SGI to Scale Linux Across 1024 CPUs

im333mfg writes "ComputerWorld has an article up about an upcoming SGI Machine, being built for the National Center for Supercomputing Applications, "that will run a single Linux operating system image across 1,024 Intel Corp. Itanium 2 processors and 3TB of shared memory.""

Whoa!

[rylin]

Sweet, now we'll be able to run Doom3 at highest detail in *SOFTWARE*-rendering mode!

Ok

[CableModemSniper]

But does it run--crap. I mean what about a Beowulf--doh!
Damn you SGI!

Longhorn

[Anonymous Coward]

Yeah, but can it run Longhorn?

In other news...

[b1t r0t]

Intel's sales figures for Itanic^Hum CPUs more than doubled as a result.

in time for....

[Prof.Phreak]

DOOMIII :-)

Re:Will it be done in time for Quake 3?

[Gleng]

Will it be done in time for Quake 3?

Hmm, quite possibly.

Why gaming?

[wyldwyrm]

Obviously this would be overkill for doom3(altho I'd still like to have it in my apartment as a space heater/server)! Ok, so it would be more than a space heater; I'd have to run my a/c 24/7/365.25, with all my windows open in the winter. But rendering would be sooooo sweet.

Re:really fast?

[jhunsake]

so does this mean KDE and Openoffice will finally run at decent speed?

No, you're going to need quantum computing for that.

The big question is...

[mangu]

...how easy it is to install printer and sound drivers?

In other news...

[k4_pacific]

Microsoft made a statement today reminding everyone that Windows Server 2003 can handle as many as 32 processors, at the same time even.

When shown the report about Linux running on 1024 processors, Gates purportedly responded, "32 processors ought to be enough for anybody."

Re:What happened to RISC?

[CableModemSniper]

They decided it was too RISCy maybe?

Re:really fast?

[iggymanz]

yes, according to the project leader "on this supercomputer, OpenOffice will finally *run* at decent speed, but waiting for the JVM to start up will still be a bitch" As for KDE, he stated "we're still waiting for the qt toolkit to initialize, but we're confident we can be fully logged in before August"

Re:really fast?

[darkjedi521]

They said Itanium cluster, not VAX cluster!

Re:The big question is...

[carlmenezes]

Well on Windows you'd get a message saying...

"Windows has detected 1024 new sound cards and is installing them..."

and then the inevitable..

"Windows needs to restart your computer. Click OK to restart"

and then on system restart ...

1024 sound control apps in the system tray! =)

HP Overstock

[bayerwerke]

They bought HP's overstock of them for pennies on the dollar.

3TB of memory?

[gsasha]

I wish I had that much disk space...

The solution!

[Sidicas]

"will run a single Linux operating system image across 1,024 Intel Corp. Itanium 2 processors..."
"The National Center for Supercomputing Applications will use it for research"

1. Make a system that generates more heat than a supernova.
2.Research a solution to global warming.
3. Profit!

In other Headlines

[ShadowRage]

SCO gained $715,776

Re:Longhorn

[cpghost]

No, but it will be used to [cross-]compile it!

Wow

[Steamhead]

Hot damn, this is one server that could survive a slashdotting.

Re:Longhorn

[arvindn]

I hereby nominate this to be the next standard in-joke of slashdot. The previous candidate, evil overlords, never really took off in popularity, leaving us in the pathetic situation that every single bad joke available is soooo 2002! I particularly like "but can it run Longhorn?" because it will be funny until Longhorn is out, which is (hopefully) a long long time from now ;-)

Re:Solaris

[Nasarius]

My guess is that in the time from now until 2.8.0 is released, we will see less than 1000 such machines worldwide.

640 CPUs are enough for anyone? :)

Re:Ok

[biounlogical]

In Soviet Russia 1024 Itaniums run a single image of you!
ha!

Re:Ok

[jc42]

Hey, any reason we couldn't build, say, 1024 of these things, and make a beowulf cluster of them?

Re:Advantages...?

[Anonymous Coward]

Short answer.... no

Re:In other news...

[caluml]

We don't care about your actual facts for Windows - here at Slashdot we have FUD, rumour, and downright persistence. I think you will find if you read up on it more closely that 2003 Datacentre can only support up to 2 CPUs, and 256Mb maximum.
Please stop letting facts get in the way of a good MS bashing session.

Minister for Dis-Information.

The real test

[Bruha]

Fire up apache and then post a link to it here on slashdot. We love a challenge.

1024 cpus and 3 TB memory

[Anonymous Coward]

That's almost enough to run Emacs!

So, when will Jeff Dike have UML ported to this?

[kclittle]

1024 physical CPUs running *one* logical host linux image running god knows how many uml instances, each fully independent of the other and seeing 3 TB of memory. The mind boggles! :-)

Re:Will it be done in time for Quake 3?

[Ari_Haviv]

It's already out...in Japan

Wow!

[juggaleaux]

That much hard drive space rivals my porn collection! :O

Re:Longhorn

[TheScienceKid]

You can always rant about Duke Nukem Forever

In my garage ...

[CyBlue]

I've been working all weekend to cluster 4 Honda Civics. When I'm done, I expect it to go 280MPH, get 12MPG and 0-60 in under 3 seconds.

Re:In my garage ...

[mindfucker]

Ha. I can get your Civic to do that without modifying it at all. Just push it off a cliff.