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UMaine Building 256 Node G5 Supercomputer

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Apr 12, 2001
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In a press release, the University of Maine announced its intentions to build a 256-node cluster of G5 Xserves at the Target Technology Center in Orono. Progress on building the machine can be watched in their online gallery, as well as a webcam mounted on the server room door.

Aided with funding from the US Army, this $680,000 cluster will remain running 24/7 and will be available for use by both UMaine researchers and businesses. Dubbed "Baby MACH 5", this machine is meant to be a running test for the US Army's installation of it's 1566 node cluster dubbed MACH 5.

256 node clusters seem to be a magic number, with the recent release of the UCLA Plasma Physics Xserve cluster also having 256 nodes.
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2004/07/13/umaine-building-256-node-g5-supercomputer/
Great! That means we get to wait even longer for our G5's to ship! ;)

On the bright side, this also means that more people are adopting Apple computers...increased sales may mean decreased prices eventually :)
 
For the record: This is a different machine than the Army one we heard about a couple weeks ago?

I think it is but I want to make sure.
 
Freg3000 said:
For the record: This is a different machine than the Army one we heard about a couple weeks ago?

I think it is but I want to make sure.
Click to expand...

It is indeed a different machine. the army is partially funding this one to get a good look at the setup/maintenance before sticking their own together.
 
GFLPraxis said:
Great! That means we get to wait even longer for our G5's to ship! ;)

On the bright side, this also means that more people are adopting Apple computers...increased sales may mean decreased prices eventually :)
Click to expand...

Easy now!!! ;)
 
The cluster nodes don't seem to have the huge air intakes look at apples website. I ownder why the otherones need them then?
 
Can I just say that it's all the right places that are running with these Apple supercomputers?

If you know what I mean, not to be a snob or anything, but from what I've heard the places that are using extensive Apple products are:

-Virginia Tech
-US Army
-UCLA
-UMaine
-Princeton

I think apples would go quite well at these places. They've got that Appley feel and are down to earth, no BS places. Just as long as Harvard doesn't start using macs, I think Apple has attracted some upstanding customers. "Just my $.02" as ya'll say.
 
As a UMaine Computer science Alum, this is some of the coolest news I've heard in a long time.

Wish i was back up there now!
 
Soire said:
Just as long as Harvard doesn't start using macs, I think Apple has attracted some upstanding customers.
Click to expand...
What do you have against Harvard?


It appears from the pictures that each node has one U space between the lower and uper node. I suppose this is for cooling, but I wonder if this was Apples suggestion or something they decided to do...

Has anyone seen the updated pictures of the Virginia Tech supercomputer?
 
Man, What a deal. Apple is just going off the charts with the Xserve. This keeps up, IBM is going to be BUSY BUSY BUSY!

Just wait till 2.5 Xserves come out. OH and someone need to call cnet, i guess they underestimated the xserve also.

GO APPLE, WHERE MY G5 POWERBOOK?? *L* had to say it
 
That's a lot of Mac clusters lately. Big Mac/System X, Mach 5, Baby Mach 5, UCLA Plasma... and some others smaller than 256 I think?

Xserve Cluster Nodes lack the big intakes--but they probably don't have much airflow/heat problem since they are missing lots of internals... like any drives at all. (EDIT: one HD of course... no optical drive, no additional HD bays.)

The extra in-between space in the racks probably just means they have space to spare :)
 
A 2TFlop+ cluster like this one is going to be is pretty powerful. It would easily be in the top 500 supercomputer list. In fact, it should probably make the top 100 this fall if they decide to post benchmark results.
 
WOW.....

It's getting better and better.....
who would have thought all these G5 "super computers" a couple of years ago.

A G5 super computer is getting to be more "in" than an iPod :D
 
Wow. I'm really impressed with apple's leap into the supercomputer arena.

This has to be good for business.
Not that supercomputers are going to sell like ipods, but never the less.... it's still great news.
 
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