Subject: /. The Space Simulator Cluster

[Trent Piepho]

On Mon, 25 Nov 2002, Ken Chase wrote:
> > >From: Eugen Leitl <eugen at leitl.org>
> > >http://space-simulator.lanl.gov/
> > >The Space Simulator is a 294-processor Beowulf cluster. It is based on the
> > >Shuttle XPC SS51G - - - - The small size of the XPC cases allowed us to fit
> > the cluster in
> > >about half the space of the previous 144-processor Avalon cluster.
> > 
> > Wanted to add the note that the entire cluster, (not counting AC and Power
> > Conditioning) was in the $0.5M range.
> 
> there was some post on /. saying that this didnt include the cost
> of the switches.

lanl's web page says the per node price was under $1k.  So with 294 nodes and
a $500k total price, they've still got over $100k to spend on switches and
wire racks.

Still, their configuration doesn't seem like it would be the most cost
effective to me.  A 1U or 2U rack case is just as dense as those shuttle
boxes.  With a dual CPU board you could get by with half the number of Gb
switch ports, which aren't cheap for >24 port switches.