Comments on: Cray Announces Mini-Supercomputer Line: Updated http://insidehpc.com/2008/09/16/cray-announces-mini-supercomputer-line/ HPC News Without the Noise for Supercomputing Professionals | insideHPC Sun, 19 May 2013 10:46:54 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.1 By: Calling for your experiences with personal supercomputers | insideHPC.com http://insidehpc.com/2008/09/16/cray-announces-mini-supercomputer-line/#comment-182046 Calling for your experiences with personal supercomputers | insideHPC.com Thu, 10 Sep 2009 16:28:22 +0000 http://insidehpc.com/?p=2267#comment-182046 [...] personal supercomputer specification (offered by a variety of vendors) from Nov 2008, Cray’s CX-1 from Sep 2008, SGI’s Scalable Workgroup Cluster from Aug of this year, and probably one or [...] [...] personal supercomputer specification (offered by a variety of vendors) from Nov 2008, Cray’s CX-1 from Sep 2008, SGI’s Scalable Workgroup Cluster from Aug of this year, and probably one or [...]

]]> By: John West http://insidehpc.com/2008/09/16/cray-announces-mini-supercomputer-line/#comment-94361 John West Thu, 18 Sep 2008 19:26:38 +0000 http://insidehpc.com/?p=2267#comment-94361 "R": You are right, this isn't a high end machine. But this company is not a religious organization -- it's a public company. If they can make money on the CX1, or on lego models of the Cray 1 for that matter, then I say "hooray!" That's more money that Cray will turn around and put into the next generation of high end designs. “R”: You are right, this isn’t a high end machine. But this company is not a religious organization — it’s a public company. If they can make money on the CX1, or on lego models of the Cray 1 for that matter, then I say “hooray!” That’s more money that Cray will turn around and put into the next generation of high end designs.

]]> By: John West http://insidehpc.com/2008/09/16/cray-announces-mini-supercomputer-line/#comment-94360 John West Thu, 18 Sep 2008 19:25:26 +0000 http://insidehpc.com/?p=2267#comment-94360 I agree with the "Anonymous" commenter (there are several) that points out the problems of scale here. Cray is a small company that builds bespoke computers for well-heeled clientele. How now do they make and support "off-the-rack" in a way that doesn't swamp the company? Partners. Let's stipulate that the people that run Cray would have anticipated this problem (Pete's smart, so are the rest of them). They know that high-end Cray can't support these systems in volume. So they partner on the manufacturing (leaving their high end teams undisturbed) and partner on support with some already global support force specializing in high volume. They can then put in some engineering on the front end, and as the product takes off look for opportunities to more tightly integrate it into their high end lines. Perhaps ultimately taking the approach that SiCortex has taken with their SC0072 system and pouring the SeaStar into the CX1 to make it a true development platform for the XT line. Only time will tell about the other commenters' arguments regarding value and market acceptance, but there are a variety of ways that Cray could field the CX1 without breaking its own high end model. I agree with the “Anonymous” commenter (there are several) that points out the problems of scale here. Cray is a small company that builds bespoke computers for well-heeled clientele. How now do they make and support “off-the-rack” in a way that doesn’t swamp the company?

Partners. Let’s stipulate that the people that run Cray would have anticipated this problem (Pete’s smart, so are the rest of them). They know that high-end Cray can’t support these systems in volume. So they partner on the manufacturing (leaving their high end teams undisturbed) and partner on support with some already global support force specializing in high volume. They can then put in some engineering on the front end, and as the product takes off look for opportunities to more tightly integrate it into their high end lines. Perhaps ultimately taking the approach that SiCortex has taken with their SC0072 system and pouring the SeaStar into the CX1 to make it a true development platform for the XT line.

Only time will tell about the other commenters’ arguments regarding value and market acceptance, but there are a variety of ways that Cray could field the CX1 without breaking its own high end model.

]]> By: Cluster Resources to Support Cray CX1 | insideHPC http://insidehpc.com/2008/09/16/cray-announces-mini-supercomputer-line/#comment-94280 Cluster Resources to Support Cray CX1 | insideHPC Thu, 18 Sep 2008 14:24:39 +0000 http://insidehpc.com/?p=2267#comment-94280 [...] Cray Announces Mini-Supercomputer Line: Updated [...] [...] Cray Announces Mini-Supercomputer Line: Updated [...]

]]> By: R http://insidehpc.com/2008/09/16/cray-announces-mini-supercomputer-line/#comment-93650 R Tue, 16 Sep 2008 20:52:29 +0000 http://insidehpc.com/?p=2267#comment-93650 The empty box with extra power supplies and a slidetray is $11K. Then you add three dual socket x86 boards and you're over $25K. On top of that, there is no interconnect designed- in to make this ever be a low latency MPP system. It's just a sad, costly pile of x86 boards. Marketing/repackaging hoax like the IBM iDataPlex. Very disappointing. True supercomputer engineers at Cray must be shooting themselves over this effluvia. The empty box with extra power supplies and a slidetray is $11K. Then you add three dual socket x86 boards and you’re over $25K. On top of that, there is no interconnect designed- in to make this ever be a low latency MPP system. It’s just a sad, costly pile of x86 boards. Marketing/repackaging hoax like the IBM iDataPlex. Very disappointing. True supercomputer engineers at Cray must be shooting themselves over this effluvia.

]]> By: Anonymous http://insidehpc.com/2008/09/16/cray-announces-mini-supercomputer-line/#comment-93617 Anonymous Tue, 16 Sep 2008 19:06:48 +0000 http://insidehpc.com/?p=2267#comment-93617 Cray has attempted to enter the "small supercomputer" market many other times in the past. There are a number of customers running the Cray XD1 (Octigabay) and cluster systems sold to them by (generally former) Cray sales reps. And there were similar efforts in the pre-SGI days of Cray Research to grow the business with smaller systems. The problem has never been technical - its been how does a company set up to manufacture, market, sell, and service multi-million dollar supercomputers cost-effectively handle a system a fraction of that price? This was the problem with all these other attempts, and I expect will doom this attempt as well. Cray has attempted to enter the “small supercomputer” market many other times in the past. There are a number of customers running the Cray XD1 (Octigabay) and cluster systems sold to them by (generally former) Cray sales reps. And there were similar efforts in the pre-SGI days of Cray Research to grow the business with smaller systems.

The problem has never been technical – its been how does a company set up to manufacture, market, sell, and service multi-million dollar supercomputers cost-effectively handle a system a fraction of that price? This was the problem with all these other attempts, and I expect will doom this attempt as well.

]]> By: Rich http://insidehpc.com/2008/09/16/cray-announces-mini-supercomputer-line/#comment-93593 Rich Tue, 16 Sep 2008 18:02:58 +0000 http://insidehpc.com/?p=2267#comment-93593 It's funny how you can joke about something and then watch it come semi true. I used to joke about porting Microsoft Compute Cluster to the Cray XT system. This isn't an exact fit, but close. Windows Compute on a Cray branded mini system. Rich It’s funny how you can joke about something and then watch it come semi true. I used to joke about porting Microsoft Compute Cluster to the Cray XT system. This isn’t an exact fit, but close. Windows Compute on a Cray branded mini system.

Rich

]]> By: Anonymous http://insidehpc.com/2008/09/16/cray-announces-mini-supercomputer-line/#comment-93575 Anonymous Tue, 16 Sep 2008 16:53:21 +0000 http://insidehpc.com/?p=2267#comment-93575 Idea to power the datacenters. Strap some magnets to Seymore, wrap his coffin in copper wire, and let his spinning produce the power. Idea to power the datacenters.

Strap some magnets to Seymore, wrap his coffin in copper wire, and let his spinning produce the power.

]]> By: Anonymous http://insidehpc.com/2008/09/16/cray-announces-mini-supercomputer-line/#comment-93572 Anonymous Tue, 16 Sep 2008 16:51:23 +0000 http://insidehpc.com/?p=2267#comment-93572 So, taking out the marketing speak, what they are saying is that Cray now sells Windows PC's? Call it a deskside whatever you want, it's still a PC running windows. So much for the whole "The Supercomputing Company" idea. If you buy a car you can get a keychain with your car on it. Will Cray do the same? Buy a Supercomputer Cray and get a Keychain Cray for free? So, taking out the marketing speak, what they are saying is that Cray now sells Windows PC’s? Call it a deskside whatever you want, it’s still a PC running windows.

So much for the whole “The Supercomputing Company” idea.

If you buy a car you can get a keychain with your car on it. Will Cray do the same? Buy a Supercomputer Cray and get a Keychain Cray for free?

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