e: [rescue] IBM RS/6k 48P

[vance at neurotica.com]

On Wed, 5 Feb 2003, Jochen Kunz wrote:

> > The POWER2SC is a significantly higher performing processor than the
> > 604e.
>
> I know. I have no POWER based machines, only PowerPC. That is why I want
> a thin node. Unfortunately shipping would be a bit expensive. Therefore
> I am thinking about parting this machinery with friends.

Ah.  How for are you from it?  It might be worth driving to get it.  This
is a really nice haul.

> > However, the two 8-processor HIGH nodes in that stack would thoroughly
> > stomp.
>
> "SNMP Bayby!" ;-)

LOL

> > You don't actually need an SP switch in order to build an RS/6000 SP.
>
> SP switch?

High-bandwidth low-latency crossbar-switched (I think) cluster
interconnect medium, which is proprietary to IBM.  IBM's line of MPP
supercomputers are the RS/6000 SP.  Many of the fastest supercomputers in
the world are RS/6000 SP's.  They don't couple the nodes particularly
tightly, but they scale very large.

> > You just need the Parallel Facilities for AIX package
>
> Is that unobtainium or somthing John Doe can get?

It's out there, but it's expensive.

> > and an interconnect medium, which can be SP switch, Ethernet, Fast
> > Ethernet, FDDI, ATM or Token Ring.
>
> FDDI would be no problem. I already have some FDDI equipment and it
> looks like there are FDDI cards in the nodes.

FDDI makes a really nice cluster interconnect medium.

> > P.S.  I don't think I know everything about RS/6000's.  It's just that
> > I've spent a lot of time with them.
>
> Well. You know so much more than I about RS/6k, that it seams to me that
> you know everything. ;-)

What is it that Arthur C. Clarke once said?  "Any sufficiently advanced
technology is indistinguishable from magic" or something like that?

Peace...  Sridhar