ACADEMIA

TOKYO, JAPAN -- Fujitsu Limited and Fujitsu Laboratories Ltd. announced today that they have succeeded in constructing, and running, an operational application on a Linux-based cluster system for High Performance Computing environments using the ultra high-speed InfiniBand interconnect technology -- an industry first. Such systems are expected to greatly assist in improving price/performance in areas like biotechnology, fluid analysis and structural analysis, where high performance computing is required. The successful cluster system was constructed with 16 2-way Fujitsu PRIMERGY servers (32 processors in total) linked using InfiniBand interconnect technology for a maximum data transfer rate of 2.5Gbps. InfiniBand is a standard promoted by the InfiniBand Trade Association, whose members include Fujitsu, Intel and IBM. The aim of this association is to meet the demand for balanced system architectures that provide equally good performance in memory, processor, and input/output (I/O) subsystems. This achievement was also made possible by use of SCore clustering software, developed as part of the Real World Computing Partnership (RWCP) commissioned by the Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. Together, InfiniBand technology and SCore help combine high calculation efficiency with the lowest possible cost of deployment. The system construction also included pre-release versions of Intel's InfiniBand products. The version of the AMBER-based demonstration application also contained a display component developed by the RWCP, and was ported to run on top of the SCore cluster software from RWCP. "Intel-based servers featuring InfiniBand technology will deliver significant benefits to enterprise computing, especially for high-end clustering applications," said Mike Fister, vice president and general manager of Intel's Enterprise Platforms Group. "We welcome the expanding range of applications that Fujitsu's involvement in high-end clusters brings to Intel-based servers." This system will be publicly demonstrated at the Scientific System Workshop part of the HPC meeting scheduled for November 1st/2nd 2001, at the Bay Sheraton Hotel in Kobe, Japan. InfiniBand is a trademark or service mark of the InfiniBand Trade Association. Established by Compaq, Dell, Hewlett-Packard, IBM, Intel, Microsoft and Sun Microsystems, the InfiniBand Trade Association promotes this next generation I/O specification. For further information visit www.infinibandta.org/