --
      -- Microsoft is the most expensive commodity operating system and office suite vendor in the marketplace.
    7. Re:Linux? by Spock+the+Baptist · · Score: 1

      "Where people reply to people who haven't read the article"

      Not reading the article is often due to the fact that the site that the article gets /.ed.

      --
      "Oh drat these computers, they're so naughty and so complex, I could pinch them." --Marvin the Martian
    8. Re:Linux? by node+3 · · Score: 1, Troll

      does it run Linux

      No, it runs UNIX.

      <ducks!>

    9. Re:Linux? by peragrin · · Score: 2, Informative

      Of course Slowaris 10 only runs on Opterons, and Sparcs. not PowerPC.

      Advantage Linux. It runs on more platforms than you can remember.

      Note x86 support is there but i wouldn't bet your hardware is supported completely. Between that and Sun's management telling the F/OSS community that the GPL developers don't matter they should get's lots of help.

      --
      i thought once I was found, but it was only a dream.
    10. Re:Linux? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Though most of the time its bloody minded lazyness.

    11. Re:Linux? by FidelCatsro · · Score: 1

      As much as i dislike the way suns managment acts and as much as i love to use linux and GPL code , he has a point that linux is still not on par with solaris for an nfs server of this magnitude . Its great to use F/OSS whenever we can and if linux handels the NFS well enough then sure use it , that does not change the fact (that in my experiance) solaris still has better handling of NFS.
      other that that i agree with you

      --
      The only things certain in war are Propaganda and Death. You can never be sure which is which though
    12. Re:Linux? by SunFan · · Score: 1

      Slowaris

      This name is long dead. People using it just look silly.

      Also, the cost of a super-computer would accomodate a new Opteron server plus attached storage for NFS. Solaris 10's NFS implementation is the best in the industry, so why not use it? Various places, I've seen that Solaris 10 on a good 2-way server can easily saturate a gigabit network (meaning we need even faster networking to accomodate it).

      --
      -- Microsoft is the most expensive commodity operating system and office suite vendor in the marketplace.
    13. Re:Linux? by SunFan · · Score: 1

      Spoke a bit too soon. It looks like they're already pushing 10Gbit for regular traffic and getting >200MB/sec on NFS.

      --
      -- Microsoft is the most expensive commodity operating system and office suite vendor in the marketplace.
    14. Re:Linux? by geoffspear · · Score: 1
      UIUC has pretty reliable web servers, thanks.

      Very few sites invented as much of the technology behind the web as they did.

      --
      Don't blame me; I'm never given mod points.
    15. Re:Linux? by SA+Stevens · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Did they really 'invent' that much of the technology, or did they just implement the stuff invented at CERN?

    16. Re:Linux? by SA+Stevens · · Score: 1

      It runs a branded UNIX?

      When did MacOS 10 become a branded UNIX?

    17. Re:Linux? by pianophile · · Score: 1

      When did MacOS 10 become a branded UNIX?

      They talk about the "UNIX based" OS X here, but don't actually say "OS X is a UNIX" per se.

      Notice the lack of (C) and TM symbols on that page; isn't the word UNIX (C) the Open Group or whatever?

      --

      'Your brain is God.' -- Dr. Timothy Leary
    18. Re:Linux? by menace3society · · Score: 1

      OS X has an X in its name. Hey, it was a good enough reason for Xbox linux!

  2. NFS only by BSDimwit · · Score: 3, Informative

    The slide show shows that the only thing Linux about the cluster is the NFS server. Seems that OS X 10.3.5 nfs server maxes out at 50 clients.

    1. Re:NFS only by oudzeeman · · Score: 2, Interesting

      I had serious issues with a 256 compute-node XServe G5 cluster and a NFS server running OS X... we eventually had to go to linux on our NFS server as well...

    2. Re:NFS only by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I had serious issues with a 256 compute-node XServe G5 cluster and a NFS server running OS X... we eventually had to go to linux on our NFS server as well...

      Where?

    3. Re:NFS only by citog · · Score: 1

      University of Maine, I believe.

  3. Sweet Dreams Steve by intmainvoid · · Score: 1
    Surely Steve Jobs dreams of scenes like this.

    Anyone know what sort of crazy discount they get? It must be pretty good PR for apple.

    --
    Drag n' Drop DVD Recommendations
    1. Re:Sweet Dreams Steve by UnknowingFool · · Score: 4, Informative
      Anyone know what sort of crazy discount they get? It must be pretty good PR for apple.

      While it might be good for PR to give UIUC a discount so that they would buy the system, remember that the cost per performance is already low. Virginia Tech built the X cluster for around $5 million whereas the computers next to it on the top 500 list cost $20+ million. There may have been a deal, but given the price tag is already low, it may not have been much.

      --
      Well, there's spam egg sausage and spam, that's not got much spam in it.
    2. Re:Sweet Dreams Steve by Stubtify · · Score: 3, Funny

      Or he could have dreams of this guy. I love the shirt... its almost too funny to be true.

    3. Re:Sweet Dreams Steve by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Informative
      Anyone know what sort of crazy discount they get?

      Cluster node: $3,000 list, c. $2300 educational.

    4. Re:Sweet Dreams Steve by prockcore · · Score: 3, Interesting

      Virginia Tech built the X cluster for around $5 million whereas the computers next to it on the top 500 list cost $20+ million.

      Mellanox donated 1100 Infiniband adapters to Virginia Tech. At $3000 a piece, that's $3.3 million of interconnect hardware that Virginia Tech got for free.

      Virginia tech can never be used as a cost comparison because they got so much stuff for free or discounted.

    5. Re:Sweet Dreams Steve by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Yeah, because you know everyone else pays full retail price for every item in their multi-million dollar clusters.

      If you believe that I've got a piece of virtual real-estate to sell you.

      Don't discount VT just because they managed to leverage a better deal than most on their hardware.

    6. Re:Sweet Dreams Steve by UnknowingFool · · Score: 1

      True, free or discounted parts do lower the pricing but as far as Apple is concerned, the cost per performance for a clustered Apple grid is lower than a customer supercomputer built by IBM even if you count the adapters.

      --
      Well, there's spam egg sausage and spam, that's not got much spam in it.
  4. So is this the... by ciroknight · · Score: 1, Funny

    Small Mac? Perhaps the Double-Cheeseburger Mac?

    --
    "Victory means exit strategy, and it's important for the President to explain to us what the exit strategy is." G.W.Bush
    1. Re:So is this the... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Nah its the Chicago-deep dish mac.

    2. Re:So is this the... by yardbird · · Score: 1

      640 nodes should be enough for anybody.

      --
      Free, legal music for iTunes users.
  5. yeah, but can it play doom? by acomj · · Score: 1

    Oh, wait ... it can..

  6. 4.6 seems low by Andy_R · · Score: 1

    Virgina Tech are claiming 12.25 teraflops for their 1100 xserves ...and Sony are claiming 1 teraflops for a single PS3, so if you believe the hype we'll all be able to outrank these guys at a lan-party in a year or so.

    --
    A pizza of radius z and thickness a has a volume of pi z z a
    1. Re:4.6 seems low by CXI · · Score: 3, Informative

      Tech's machines each have dual 2.3GHz processors as opposed to UIUC's dual 2.0GHz. Tech also appears to have a much faster network, and I imagine custom software for developing and running simulations. I guess it all adds up and Tech did a better overall integration job.

    2. Re:4.6 seems low by Rhys · · Score: 3, Informative

      Worth a note: we don't have a 640-node cluster, it's really a 512 and 128 node clusters. Theoretical peak was I think 8 Tflop, and we got 4.6 or about 57%. VT's first entry only hit 54% if I remember what our parallel software expert told me right, so with more time to tune we'll probably get higher again for SC05's list. (VT's up to what, 61% or so now?)

      --
      Slashdot Patriotism: We Support our Dupes!
    3. Re:4.6 seems low by CXI · · Score: 1

      All true. VT also started out with G5 Desktops, not the servers, and upgraded. I think the reason for that was the desktop machines were easier to get a hold of at the time, in order to make the top 500 list entry deadline. :)

    4. Re:4.6 seems low by Game+Genie · · Score: 2, Informative

      Actually the desktops were the only ones for sale at the time. The G5 Xserve was not announced until after VT's system was installed.

  7. What? No HAL-9000 jokes? by joetheappleguy · · Score: 2, Funny

    Are we forgetting the other supercomputer born in Urbana, Illinois?

  8. Pictures inaccessible now by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Informative

    Well, we didn't REALLY slashdot them. They simply went over the bandwidth quota.

    1. Re:Pictures inaccessible now by Rhys · · Score: 1

      Netfiles will un-quota then every... hour I think Ben said, so try back in a bit. The PDF's kinda big.

      --
      Slashdot Patriotism: We Support our Dupes!
  9. The FAQ is wrong by blamanj · · Score: 2, Informative

    Why no Xwindows Support for Emacs?
    Mac OS X does not come with Xwindows, but it does come with emacs. So, by default, emacs is not built with Xwindows support. On Turing, we use xemacs for windowed, x-enabled emacs. You can find it in /usr/local/bin, which should now be in the default path on all head nodes.

    Mac OS X does in fact come with Xwindows. It may be that the default version of emacs doesns't use it, but to say it's not there is simply wrong.

    1. Re:The FAQ is wrong by FidelCatsro · · Score: 0, Offtopic

      I suppose they mean it dosn't come as standard as you have to conciously decide to install it , and since they dont need the overheads of two windowing systems..

      --
      The only things certain in war are Propaganda and Death. You can never be sure which is which though
    2. Re:The FAQ is wrong by ThousandStars · · Score: 3, Informative

      Mac OS X also has a Carbon-native Emacs binary. See http://www.apple.com/downloads/macosx/unix_open_so urce/carbonemacspackage.html.

    3. Re:The FAQ is wrong by stoney27 · · Score: 1

      Yea but who cares about emacs, this is UIUC it was the home for Xemacs from about 1995 - 1997 there about, Emacs versions 19.11 through 19.14. And the programmer who worked on it is still at UIUC. So I think they are a bit Xemacs bias.

      Of course there was also a Prof that was using Gosling Emacs druing that time :)

      -S

      --

      It is said that a child learns wisdom from the parent,
      but the truly wise parent learns joy from the child
    4. Re:The FAQ is wrong by stoney27 · · Score: 1

      Doh! That should read "XEmacs versions 19.11 through 19.14." darn I should have prof-read quicker.

      --

      It is said that a child learns wisdom from the parent,
      but the truly wise parent learns joy from the child
  10. hmm ... are you sure? by Triumph+The+Insult+C · · Score: 1

    Forbidden

    Available bandwidth quota for this filesystem has been exceeded. (/benoc/cluster/album/cluster album-Pages/Image0.html)

    Please, try again later.

    --
    vodka, straight up, thank you!
    1. Re:hmm ... are you sure? by intmainvoid · · Score: 1
      Forbidden


      Well, I bet he hopes that it wasn't hosted on the cluster!

      --
      Drag n' Drop DVD Recommendations
  11. Re:What? No HAL-9000 jokes? by Rhys · · Score: 1

    Computer Science already has HAL as a cluster name. Having the new one be HAL would only confuse matters. Especially since HAL contains the old turing machines!

    --
    Slashdot Patriotism: We Support our Dupes!
  12. I'm impressed. by suitepotato · · Score: 2, Insightful

    No, really. This should be almost powerful enough to run next years (cr)applications from Macrodobe.

    Okay, seriously, it is impressive and another good illustration of the strengths of OSX over every horrible thing Apple called the Macintosh OS before they went over to the *nix base.

    Oh yeah, that Star Wars t-shirt guy reminds me of what I looked like before I became older, grayer, and crustier. I'm so glad I stopped wearing shirts like that.

    --
    If my grammar and spelling are off, I am [distracted/tired/careless] (take your pick)
  13. Re:What? No HAL-9000 jokes? by daeley · · Score: 3, Funny

    Well, they could just change the name slightly. You know, shift the letters one place in the alphabet....

    Of course, "GZK" is kinda hard to pronounce. ;)

    --
    I watched C-beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhauser gate.
  14. Nice Shirt... by FlyingPostman · · Score: 3, Funny

    Where did that Uber-Geek get that Star Wars T-Shirt? That guy is everything I picture when I think "nerd"

    1. Re:Nice Shirt... by NuclearBovineBoy · · Score: 1

      Hey, don't diss him! I can personally attest to his superior social skills and sense of humor. And if that makes me an Ueber-Geek too (you could at least spell Ueber right ;) , so be it.

    2. Re:Nice Shirt... by Lars+T. · · Score: 1

      Try Über (I just hope the Umlaut doesn't only work in Preview but also in the actual post or I'll look really dumb;-)

      --

      Lars T.

      To the guy who modded me down from perfect to terrible Karma - Apple haters still suck

    3. Re:Nice Shirt... by NuclearBovineBoy · · Score: 1

      Fear not, the Umlaut works -- now I have to figure out how to do it...

  15. Anyone else... by Electroly · · Score: 5, Funny

    Anyone else getting sick of seeing all these stories with pictures of people assembling hundreds of Xserves into massive clusters?

    Yeah, me neither.

    1. Re:Anyone else... by izzo+nizzo · · Score: 1

      What I want to know is whether it could be profitable to lease computing time on one of these clusters - because that could be a cool job if you ask me.

  16. I wonder how you'd manage to... by jen729w · · Score: 1

    A quote from UIUC's site:

    The cluster is shared by many users, so users should be respectful of each other and not monopolize resources...

    I wonder how a user would manage to monopolise (sic. - I'm English) this little baby? Suggestions on the back of a postcard to Please Just Send Me One Of These Puppies, You Really Won't Miss It, PO Box 67, ...

    1. Re:I wonder how you'd manage to... by menace3society · · Score: 1
      Easy:
      int main ()
      {
      for(;;)
      fork();
      return 0;
      }
  17. 15 yrs and will be out desktop by cylcyl · · Score: 1

    I like the final slide.

    Number of years when then entire cluster will be on your desktop: 15

    1. Re:15 yrs and will be out desktop by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      that should be just about enough time for me to clear off all thos Mountain Dew empties.

  18. Re:What? No HAL-9000 jokes? by AcornWeb · · Score: 1

    "You like your Macintosh better than me, ... don't you Dave?"

    Awesome ad :-)

    --
    Your Windows PC is my other computer.
  19. Imagine... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    a Beowulf cluster of this in Soviet Russia downloading a 17 meg file!

  20. Many other clusters by drc1 · · Score: 1

    There are an increasing number of xserve clusters (http://www.macinchem.fsnet.co.uk/clusters.htm) why is this thought to be news worthy?

  21. But this one replaces Linux by AHumbleOpinion · · Score: 1

    There are an increasing number of xserve clusters (http://www.macinchem.fsnet.co.uk/clusters.htm) why is this thought to be news worthy?

    Perhaps because it replaces a Linux cluster? I haven't been following clusters but this is the first story where I recall Linux being replaced rather than Linux being adopted. Just a wild-ass guess.

  22. The Star Wars kid after the Subway diet by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    https://netfiles.uiuc.edu/benoc/cluster/album/clus ter%20album-Pages/Image13.html