[Beowulf] using extend-reach IB?

[Mark Hahn]

> I can say a few words about optical active cable (OAC) choices.  The
> current in production choice is from Intel, their Connects Cable.  This is

are they shipping?  I checked their website a couple weeks ago
and they were talking 1q08 availability.

> speeds out to100m.  A 25m cable is going to run you about $300 (US).  Power

similar to Gore's one (which is copper I think).

> Rumor has it that is is already in at least one HPC vendors interconnect
> technology.

what does that mean?  are there HPC vendors who don't just sell you anything,
including their sister, for a large enough customer?  ;)

to me, I don't think this market is all that huge - there just aren't lots
of clusters with that kind of diameter, which means that long IB will be 
a useful tool for adding a few uplinks/etc across a machineroom or 
around the corner...

> compete with each other.  Of course, per media foot copper has always (?)
> been more expensive that fiber.

sure - once >=10G optics become dirt cheap, everyone will toss a few onto
every motherboard ;)

hmm, I should patent an augmented 10G/IB optical tranceiver that makes 
a cool blue glow when nothing's plugged in.  or maybe when something is...

> PS  There some very good white papers and studies on both the Intel and
>Luxtera web sites.

thanks, but whitepapers can't address the main (only) interesting issue:
whether it becomes mass-market-cheap...

thanks, mark hahn.