Beowulf in a Box (fwd)

[Dominic Baines]

Robert,

I'm about to put in a facility at work that has a Beowulf cluster included

in the proposal under Phase II once it is all up and running and the
costs,
both hardware and support are part Intel funded
(well a lot of MY salary is anyway) if that helps you any :-)

It's a pure marketing project with no serious application or use expected,
other
than a few lucky souls however, it would appear to be a visibility
exercise on behalf of all involved.

Robert G. Brown wrote:

> On Tue, 29 Sep 1998, Jukka E Isosaari wrote:
>
> > Forgive my ignorance, and e-mailing both lists, but has anyone
> > talked to Intel people about Beowulf projects?

Yes, I have.

> It would seem to
> > me that they should have an interest in sponsoring this kind of
> > super-computer development, given that most of them would probably
> > use Intel processors.

Yup, one in the pipeline. 12 x Dual 400MHz Xeon'sMirror to one I've built
already (slower CPU's though)
The cluster is being seen as part of a marketing project by a number of
manufacturers and suppliers that involves high spec CPU's and PC's being
placed
in scientific and computing environments.

> > They should have plenty of experience, and maybe could come up with
> > a cheap NC-design that could be used as a Beowulf node as well?
>
> Ummm, it isn't common knowledge, but I believe that Intel IS running a
> beowulf project or two or four.  I wouldn't be surprised if an Intel
> Human or two listens in on the beowulf list, but for obvious reasons
> (if one thinks about it) they need to be mousey-quiet.
>
> [snip]

> Don't everybody run out and party all at once (it's a workday:-) but
> seriously, Intel formally joining a Linux alliance may be what we one
> day look back on as the day that MS's longstanding stranglehold on the
> market was actually broken.  Even if nothing else ever comes of it,
> MS will actually have to compete with a strongly growing competitor
> and will undoubtedly respond with better prices and higher quality.

Believe it or not MS are also part funding it as well and they KNOWabout
the Linux and Beowulf part..

> It remains to be seen if "the linux/gnu way" of open systems and open
> source ultimately wins the war, but it looks like at last the battle
> may be formally joined.
>
>    rgb
>
> Robert G. Brown                        http://www.phy.duke.edu/~rgb/
> Duke University Dept. of Physics, Box 90305
> Durham, N.C. 27708-0305
> Phone: 1-919-660-2567  Fax: 919-660-2525     email:rgb@phy.duke.edu

Dominic Baines
IT Manager
University Centre
Cambridge University