SGI Unveils an Array of Solutions

By DE Editors

Silicon Graphics (SGI; Mountain View, CA)  recently unveiled a new line of cluster solutions based on the dual-core Intel Xeon processor 5100 series—the Woodcrest processor announced by Intel in late June. In a simultaneous announcement, the company also introduced the new SGI Altix 450 mid-range blade server based on dual-core Intel Itanium 2 processors.

SGI’s new family of 64-bit Linux-based servers and factory-integrated clusters, the SGI Altix XE are custom-configured around its pair of dual-core Xeon 5150 processors to optimize leading applications. What this means is that the SGI Altix XE servers allow organizations to organize themselves for hybrid workloads that combine brute-force system horsepower with the efficiency achieved through customization to drive their mission-critical applications.

The Altix XE can accommodate up to four processor cores and support up to 32GB of memory. Its energy-efficient design requires just 65 or 80 watts per socket, which has an added benefit of reducing power management and cooling concerns for IT. SGI says that the Altix XE’s modular systems management design helps meet RAS (reliability, availability and serviceability) requirements. Memory bandwidth is list reported to be 21GB/sec.

SGI plans call for the Altix XE systems to support both Novell SUSE Enterprise Linux Ver. 9 and 10 (when available) and Red Hat) Enterprise Linux 4 (planned, July 2006), along with SGI ProPack for Linux 5 acceleration software. The new server is available in two form factors: a 1U chassis suitable for dense cluster configurations and a 2U chassis that provides plentiful amounts of I/O to serve as a cluster head node. SGI Altix XE cluster solutions can be ordered today. Base configuration pricing starts at less than $3,100. For further details, click here.

In a related announcement, SGI introduced the Altix 450, a mid-range blade server that offers up to 2.5 times the system performance of the current Altix 350 server at a lower cost. Using dual-core Intel Itanium 2 processors, the Altix 450 is said to provide greater Linux server density to maximize floor space while reducing heat dissipation and using up to 20 percent less power than their single-core predecessors.

The Altix 450 is made up of modular blades—interchangeable compute,  memory, and I/O blades for plug-and-solve configuration flexibility. Each Altix 450 system can scale to 38 Intel Itanium 2 sockets (up to 76 processor cores) and up to 456GB of globally addressable memory.

The Altix 450 is expected to be available shortly. Pricing begins at less than $15,000. For more information, click here.


Sources: Press briefing with the company, press materials received from the company, and additional information gleaned from the company’s website.