Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site ucbvax.ARPA Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!cbosgd!ulysses!ucbvax!info-vax From: info-vax@ucbvax.ARPA Newsgroups: fa.info-vax Subject: Connecting Supercomputers to DEC's Cluster Systems Message-ID: <5217@ucbvax.ARPA> Date: Mon, 4-Mar-85 15:47:39 EST Article-I.D.: ucbvax.5217 Posted: Mon Mar 4 15:47:39 1985 Date-Received: Tue, 5-Mar-85 03:08:00 EST Sender: daemon@ucbvax.ARPA Organization: University of California at Berkeley Lines: 42 From: Reed B. PowellWe are investigating the methods useful to the market for connecting the various "supercomputers" in the industry (Cybers, Crays, etc) to Digital's clustered systems. There are many reasons people have for desiring this, but usually it falls into the general catagory of "front-ending" the expensive supercomputers with lower cost systems used for data-preperation, data-presentation, etc. IE: Keep the supercomputer busy doing what it is best at. There are a number method of doing this. Hyperchannel seems to be doing well in the most general case of connecting anything to anything, but also seems to be adversely affected by coping with those generalities. What DEC is looking at is a method of hooking those systems up to DEC's systems. The only thing we have pretty much decided -- and even this is not cast in concrete -- is that is should be oriented around a connection to the CI bus, which is what connectes the systems of a cluster, as well as their disk servers, together. What we are specifically soliciting is information in two broad areas: 1. What functionality does the market want? Should we look into servers, gateways, rje-s, or what? Should the supercomputers "look" like another DEC computer on a cluster, or should there be something in between that performs a "monkey in the middle" function. 2. Ideas on implementation. It would be best if anyone submitting ideas in this catagory also include some information from the above catagory, since we must in the end justify our actions based on market needs. Since most of the supercomputers are in sites related to ARPAnet, this seems to be the best, most effecient way to gather this data. Anyone wanting to talk directly about this should leave a phone number, and someone related to this project will be glad to talk. thanks in advance, -reed --------