SGI,
which focuses exclusively on the high-performance computing market and
large-scale workloads with its clustered Altix servers, Jan. 31 unveiled a new
integrated server and storage platform for cloud and data storage use.
Dubbed
SGI Modular InfiniteStorage, the core platform will be available as either SGI
Modular InfiniteStorage Server or SGI Modular InfiniteStorage JBOD (just a
bunch of disks) storage systems, SGI Director of Storage Products Floyd
Christofferson told eWEEK.
The
new cloud storage system is powered by Altix scale-up and scale-out clusters,
as well as Altix XE hybrid systems, which all run on Intel's Xeon or Itanium
processors. High-speed networking comes from InfiniBand connectivity or SGI's
NUMALink offering.
"Think
of this as sort of a Lego-type approach, where we can interchange parts,
depending upon the specific requirements," Christofferson said. "It
could be a storage server, very dense, and can have either one or two
two-socket motherboards, which run the Intel Jefferson Pass processor. Or it
could be a cloud systems server.
"Tied
in there, we could have either 72 3.5-inch [hard] drives or 144 2.5-inch, 9.5mm
HDDs, which also could be SAS/SATA SSDs [solid-state disks]."
When
built into SGI's standard D-Rack cabinet configuration, the system can supply
up to a whopping 2.37 petabytes of raw capacity. As many as 40 discrete
processors can be utilized within a single standard 19-inch rack footprint.
This kind of density enables IT organizations to reclaim floor space and reduce
power and cooling costs, Christofferson said.
Several Choices in Configuration
The
same basic packaging could be reconfigured as a JBOD, Christofferson said. All
of the servers and arrays are accessible from either front or back to aid with
installation and maintenance—a nontrivial consideration because these are big
and heavy machines.
SGI
Modular InfiniteStorage is aimed at IT storage management environments that
require data and compute to be tightly coupled, Christofferson said. This
approach enables customers to pool processing and storage in the right
proportions for best efficiency and in precisely the manner they need to keep
pace with expanding data and application demands.
SGI
customers include major national scientific laboratories, government and
military agencies, oil and gas researchers, and other similar use cases.
A
little background: Rackable Systems bought SGI—which once ruled Silicon Valley
as a high-end workstations maker—in 2009 and adopted the SGI name.
SGI
MIS Server and SGI MIS JBOD are now available for preorder. Pricing is
available upon request. See this Website
for more information.
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