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IBM RS6000/SP Overview. Advanced IBM Unix computers series Multiple different configurations Available from entry level to high-end machines. POWER (1,2,3,4) Type processors (Current high-end configurations use POWER3) Architecture shared memory MIMD
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IBM RS6000/SP Overview • Advanced IBM Unix computers series • Multiple different configurations • Available from entry level to high-end machines. • POWER (1,2,3,4) Type processors (Current high-end configurations use POWER3) • Architecture shared memory MIMD • Operating system: AIX, a 64-bit Unix system. • Each node has its own operating system.
Overview • Distributed memory, multinode server designed for demanding technical and commercial workloads • Versatile system running serial, symmetric multiprocessor (SMP) and parallel workloads all managed from a central point-of-control. • Flexible configurability - node types (thin, wide, high) - up to 512 nodes per system (by special order)
Node architectures • 3 kinds of node architectures: Thin,wide and high nodes. • Currently the most commonly used is SP POWER3 SMP high node architecture -As much as 16 POWER3 processors/node with as much as 64 GB memory. • Scalability: Same technology, system of 1-512 nodes.
High node architecture • As much as 4 processor cards with each having up to 4 processors. • Node Controller chips: 4GB/s bandwidth/ processor, 16GB/s bandwidth to the Active Backplane Planar. • Memory and I/O functions have 16GB/s bandwidth. • Inside the node: tree topology.
Communication Network -SP switch used to interconnect nodes 2 basic components: -communications adapter node-switching board connection -switch board -SP Switch and SP Switch 2 (on high nodes)
Communication network • SP Switch2 is used to connect nodes into a supercomputer. • Communication Subsystem (CSS), consists of hardware and software • Communication path, monitoring of the switch hardware, controling the network, error detection and recovery action. • Multistage switching technology
SP Switch2 • 16+16=32 links (for nodes+for other switches) • For large networks, switch boards have to be connected together. • 8 node switch board for when need no more than 8 nodes.
SP Switch2 CONNECTION: • 2-80 nodes: maximum of 5 switch boards using star topology (Data passing through at most 2 switch boards.) • 80-256 nodes: At least 6 switch boards -> Star topology not possible -> additional boards used as intermediate switch boards. • 257- nodes: 2 frames of switch boards (32 NSBs times 16 ISBs equals 512 nodes.)
Parallel programming with RS6000 SP • Recommended choices for writing parallel programs: MPI and OpenMP. • If high performance is desired and code portability is not an issue,the Low-level Application Programming Interface can be used. • PVM, data parallel language HPF not used for program development,problems with portability and performance. • Natural programming model is message passing. (Within a node shared memory programming also possible. )
Example System • NCAR (National Center for Atmospheric Research) • Blackforest • a cluster system with hundreds of 4-processor nodes running the AIX.
Example System Hardware: • 293 WinterHawk II RS/6000 nodes for batch jobs • 4 identical WinterHawk II nodes dedicated to interactive login sessions. - 2 NightHawk II RS/6000 nodes - NightHawk II RS/6000 node dedicated to data analysis + Spare WinterHawk II nodes -L1 cache: 32-KB 128-way instruction cache and 64-KB 128-way data cache/processor -L2 cache: 8 MB instruction and data cache/processor
Example System -WinterHawk II memory size: 2 GB memory per WinterHawk II node, 512 KB memory/processor, 586 GB distributed memory for WinterHawk II compute nodes. -NightHawk II memory size: 24 GB of memory /nodes, 1.5 GB memory per processor. -Disk capacity: 13 TB total -Clock speed: 375 MHz -HiPPI to the Mass Storage System plus 100BaseT and Gigabit Ethernet network connections