Oops...guess it's not their silent period...
SGI Shatters World Performance Record
Company Attains Linear Scalability on 64-Processor Itanium 2-Based System Running Linux
Monday September 9, 9:00 am ET
INTEL DEVELOPER FORUM, SAN JOSE, Calif., Sept. 9 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- At the Fall 2002 Intel Developers' Forum, SGI (NYSE: SGI - News) today announced a breakthrough in advancing high-performance, scalable systems based on the Intel® Itanium® 2 processor and the Linux® operating system for high-end technical application users.
SGI has attained linear scalability on a 64-processor Itanium 2-based system and world-record results among microprocessor-based systems on the STREAM Triad benchmark, which tests memory bandwidth performance. Demonstrating linear scalability from 2 to 64 processors, the Itanium 2-based prototype system from SGI exceeded 120GB per second on a single system image. This result, derived from initial internal testing, marks a significant milestone for the industry: Early Itanium 2-based SGI® systems built on the innovative SGI® NUMAflex(TM) shared-memory architecture, have proven that Linux can scale well beyond the perceived limitation of eight processors in a single system image.
Additionally, results show that the upcoming Itanium 2-based SGI system has not only outperformed the IBM® eServer p690 and Sun Microsystems Sun Fire(TM) 15K high-end microprocessor-based systems, it has also surpassed memory bandwidth performance on the CRAY C90(TM), the CRAY SV1(TM) and the Fujitsu VPP5000 CMOS vector-based supercomputers.
SGI recently announced its expanded business strategy in which it will incorporate systems based on the Itanium processor family running Linux into its established line of high-performance computing systems. By utilizing Intel components within its NUMAflex modular architecture, SGI positions itself as the lead source for scalable Linux systems.
Early next year, SGI will release its fully optimized Itanium 2-based systems and its final STREAM benchmark results. The new Itanium 2-based SGI systems will enable maximum performance and scalability for a breadth of technical applications and will be fully compatible with two future Itanium processor family products (code-named "Madison" and "Montecito") to offer an unmatched investment protection.
"With its rich legacy in technical computing, SGI is well positioned to speed the adoption of the Itanium 2 processor in scalable high-performance environments," said Mike Fister, senior vice president and general manager, Enterprise Platforms Group, Intel. "We are delighted to see an Itanium 2-based system achieve such high efficiency in scaling Linux to this level, clearly demonstrating the benefits of combining the Itanium 2 processor's outstanding performance and scalability with SGI's NUMAflex architecture."
"This accomplishment will turn the heads of those who considered clustering a multitude of PCs as an optimal solution for integrating Linux into technical computing labs," said Jon "maddog" Hall, president and executive director, Linux International. "For those applications that need to scale, SGI has just proven that Linux need not be synonymous with clutter."
"This accomplishment demonstrates SGI's unique ability to innovate at the edge of the performance frontier," said Paul McNamara, vice president, Products and Platforms, SGI. "Our NUMAflex architecture enables us to create the world's most scalable shared-memory supercomputers, while delivering the rich application environment that is developing around the Intel Itanium line of processors and the Linux operating system."
Expanded Strategy
Under its new business strategy, SGI will expand its product and service offerings by adding its core technology into systems running the MIPS® processor and the IRIX® operating system-and soon, its Itanium 2-based systems running the Linux operating system. NUMAflex will remain the foundation of all SGI systems. Through its experience and expertise in high- performance computing, SGI will offer customers of the highest quality 64-bit operating environments.
About STREAM
STREAM is a highly regarded performance metric that measures the sustainable memory bandwidth, or flow, of a computing system. High-performance computing codes require a balance between the processor and memory subsystem to maintain a constant flow of data.
About SGI
Celebrating its 20th year, SGI, also known as Silicon Graphics, Inc., is the world's leader in high-performance computing, visualization and the management of complex data. SGI products, services and solutions enable its technical and creative customers to gain strategic and competitive advantages in their core businesses. Whether being used to design and build safer cars and airplanes, discover new medications and oil reserves, predict the weather, entertain us with thrilling movie special effects or provide mission-critical support for government and defense, SGI systems and expertise are empowering a world of innovation and discovery. The company, located on the Web at www.sgi.com, is headquartered in Mountain View, Calif., and has offices worldwide.
NOTE: Silicon Graphics, SGI, IRIX and the SGI logo are registered trademarks and NUMAflex is a trademark of Silicon Graphics, Inc., in the U.S. and/or other countries worldwide. MIPS is a registered trademark of MIPS Technologies, Inc. used under license by Silicon Graphics, Inc. Linux is a registered trademark of Linus Torvalds. Intel and Itanium are registered trademarks of Intel Corporation or its subsidiaries in the United States and other countries. All other trademarks mentioned herein are the property of their respective owners.
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Contact:
Ginny Babbitt
ginnyb@sgi.com
650-933-4519
SGI PR Hotline:
650-933-7777
SGI PR Fax:
650-932-0737
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Press Release Source: SGI
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