HPC Innovator Jack Dongarra to Collaborate with SiCortex on Computing Projects
Maynard, Mass., April 8, 2008 -- SiCortex, the emerging leader in compact, low power Linux® clusters, announced today that it will team up with Dr. Jack Dongarra of the University of Tennessee, one of the most influential voices in high performance computing (HPC), on a variety of research projects that take advantage of the companys unique high performance, low power architecture. Dongarra has acquired an SC072 deskside supercomputer as a dedicated platform for this research.
Dongarra heads the Innovative Computing Lab at the University of Tennessee, an institution with a long history of groundbreaking work in computer science. He holds the title of University Distinguished Professor of Computer Science in the Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Department at the University of Tennessee, and participates in the group that compiles the TOP500 list, a twice-yearly ranking of the worlds 500 most powerful computer systems.
I have followed the development of SiCortexs architecture with a great deal of interest, Dongarra said. The combination of low power and high performance promises a solution to many of the challenges currently facing high performance computing. I always appreciate the opportunity to contribute to the development of fundamentally new solutions to these challenges.
Dongarra will work with SiCortex on variety of projects. Examples include development of a new parallel processing communication performance benchmark, porting and tuning of the OpenMPI communication library, and other activities that apply the skills and talents that Dongarras Innovative Computing Laboratory brings to bear in linear algebra, numerical methods, OpenMPI, performance analysis and benchmark development. Beyond the direct collaboration, the SC072 will provide students at the Innovative Computing Laboratory unlimited access to a high performance Linux cluster, supporting development of new algorithms and techniques for high performance computing.
The SC072 is a 72-processor cluster in a quiet, low-power deskside enclosure. It provides researchers with a high processor count system that can sit beside a desk, accelerating the development of new parallel processing applications. Because it can be dedicated to a small team of researchers, the SC072 is ideally suited for use in university settings.
Jack Dongarra is one of the most influential thinkers in HPC, and we welcome the opportunity to collaborate with him, said SiCortex CEO Dr. John Mucci. In addition to his contributions to the advancement of HPC, he has played a leading role in the education of new generations of computer scientists. We find it particularly satisfying that he has recognized the advantages of utilizing SiCortexs architecture in his work.
SiCortex has introduced a new concept in high performance computing, reducing power consumption and physical size to gain performance. The company has implemented a complete multicore cluster node on a chip, including six 64-bit processors, multiple memory controllers, a high performance cluster interconnect and a PCIexpress connection to storage and internetworking. A SiCortex multicore node consumes 15 watts of power, an order of magnitude less than the 250 watts used in a conventional cluster node. SiCortexs product line ranges from the SC072 deskside supercomputer to the SC5832, which can perform six trillion operations per second in a cabinet that is less than one-third the size of conventional clusters.
About SiCortex
Headquartered near Boston, Mass., SiCortex, Inc. makes the world's most energy-efficient high-productivity computers. Its proven architecture was designed from the silicon up to provide breakthrough delivered performance at the lowest power consumption in the industry. SiCortex computers scale from 72 to 5,832 processors running Linux and other open-source codes, in packages ranging from deskside to departmental to data center. SiCortex systems are the compute-power behind some of the most important research initiatives at the country's national laboratories and academic institutions. For more information, visit http://www.sicortex.com/.
SiCortex Public Relations:
Dana Gulick
Racepoint Group
781-487-4673 (direct)
dgulick@racepointgroup.com
SiCortex:
Mark Blessing
Vice President, Marketing
SiCortex, Inc.
877.742.6783 x289
press@sicortex.com
