Path: utzoo!attcan!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!ames!think!sauron.think.com!bruce
From: bruce@sauron.think.com (Bruce Walker)
Newsgroups: comp.arch
Subject: Re: *big iron*
Message-ID: <30306@news.Think.COM>
Date: 28 Sep 89 18:12:07 GMT
References: <22488@cup.portal.com> <280001@hpdml93.HP.COM> <9911@venera.isi.edu> <34298@lll-winken.LLNL.GOV>
Sender: news@Think.COM
Organization: Thinking Machines Corporation, Cambridge MA, USA
Lines: 20

In article <34298@lll-winken.LLNL.GOV> brooks@maddog.llnl.gov (Eugene Brooks) writes:
>Thinking Machines' Data Vault is a fine example of the right way to
>build an IO system these days.  Instead of using limited production
>high performance drives, you build a highly parallel system using
>the same mass production drives you can buy for workstations and throw
>in a SECDED controller while you are at it.  The system has 72 drives
>implementing a 64 bit wide data path with one bit per drive.

Actually, the current DataVaults have 42 drives.  Though the bus to
the DV is 64 bits wide, it is broken down into a 32-bit data path
inside the DV.  There are 32 data drives, 7 ECC drives, and 3 hot
spares, each of which can be switched into any of the other 39
channels.

We also offer double-capacity DVs with 84 drives; no more bandwidth,
just a 2nd tier of drives off of each channel.


--Bruce Walker (Nemnich), Thinking Machines Corporation, Cambridge, MA
  bruce@think.com, think!bruce, bjn@mitvma.bitnet; +1 617 876 1111