LinuxBIOS, BProc-Based Supercomputer For LANL

An anonymous reader writes "LANL will be receiving a 1024 node (2048 processor) LinuxBIOS/BProc based supercomputer late this year. The story is at this location. This system is unique in Linux cluster terms due to no disks on compute nodes, using LinuxBIOS and Beoboot to accomplish booting, and BProc for job startup and management. It is officially known as the Science Appliance, but is affectionately known as Pink to the team that is building much of it."

Obligatory Beowulf Post

[Anonymous Coward]

Imagine a Beowulf cluster of these!

• Beowulf? [slashdot.org] by czardonic (Score:4, Funny) Monday October 08, @12:07AM
  
• Re:Obligatory Beowulf Post [slashdot.org] by Anonymous Coward (Score:-1) Monday October 08, @12:08AM
  
• Greatest joke ever! [slashdot.org] by conner_bw (Score:1) Monday October 08, @12:10AM

Not a Beowulf cluster

[Anonymous Coward]

But if you'd replace the expensive high-performance interconnect with a cheap ethernet, then it would be a Beowulf cluster.

Re:Wow...

[billd]

I could serve up a shitload of porn with this

Think so? Wouldn't a system with disks be more suitable for that?

Most commonly asked question about the computer

[Anonymous Coward]

Which one is pink?

Who needs a Beowulf cluster of these?

[SexyKellyOsbourne]

Just like the Iraqis and the Chinese, I do all my nuclear weapons testing on my Playstation 2 Supercomputer! [beowulf.org]

Re:Obligatory Beowulf Post

[oz_ko]

Imagine a Beowulf cluster of these

In the interests of preseving diskspace i propose making IABCOT a standard slashdot acronym

Lots of chip programming

[Anonymous Coward]

I don't envy the developers... After every revision of LinuxBIOS, they get to reflash 1024 motherboards, which could take a while...

Re:Wow...

[jpaz]

I could serve up a shitload of porn with this

How many standard Libraries of Congress is a shitload?

Re:Wow...

[binaryDigit]

Think so? Wouldn't a system with disks be more suitable for that

Nah, just one honkin RAMDisk. Could serve up mucho porn/warez, when the feds come knockin, just pull the plug, presto, no evidence :)

Don't do it!

[FyRE666]

I will personally track down and slaughter the first person to mention a popular clustering architecture, and how one might imagine it...

Re:Uses

[DasBub]

Well, Hollywood has used supercomputers and large clusters to do effects for movies like Star Wars: Episode II, Resident Evil, and the upcoming Terminator 4.

So, no, there haven't been any good uses.

Cluster details

[MalleusEBHC]

Cluster Overview:
* 2050 Intel 2.4GHz Xeon processors

Now when people complain about the United States government being responsible for global warming they will have some good hard facts to use.

Re:Wow...

[JesseL]

Is that an imperial shitload or a metric shitload?

Re:Don't do it!

[Elbereth]

Imagine a Mosix cluster of them!

Re:cannot use pink

[Neon Spiral Injector]

And what about the pop star who needs a belt for her pants (but I hope she doesn't get one)?

jonKatz is dead to us!

[Anonymous Coward]

I mean, you haven't seen him post any poorly researched diatribes lately (hell in the last eight months...) now have you?!!