Jock, >>>LSI right in the sweet spot with the explosion of Xeon<<<
You are referring to these LSI/Symbios chips that are, as far as I've seen, on all Intel high end Xeon SC450NX node based servers. They are:
Symbios* Logic SYM53C896 dual channel
SCSI-3 Ultra2 SCSI controller.
Symbios* Logic SYM5353C810AE Narrow
Fast SCSI controller.
Yes, they are in the sweet spot, but it's not all sweetness and light yet. Intel needs to solve some yield problems for the fastest Pentium II's and fix an ECC (error checking and correction) problem. Because of these problems, right now, Intel can't build enough Xeon servers to satisfy demand. Better news is Intel says:
Intel said it is preparing to ramp up production of
ECC-enabled processors, effectively putting an end to the
screening process. Supply issues should gradually diminish
within a few weeks, said an Intel spokesperson.
The whole article.
techweb.com
Xeon Freeze -- Intel Confirms Server Chips In
Short Supply
Joe Wilcox and Marcia Savage
Santa Clara, -- Calif.Hoping to get a new four-way Xeon
server to a customer? Think again.
Intel Corp. is grappling with low yields on its latest
high-end Pentium II processor as well as an ECC errata
when the processor is placed in a four-way server
configuration, said several sources. These problems have
forced Intel to ship only one-quarter of its orders to some
server manufacturers, said hardware OEM sources.
"We placed a purchase order for Xeon chipsets over a
month ago and they were due to arrive [last week], but my
purchasing agent was informed we would only receive
about 25 percent of what we ordered," said one OEM
source who asked not to be identified.
"Right now, we cannot meet all the demand," said John
Miner, vice president and general manager of Intel's
enterprise server group. "It's an unfortunate short-term
problem."
Some PC makers, however, said it is not just a demand
problem but rather a screening problem. Several
companies said Intel is privately screening chips for the
ECC errata. In June, Santa Clara-based Intel said the Xeon
chip could lock systems when used in certain
configurations.
"They're hand-screening the 400MHz Xeon processors,
picking out what's good for four-way and that's going in one
bucket, and the ones that will be OK in single and two-way
systems go into another," said one source, adding there is
not a yield problem for one- or two-processor systems,
which do not exhibit the errata.
Intel had similar shortages with the Pentium Pro, but
several vendors said the Xeon situation is worse. "There is
a serious supply shortage," said one source.
Intel said it is preparing to ramp up production of
ECC-enabled processors, effectively putting an end to the
screening process. Supply issues should gradually diminish
within a few weeks, said an Intel spokesperson.
Still, growing interest in high-end servers is exacerbating
the situation.
Only a few vendors, Dell Computer Corp., Round Rock,
Texas; Compaq Computer Corp., Houston; and Unisys
Corp., Blue Bell, Pa.; are shipping four-way Xeon servers
in volume. These vendors said the product is still
constrained.
Compaq would not comment on Xeon supply, but Paul
Santeler, segment director for Enterprise x86 Servers, said,
"Quite frankly, the response from our customers has been
tremendous. . . and we just can't build enough [Xeon
servers]."
Spokespeople at Unisys and Dell said they could not ship
enough products.
Meanwhile, Hewlett-Packard Co., Palo Alto, Calif., and
IBM Corp., Armonk, N.Y., are among several major
vendors preparing to roll out four-way servers over the
next 30 days. HP would not comment on Xeon availability.
Jim Gargan, director of product marketing for IBM's
Netfinity server unit, said IBM was getting all the
processors it needs.
"This situation isn't all that surprising," said Kelly Spang,
analyst for Technology Business Research, Hampton, N.H.
"Intel is discontinuing, if they haven't already, their Pentium
Pro line, and the server guys have to go somewhere."
EDWARD F. MOLTZEN contributed to this story.
Copyright r 1998 CMP Media Inc. |
