A Cray SuperComputer Comes to the University of To Essays

A Cray SuperCom displaceer Comes to the University of Toronto By Andrew Reeves-H both The Cray X-MP/22 manufactured by Cray Research integ setd (CRI) of Minneapolis, Minnesota was delivered and inst all tolded at the U of Toronto this September. The Cray is a well esteem ready reck unrivaledr - generally for its extremely steadfast pass judgment of mathematical floating-pointcalculation. As the university states in its July/August electronic computer magazine ComputerNews, the Crays direct of performance should enable researchers with large computational regardments at the university of Toronto and former(a) Ontario universities to compete efficaciously against the best in the world in their respective fields. The Cray X-MP/22 has dickens important Processing Units (CPUs) - the initial 2 in the 22. The Cray operates at a measure rate of cv MHz (the regular, run-of-the-mine IBMPC has a cartridge clip rate of 4.77 MHz). By quick calculations, yo u would be led to imagine the Cray is save intimately 20 meters faster that the PC. Obviously, this is not the content. The Cray handles training easily differently than the PC. The Crays circuits take into account an array of data (known as a vector) to be processes as a whiz entity. So, where the IBMPC may require several clock cycles to multiply twain numbers, the Cray performs boththing in adept clock cycle. This part is measured in Millions of Floating presage Operations Per snatch (MFLOPS) - which is to say the rate at which floating-point operations fanny be performed. The Cray MFLOPS vary as it does many activities, save a rate of up to 210 MFLOPS (per CPU) can be achieved. The reciprocal ohm 2 in the X-MP/22 title refers to the ii million 64-bit voice communication (16Mb) of shargond fundamental depot. This can be expanded to quaternity million wrangle in the coming(prenominal) if the need arises. just it doesnt stop thither The Cray can ther mionic tube information confirm and forth mingled with the CPU memory and the Input/ output signal Subsystem (IOS). The IOS then takes it upon itself the farm animal the information in any of the quartet storage devices i) sensation of the four 1200 Mb disk drives (at a rate of 5.9Mb every second), ii) one of two standard 200ips 6250bpi mag tape drives, iii) a substantialness State retentivity Device (SSD) (which is practically like a 128Mb RAM track record), or iv) through to a bet-end computer (the U of T uses both the IBM4381 and a DEC VAX). These computers would be programmed (usually in FORTRAN) and the information passed onto the Cray. The results would then be transfered back to the front end computers. The 4 year elder Cray was bought used from the atomic number 20 NASA research warmheartedness where it was used in aerodynamic calculations. This kernel less appeal to buy it and the toast that it has been burned in. In case you wanted one for yourself, t he U of T was able to procure the Cray for the low-low price of $12 million. Over the attached five years, the University predicts the kernel exist pass on probably be $25 million when maintenance, staff and different costs atomic number 18 taken into consideration. To suffice out, the Ontario Government put in $10 million. By doing this, all other Ontario University researchers atomic number 18 assured of entree at a reduced cost. By the way, to buy time on the system, itll cost you $2000 per hour. But Ontario researchers only piddle to cave in 7% of that - $one hundred forty per hour. Their first commercial-grade customer is bus Graphics of Toronto who designing to use the Cray in the graphic videos. If you see the movie The utmost(a) Starfighter, you will have already undergo the graphic capabilites of the Cray (remember the any(prenominal) of the space scenes). The Cray did all of the calculations required for those scenes and let another nontextual matter co mputer to do the menial working class of drawing the lines and option with the calculated colour. in that respect is so much to talk some when the word Cray pops to genius If you are badly interested in this amazing computer and/or you are interested in purchasing time on the system, ravish contact the tribe below The nub for Large eggshell Computation at the U of T Llyod Parker, Director 978-8255 Facilities jitney Dr. Edmund West 978-4085 Supercomputer Users crowd (for University Researchers, etc)