[Beowulf] [jak@uiuc.edu: [Xgrid] Re: megaFlopsper Dollar? realworld requirements]

[Lombard, David N]

From: John Hearns on Monday, May 16, 2005 1:56 AM
> 
> On Tue, 2005-05-17 at 10:51 +0200, Eugen Leitl wrote:
> 
> > > Don't forget that the highest data rate available is FedEx'ing a
box
> of
> > > diskdrives.
> >
> >   Although there is a grand history of comments like this, (I
believe
> >   the original quote was "Never underestimate the bandwidth of a
> >   station wagon full of tapes") it often isn't actually true.  Sure,
it
> >   wins "door-to-door", but having a box of hard drives next to my
> >   computer does not make the data usable.  For a valid look you need
to
> >   look at memory-to-memory transfer.  In other words, include the
time
> >   write the hard drives, disconnect them, mail them, reconnect them,
> >   and read all the data.  This always kills most tape arguments, and
> >   has slowly been eroding the hard drive argument.
> 
> For the digital screening of one of the Star Wars films in London,
> an entire RAID array was freighted in.
> This was commonly used in digital cinema setups.

This could have been a security issue, or not if it wasn't a new
release.

At any rate, parts of the business are quite interested in maximizing
performance/volume so they don't have to ship product too far during
post-production.
 
-- 
David N. Lombard

My comments represent my opinions, not those of Intel Corporation.