APPLICATIONS

VIA Technologies Inc. announced that Ainkaboot, a London-based company designing cluster servers for high performance computing (HPC) and high availability computing, is shipping the first ultra compact Octimod MPC7-1500 cluster modules powered by VIA EPIA EN15000 mainboards. Based on the Beowulf concept of providing HPC using off-the-shelf hardware, Octimod is a power-efficient, modular approach to parallel computing, database replication, batch processing and supercomputing for small, medium and large scale companies, academic institutions, government agencies and research facilities. Its high performance computing services include rapid financial simulations for the banking sector, 3D modeling for the special FX industry and software code compiling and testing, as well as high availability and load balancing for web and database serving or file system clustering. Each Octimod MPC7-1500 processing module contains a VIA EPIA EN15000, with Octimod's 4U units geared for flexible configuration of processing and storage modules, with up to four SATA hard drive RAID modules, while at 300 mm, half the depth of standard cabinets, data center managers can double their unit density. The dedicated cluster operating system KlustOS enables Octimod to take advantage of hardware features such as the VIA PadLock Security Engine integrated into VIA C7 processors, using the dual quantum-based RNGs and Montgomery Multiplier for speedy encryption/decryption in financial and other applications. Density and reliability are further increased with a backplane that distributes DC power and SATA connectivity, lowering the cost of scaling up as well as reducing heat generation and power consumption, with each module consuming less than 30 watts at full power and around 1 watt idle, a fully populated cabinet can boast up to 216 GHz of processing power at less than 4.3kW, which equates to less than 20 watts per Gigahertz. "The Octimod MPC7-1500 offers large numbers of low-cost computing cycles, extensive hardware redundancy and greater reliability in half the normal real estate thanks to the small size and great power efficiency of the VIA EPIA EN15000 mainboard," said Hanni Ali, Chief Executive Officer, Ainkaboot Ltd. "Thanks to VIA, we have been able to stay true to the Beowulf concept of providing affordable and highly scalable supercomputing to those who need it." "Ainkaboot has devised a unique clustering architecture that provides high density, cost effective data center management for a wide spectrum of public and private organizations both large and small," said Richard Brown, Vice President of Corporate Marketing, VIA Technologies Inc. "With its superb scalability, reliability and energy efficiency, it is an excellent example of how the VIA's ultra compact, power efficient technologies inspire new approaches to everyday challenges." The Ainkaboot Octimod clustering architecture provides a new, modular approach to system integration. 4U high and 300 mm deep, Octimod provides a means of arranging hardware simply and efficiently, addressing the key cluster considerations of networking and latency, ease of management, cost effectiveness, and facility issues such as space, power, cooling and noise. Running from a distributed DC power supply and using power efficient processors such as the VIA C7 processor, these eco-friendly clusters utilize compact hardware configurations to achieve a truly high density model. Each unit can take 8 modules, with units half the standard depth, such that a 4U Octimod system mounted front and rear of the cabinet can take 16 modules. Modules can be either Processing or Storage modules. KlustOS, the Ainkaboot dedicated clustering operating system, provides the backbone of the Octimod, with a host of clustering utilities, management software and parallel processing environments. Based on Gentoo Linux, KlustOS consists almost exclusively of open source software and is able to take advantage of hardware features such as VIA PadLock Security Engine tools. Cluster and Grid ready, Octimod is easy to integrate, rack mountable and modular for easy and cost effective scaling. It is eco-friendly, using less power than traditional servers, and is easy to manage with the powerful KlustOS. Multi-level redundancy increases reliability, while cost effective and efficient design reduces set-up and running costs. The Ainkaboot Octimod is available for order now, and complete clusters can be implemented for under GBP 10,000 ($ 19,500 approx), ready to scale if necessary at little more than the cost of the extra hardware.