hi BMW
heres another itanium story.
HP will supply linux workstations to dreamworks.
mediaworkstation.com
"DMN: In addition to graphics workstation technonogies, what other types of technology that is related to filmmaking will the two companies be working on?
TB: 64-bit computing with IA-64, or Itanium Processor Family (IPF) techology; storage technologies, enterprise management, security, compression."
Here is the whole interview.
February 2, 2002
Hewlett-Packard announced an alliance this week with DreamWorks SKG whereby the two
companies will work together to implement HP technologies into a new digital facility that
DreamWorks is building to create movies. The companies entered into a three-year, multi-million dollar technology alliance, an alliance
which designates HP as DreamWorks' "preferred technology provider." To bolster this, DreamWorks made a significant purchase of HP
workstations and servers running the Linux OS to run its in-house proprietary software tools, including ToonShooter, DreamWorks'
animation software. The alliance is a major win for HP in a market that is dominated by big iron vendors offering proprietary solutions. Digital Media Net's
John B. Virata discusses this important alliance with Terry Brown, HP's manager of entertainment industry solutions.
DMN: The alliance between HP and DreamWorks is a significant win for HP, how did the alliance between HP and DreamWorks come about? When did initial talks
begin?
TB: Talks began in Febrary 2000 when DreamWorks finished porting all of their internal code to Linux and discovered that they couldn't find a workstation that ran
any of their sofware fast enough or with enough reliability to put into production. HP engineers brought an HP Visualize Personal Workstation loaded with some
experimental code to the DreamWorks Glendale California facility and worked with them over the next few days to tweak the code until it significantly exceeded
DreamWorks' minimum requirements.
HP engineers bonded with DreamWorks engineers and, on a handshake, agreed to create the remaining pieces of code needed for DreamWorks to enter full
production on their next animated feature film. By August, the project was complete and DreamWorks entered production on Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron in
September using all Linux workstations.
DMN: In terms of workstations, what is HP initially providing to DreamWorks?
TB: To date, DreamWorks has purchased approximately 550 Linux workstations and 625 dual processor Linux NetServer render nodes.
DMN: Are the graphics capabilities with what DreamWorks will be using be in line with HP's Leadership Graphics Program or will HP provide DreamWorks with
custom graphics solutions or both?
TB: The systems HP provided DreamWorks for their first production utilized HP's own FX series graphics cards and software. Since that time, HP has worked with
key graphics card providers to ensure that all of the functionality that HP developed for DreamWorks is included in off the shelf graphics subsystems and drivers.
DMN: Will DreamWorks serve as a test site of new graphics technology coming out of HP's labs?
TB: Yes. DreamWorks and HP will work together on scalable graphics technologies, remote graphics technologies and other confidential graphics related
technologies.
DMN: Can you elaborate on "remote" graphics technologies?
TB: The remote graphics technology refers to the ability to "route" high performance graphics power to a low cost display via a low cost, low performance
connection. This will allow animators, engineers, designers, etc. to work anywhere while still having access to high performance graphics capabilities.
DMN: How will HP work with DreamWorks to optimize upcoming versions of the DreamWorks' in-house tools such as ToonShooter with HP hardware?
TB: HP's Ft. Collins Technical Computing Division engineers are working closely with Linux operating system vendors, animation application vendors, graphics card
vendors and with HP Labs to ensure that the workstations DreamWorks acquires meet all requirements for performance, fuctionality and reliability. HP functions as
the engineering and support "glue" that makes HP Workstations production ready
DMN: In addition to graphics workstation technonogies, what other types of technology that is related to filmmaking will the two companies be working on?
TB: 64-bit computing with IA-64, or Itanium Processor Family (IPF) techology; storage technologies, enterprise management, security, compression.
DMN: The use of Linux in Hollywood facilities seems to be gaining momentum at the expense of other Unix variants on other platforms. Several other Hollywood
facilities are moving to Linux as their core OS. What do you see as the reasons of this migration to an open source platform as opposed to a boxed platform from
other OS vendors?
TB: Linux runs on commodity, Intel-based hardware, enabling studios to take advantage of low cost, high performance hardware. The fact that Linux is open
sourced means that engineers have access to source code and are free to make their own modifications if necessary. Linux is Unix-like, which means that porting
from existing Unix environments is relatively straight forward
DMN: What other plans does HP have in addressing what is essentially a new market (Hollywood) for HP?
TB: HP Labs is developing numerous technologies related to high performance technical computing, always on infrastructure, consumer related technologies,
communications, security, manageability, etc. These are critical elements in the evolution of the content creation, delivery and use models that the entertainment
industry will rely on in the future. |
