Compaq Flexes Alpha Muscle With Launch of New Supercomputer - the AlphaServer SC Series;
Debuts Space-Saving AlphaServer DS20E and Dual CPU
AlphaStation
PORTLAND, Ore., Nov. 17 /PRNewswire/ -- Compaq (NYSE: CPQ - news) today announced its first
supercomputer and the most powerful AlphaServer offering to date, the AlphaServer SC Series. The new
server delivers new levels of supercomputing power with significant ease of management benefits, sets a
new aggressive price point for high-performance computing systems, and boasts performance in the
multi-TeraFLOPs range. Compaq also introduced a new space- saving AlphaServer DS20E and a dual
processor AlphaStation.
Today's announcement of the AlphaServer SC Series follows on the heels of Compaq replacing SGI as
the high performance marketshare leader for mid-range high performance computing systems ranging
from $250,000 to $1,000,000.(1) The addition of the AlphaServer SC Series to the Compaq business
critical product line places Compaq as a strong marketshare contender for high-end systems priced over
$1,000,000. Today, Alpha processors power 5 of the 10 most powerful computers in the world (and 40 of
the top 100) according to the TOP500 Supercomputers list compiled by Mannheim University and the
University of Tennessee.
(1) IDC High Performance Technical Computing Census, Review, and Forecast, 1998-2003 dated
September 1999.
Novel Design Principle Applied to Complex Systems
The AlphaServer SC Series is based on standard AlphaServer shared-memory parallel servers
connected together with an ultra-low latency, high-bandwidth and high-performance switching
interconnect. Up to 128 standard AlphaServer SMP building blocks, each with roughly the technical
computing power of an 8 processor Cray C90 vector supercomputer, are managed as a single system
under Compaq's Tru64 UNIX operating system.
Because the AlphaServer SC Series uses standard product components, it provides unprecedented
cost advantages and results in a system that is more reliable, simpler to maintain, and easier to
upgrade. For example, the ease- of-management under Tru64 UNIX Cluster dramatically reduces the
cost and resources traditionally required in managing a large, complex supercomputer. And future
generations of AlphaServer systems will offer continuous performance upgrades.
Quadrics Supercomputer World (QSW) designed the high-performance, scalable ''fat-tree''-structured
switch at the core of the AlphaServer SC Series, which can interconnect up to 128 powerful AlphaServer
systems to provide massively parallel processing. The AlphaServer SC Series has powerful
general-purpose high-volume shared-memory multiprocessors in the place of special-purpose
single-CPU processing elements. This allows customers to solve problems on the AlphaServer SC
Series that could not be performed on traditional MPP machines.
Supercomputing Power With 683 GigaFLOP AlphaServer SC Systems
This October, the first phase of a multimillion-dollar AlphaServer SC Series configuration was delivered
to Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL). When completed at year-end, two LLNL AlphaServer
SC systems can be connected containing 512 (128 x 4) Alpha 667 MHz CPUs, representing the most
powerful AlphaServer system ever built.
''Compaq is committed to the development of a high performance, balanced platform for scientific
discovery,'' according to Mike McCoy, Deputy Associate Director for LLNL's Scientific Computing and
Communications Department. ''We are more than pleased to be taking delivery of one of the very first
AlphaServer SC Series systems. The Compaq technical teams have worked hard to achieve a good
balance between processor speed, cache size, node size, switch capability (latency and bandwidth)
and I/O. We are looking forward at LLNL to running demanding 3D unclassified calculations developed
over the last several years in a variety of areas of science, including materials, structural mechanics,
energy, lasers and plasma physics, electromagnetics, chemistry and environmental science.''
New Dual-Processor AlphaServer and AlphaStation
Compaq also announced today the immediate availability of the new Compaq AlphaServer DS20E. The
AlphaServer DS20E adds a space-saving (5U), standard rack design to the dual-processor AlphaServer
family line. In addition to saving space, the AlphaServer DS20E is power-packed with one or two Alpha
21264 processors and utilizes features from Compaq's ProLiant server family. For fast-growing
companies and departments, the AlphaServer DS20E provides expansion to 4GB memory and 72.8 GB
of storage. Because of its design, the system is well suited for mission-critical and business
intelligence applications. For example, using SAS Institute's compute-intensive data warehouse test
suite, the AlphaServer DS20E completed calculations more than 3 times faster than the Sun E10000.(2)
A new high level of availability for Internet Service Providers and e-commerce applications is supported
with four hot-swap hard disk drive bays, hot-swap fans, and two standard 375 Watt Hot Plug power
supplies with an optional third power supply for N+1 redundancy.
(2) digital.com.
''When you are adding e-commerce partners like Office Depot as fast as we are, easy upgrades and the
frequent addition of multiple servers is a must. The rack design of the new AlphaServer DS20E will allow
us to add systems painlessly without taking up precious space,'' said Dave Hisaw, Director of
Technology at Purchase Pro Inc.
The new AlphaStation DS20E is Compaq's first dual-processor Alpha 21264-based workstation, and the
second addition to the new AlphaServer-based AlphaStation product line. It will begin shipping in late
November and will support a robust range of graphics options. It complements the Compaq XP line of
Alpha-based workstations with new dual processor configurations and additional storage and memory
expansion features. Client-side opportunities for AlphaStations include CAD/CAM, GIS,
high-performance technical visualization, defense applications, and opportunities in the fast growing
Linux-based high-performance computing market.
Pricing
Initial AlphaServer SC systems can be configured with 64 to 512 Alpha 21264 processors and can
easily upgraded with new generations of AlphaServers by replacing SMP nodes in existing racks.
Starting price for the AlphaServer SC Series is $2.7 million (U.S. list) for a 64 CPU system.
The AlphaServer DS20E and the AlphaStation DS20E provide full support for Compaq Tru64 UNIX,
OpenVMS, and the Linux operating systems. Both start at $11,000 (estimated U.S. street price) for
Linux-ready 256MB memory and 10GB disk configurations with a three-year product warranty.
Company Background
Compaq Computer Corporation, a Fortune Global 100 company, is the second largest computer
company in the world and the largest global supplier of computer systems. Compaq develops and
markets hardware, software, solutions, and services, including industry-leading enterprise computing
solutions, fault-tolerant business-critical solutions, enterprise and network storage solutions,
commercial desktop and portable products and consumer PCs. The company is an industry leader in
environmentally friendly programs and business practices.
Compaq products are sold and supported in more than 100 countries through a network of authorized
Compaq marketing partners. Customer support and information about Compaq and its products are
available at compaq.com, or by calling 1-800-OK-COMPAQ. Product information and reseller
locations are available by calling 1-800-345-1518.
Compaq, Registered U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Product names mentioned herein may be
trademarks and/or registered trademarks of their respective companies.
SOURCE: Compaq Computer Corporation
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