Cray XT6
Encyclopedia
The Cray
XT6 is an updated version of the Cray XT5
supercomputer
, launched on 16 November 2009. The dual- or quad-core AMD Opteron 2000-series processors of the XT5 are replaced in the XT6 with eight- or 12-core Opteron 6100 processors, giving up to 2,304 cores per cabinet. The XT6 includes the same SeaStar2+ interconnect router as the XT5, which is used to provide a 3-dimensional torus network topology between nodes. Each XT6 node has two processor sockets, one SeaStar2+ router and either 32 or 64 GB of DDR3 SDRAM
memory. Four nodes form one X6 compute blade.
The XT6 family run the Cray Linux Environment version 3. This incorporates SUSE Linux Enterprise Server
and Cray's Compute Node Linux
.
The XT6m variant, announced at the same time as the XT6, is a mid-ranged supercomputer with most of the features of the XT6, but with a processor interconnect optimized for system sizes between 700 to 13000 cores and scalable up to 6 cabinets.
The first customer for the XT6 was the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council
(EPSRC) of the United Kingdom
, which upgraded the existing XT5h system, named HECToR
, at the University of Edinburgh
in 2010.
Cray
Cray Inc. is an American supercomputer manufacturer based in Seattle, Washington. The company's predecessor, Cray Research, Inc. , was founded in 1972 by computer designer Seymour Cray. Seymour Cray went on to form the spin-off Cray Computer Corporation , in 1989, which went bankrupt in 1995,...
XT6 is an updated version of the Cray XT5
Cray XT5
The Cray XT5 is an updated version of the Cray XT4 supercomputer, launched on November 6, 2007. It includes a faster version of the XT4's SeaStar2 interconnect router called SeaStar2+, and can be configured either with XT4 compute blades, which have four dual-core AMD Opteron processor sockets, or...
supercomputer
Supercomputer
A supercomputer is a computer at the frontline of current processing capacity, particularly speed of calculation.Supercomputers are used for highly calculation-intensive tasks such as problems including quantum physics, weather forecasting, climate research, molecular modeling A supercomputer is a...
, launched on 16 November 2009. The dual- or quad-core AMD Opteron 2000-series processors of the XT5 are replaced in the XT6 with eight- or 12-core Opteron 6100 processors, giving up to 2,304 cores per cabinet. The XT6 includes the same SeaStar2+ interconnect router as the XT5, which is used to provide a 3-dimensional torus network topology between nodes. Each XT6 node has two processor sockets, one SeaStar2+ router and either 32 or 64 GB of DDR3 SDRAM
DDR3 SDRAM
In computing, DDR3 SDRAM, an abbreviation for double data rate type three synchronous dynamic random access memory, is a modern kind of dynamic random access memory with a high bandwidth interface. It is one of several variants of DRAM and associated interface techniques used since the early 1970s...
memory. Four nodes form one X6 compute blade.
The XT6 family run the Cray Linux Environment version 3. This incorporates SUSE Linux Enterprise Server
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server is a Linux distribution supplied by SUSE and targeted at the business market. It is targeted for servers, mainframes, and workstations but can be installed on desktop computers for testing as well. New major versions are released at an interval of 3-4 years, while...
and Cray's Compute Node Linux
Compute Node Linux
Compute Node Linux is a runtime environment based on the Linux kernel for the Cray XT3, Cray XT4, Cray XT5, Cray XT6, and Cray XE6 supercomputer systems based on SUSE Linux Enterprise Server. CNL forms part of the UNICOS/lc operating system from release 2.0 onwards...
.
The XT6m variant, announced at the same time as the XT6, is a mid-ranged supercomputer with most of the features of the XT6, but with a processor interconnect optimized for system sizes between 700 to 13000 cores and scalable up to 6 cabinets.
The first customer for the XT6 was the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council
Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council
The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council is a British Research Council that provides government funding for grants to undertake research and postgraduate degrees in engineering and the physical sciences , mainly to universities in the United Kingdom...
(EPSRC) of the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, which upgraded the existing XT5h system, named HECToR
HECToR
HECToR is a British academic national supercomputer service funded by EPSRC, NERC and BBSRC for the UK academic community. The HECToR service is run by partners including EPCC, STFC and Numerical Algorithms Group ....
, at the University of Edinburgh
University of Edinburgh
The University of Edinburgh, founded in 1583, is a public research university located in Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The university is deeply embedded in the fabric of the city, with many of the buildings in the historic Old Town belonging to the university...
in 2010.