High Performance Computing (HPC) & Cluster Computing

• 10GbE Networking for HPC-Application and Technology Trends: Part I (HPCWire, by Saqib Jang, Margalla Communications)

The first in a two-part series, this article examines the drivers for 10GbE deployment for high-performance cluster computing (HPCC) environments and related technology trends. Ten Gigabit-per-second Ethernet (10GbE) represents the next level of Ethernet network
bandwidth, with networking vendors promoting it as the next great capability. But high-performance computing (HPC) infrastructure and operations professionals must strike a balance between constant operational improvement and sound financial decision-making. So
far, 10GbE has been a high-end luxury for environments that want maximum performance regardless of cost, but that's changing fast. The per-port pricing gap between 10GbE and alternate network options is narrowing rapidly as more vendors increase the competitive
pressure on pricing for related components.

So where will this technology truly matter for HPC environments? This article examines the impact of 10GbE on HPC infrastructure and provides guidance for the most effective transformation of your network. The initial focus will be on the top drivers and applications for
10GbE deployment in HPC environments and then the leading technology trends impacting 10GbE NIC designs will be reviewed. The next article in the series will examine the major offerings in the 10GbE NIC area.

Read Part I

• 10GbE Ready for HPC (High Performance Computing) Abstracted from: "incoming: 10 Gigabit Ethernet for HPC"
  By  Dan Tuchler, VP of Product Strategy, BLADE Network Technologies
  Published in HPCWire
  
   

InfiniBand might be the obvious choice in the HPC world, but compared to the well-known and widely-used Ethernet standard, the comfort level of InfiniBand might be equated to sleeping on a bed of nails. IT executives, network administrators, server vendors, and managed service providers around the world understand Ethernet. They can integrate and update an Ethernet installation within an existing infrastructure, without specialized gateways. They know how to manage it and how to benchmark it. They know what to do if something goes wrong. When it comes to Ethernet, familiarity breeds peace of mind.

With costs going up, power at a premium, and manageability critical, it's no surprise that converging and consolidating have become central themes in networking. Converged voice and data networks are becoming pervasive. Fibre Channel over Ethernet (FCoE) will merge storage and standard network applications on a common infrastructure. Virtualization is fast becoming a critical technology to support server and storage consolidation in the datacenter.

When it comes to reducing capital and operating expenses, one infrastructure is simply better than two -- or more -- and the HPC environment is no exception. High-performance computing clusters that use an InfiniBand interconnect also use Ethernet. Ethernet is necessary for user and storage connectivity, and for the management network that orchestrates the cluster. Replacing the InfiniBand interconnect with 10GE to create a single, all-inclusive infrastructure will cut hardware and power costs, and simplify manageability. And, that infrastructure combines high performance with low power needs and a sufficiently low latency for many HPC applications, making it an excellent fit for technical and budget requirements.

Read the article

High Performance cluster computing centers are discovering the power of 10 Gigabit Ethernet in the IBM BladeCenter H to build robust, fast and cost-effective high performance computing clusters.

• 10 Gigabit Ethernet High Performance Computing Clusters in IBM BladeCenter

Read the solutions brief

 10 Gig Ethernet Adoption Outlook

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