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Windows Cluster Hits a Petaflop, But Linux Retains Top-5 Spot

Posted by timothy on from the heating-up-the-whole-outdoors dept.

Twice a year, Top500.org publishes a list of supercomputing benchmarks from sites around the world; the new results are in. Reader jbrodkin writes "Microsoft says a Windows-based supercomputer has broken the petaflop speed barrier, but the achievement is not being recognized by the group that tracks the world's fastest supercomputers, because the same machine was able to achieve higher speeds using Linux. The Tokyo-based Tsubame 2.0 computer, which uses both Windows and Linux, was ranked fourth in the world in the latest Top 500 supercomputers list. While the computer broke a petaflop with both operating systems, it achieved a faster score with Linux, denying Microsoft its first official petaflop ranking." Also in Top-500 news, reader symbolset writes with word that "the Chinese Tianhe-1A system at the National Supercomputer Center in Tianjin takes the top spot with 2.57 petaflops. Although the US has long held a dominant position in the list things now seem to be shifting, with two of the top spots held by China, one by Japan, and one by the US. In the Operating System Family category Linux continues to consolidate its supercomputing near-monopoly with 91.8% of the systems — up from 91%. High Performance Computing has come a long way quickly. When the list started as a top-10 list in June of 1993 the least powerful system on the list was a Cray Y-MP C916/16526 with 16 cores driving 13.7 RMAX GFLOP/s. This is roughly the performance of a single midrange laptop today."

3 of 229 comments (clear)

  1. Trying too hard to be pedantic by symbolset · · Score: 0, Troll

    FLoating point OPerationS per second. Now if you'll excuse me I need to go to the ATM machine if I can remember my PIN number.

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    Help stamp out iliturcy.
  2. With or without? by Teun · · Score: 0, Troll

    Was that achieved with or without a reliable virus scanner and firewall?

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    "The likes of Facebook and WhatsApp are free to those whose privacy is of zero value."
  3. Re:Won't somebody please think of the licensing co by MartinSchou · · Score: 0, Troll

    If that's poor scalability, I want to know what's good scalability.

    Well, apparently it doesn't scale down in size to the desktop. If you don't believe me, just look at the usage statistics. Top500 servers: 91% linux. Desktop: 91% Windows.

    Just like a jet-engine is a great way to power a huge aircraft, no so great for powering your lawn mower or chain saw.

    And no it's not flame bait, when you're answering a non-rhetorical question.