SiCortex SC072 Provides Deskside Launching Pad for Truly Scalable Applications
SiCortex, the emerging leader in compact, low power Linux® clusters, today introduced the SC072, a 72-processor cluster in a whisper-quiet, low-power deskside cabinet. The SC072 fills a gaping hole in the high performance computing (HPC) application development infrastructure by providing routine personal access to large numbers of processors. The SC072 like all of SiCortex’s systems, features a standard Linux environment, enabling applications written and tested on the 72-processor machine to run on other SiCortex systems and be easily ported to the world’s largest supercomputers.
A survey of industrial HPC users by the Council on Competitiveness found a growing gap between the capabilities of modern HPC systems and availability of application software that can use them efficiently. Until now, application development has been hamstrung by lack of access to high processor count systems. SiCortex has broken this productivity barrier by extending its product line down to a high processor count system that can sit beside every developer’s desk.
“High performance computers commonly have thousands of processors today, but cost considerations dictate that only a small fraction are available to developers,” said Dr. Christopher Kerr of the Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. “The SC072 will make an enormous difference in programmer productivity by providing a deskside resource for high processor count development.”
SiCortex has introduced a new concept in high-performance computing by implementing a complete 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. With a total of 72 processors, 48 GB memory, and 3 PCIexpress ports, the SC072 draws less than 300 watts of power and fits in standard PC chassis. This eliminates the heat and fan noise issues that have previously made it impossible to put such a large cluster in a deskside environment.
“The HPC industry is increasingly challenged by the reality that applications developed on one or two processors almost never scale to hundreds, much less thousands,” said SiCortex CEO Dr. John Mucci. “When you start with 50 or more processors, however, you’ve opened the door to the development of an entirely new generation of high performance software."
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:
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SiCortex:
Mark Blessing
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SiCortex, Inc.
877.742.6783 x289
press@sicortex.com
