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DAILY NEWS AND INFORMATION FOR THE GLOBAL GRID COMMUNITY /
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Breaking News - Networking:
InfiniCon Intros Entry-Level InfiniBand Solution For Databases
InfiniCon Systems introduced the InfinIO 5000 -- the industry's only
entry-level InfiniBand switch to simultaneously support full bisectional
clustering bandwidth from up to 12 InfiniBand-attached servers to existing SAN
and WAN/LAN networks.
Priced at $9,995, the InfinIO 5000 is designed to satisfy the growing market
need for server clusters that support smaller, commercial high-performance
computing applications and distributed database applications such as Oracle
Database 10g. In its base configuration, the InfinIO 5000 enables customers to
build fully managed 12-node, 10Gbps clusters. Two multi-port gateway modules
that provide clustered servers with shared, transparent access to fibre
channel storage and/or Ethernet network resources can be added to expansion
slots in the streamline 1U InfinIO 5000 chassis.
Leveraging the bandwidth-rich InfiniBand architecture, the InfinIO 5000
provides a resilient, low-latency infrastructure that yields superior
application and database throughput and performance, even as clusters scale.
Its shared I/O gateways simplify server deployments and significantly reduce
cabling requirements -- making it a strong technology complement to enterprise
applications such as Oracle Database 10g, the first database designed for grid
computing.
"As clusters penetrate into both the HPC and the commercial markets, we find
that smaller scale, departmental and divisional clusters are increasing in
importance as a solution in the enterprise," said John Humphreys, research
manager in IDC's Technical Computing group. "While the average node count of
these clusters is relatively modest, the applications that run on these
clusters demand high levels of performance which in turn requires them to have
low latency, high speed interconnects. Going forward, IDC believes that
standard high speed interconnects are poised to capture an increasing share of
this growing market."
InfinIO: The Most Complete Family of InfiniBand Offerings
InfiniCon offers the industry's most complete family of InfiniBand clustering
and I/O virtualization solutions, from the 12-port InfinIO 5000 that targets
entry-level deployments to the newest members of the InfinIO 9000 Switch
Series -- ultra high-end platforms that let users build massive 10Gbps-30Gbps
InfiniBand fabrics comprised of hundreds to thousands of nodes. The InfinIO
5000 is the follow-on to InfiniCon's award-winning InfinIO 7000, the first
commercially available system to provide InfiniBand switching and virtual I/O
functionality for enhanced server-to-server communication and scale out. The
InfinIO 5000 leverages the same management software and field-proven I/O
gateways used by the InfinIO 7000, providing customers with proven technology
and investment protection.
"InfiniBand is taking center-stage in addressing the scalability and
complexity problems inherent in embracing grid computing," stated Charles
Foley, executive vice president for InfiniCon Systems. "Through our InfinIO
architecture, we deliver the performance and seamless integration necessary to
virtualize servers across the physical infrastructure, thereby making
enterprise grids a reality not only for applications such as Oracle Database
10g, but for commercial compute-intensive applications such as LS-Dyna that
require access to huge compute and storage farms simultaneously."
Complementary Technology For Bladed And Embedded Offerings
With availability later this summer, the InfinIO 5000 enters the market just
as significant computing trends that can truly leverage its superior bandwidth
and I/O virtualization benefits are taking shape across a variety of
commercial applications and through new server deployment options. Server
blades -- independent servers containing processors, memory, and
network/storage I/O mounted on single boards -- represent one such trend.
Blades plug vertically into a rack-mount chassis and share common components
such as power supplies, fans, and disk storage. As software tools emerge that
can tie blades together into a cooperative whole, IT managers will be able to
scale and allocate server resources dynamically to match demand. InfiniBand
fabrics like the InfinIO 5000 that also support I/O virtualization add
significant performance and management benefits to blade deployments.
The embedded computer systems market is another emerging opportunity for
InfiniBand and the InfinIO 5000, which can be integrated into multi-computer
system solutions to deliver unmatched levels of bandwidth and processing power
to a broad set of commercial and industrial applications.
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