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| Ainkaboot Raises the Bar for High Density Computing Ainkaboot has unveiled the Octimod hardware platform. The Octimod system is designed to address numerous issues in adopting clustering technology. It offers a modular approach to server design thus increasing density, features excellent power efficiency, heat dissipation, performance and hugely simplifies cluster management. Designed specifically for clustering applications - ranging from high availability web serving and database replication to high performance distributed rendering, compiling, simulation and modelling applications - Octimod provides high densities, from 16 CPU's per 4U of cabinet space, with module options featuring processors from VIA, AMD and Intel. The Octimod concept was conceived to simplify cluster design and management while addressing facility issues such as power consumption and cooling. This would enable Ainkaboot to provide a powerful, yet manageable hardware platform for their customers which was versatile, scalable and easy to upgrade. Designed from scratch with a focus on performance and cost effective design and implementation, Octimod provides simple diskless modules for intensive processing applications. Accompanying hard disk drive modules are available, which couple seamlessly with the processing modules to provide a platform for replication and high availability. The system uses standard gigabit networking technology with a redundant distributed power supply and distribution system. Octimod processing modules are based on small form factor motherboards using Mini-ITX, ETX and other suitable SBC (single board computer) designs which have a small footprint and generally lower power consumption to provide high density, power efficient systems. The small size of the boards yields units less than half a cabinet deep allowing both front and rear mounting of the systems, further increasing density and efficiency. Octimod clusters are based on the Beowulf clustering concept - a cluster based completely on commodity hardware, making use of standard commercially available technology. Ainkaboot designed Octimod to simplify the hardware setup allowing us to achieve supercomputing performance at commodity prices. A range of modules will be available with different configurations depending on the application, processing modules with varying processor types and storage modules which can be configured either with high speed or high capacity SATA hard drives. The storage modules provide two matched SATA hard drives, which can be configured in RAID or SPAN, depending on the desired operation and purpose. The modules can contain high speed drives of up to 150GB at 10.000 rpm for applications where disk I/O is high. Alternatively high capacity drives of up to 1TB are available for storage, multimedia and large database applications. Processing modules immediately available are: - The VIA C7 processing module for low power clusters - suited for web and database serving as well as distributed linearly scalable applications such as rendering or compiling - providing significant improvements in power consumption. The C7 is one of the most power efficient processors on the market, for 32bit applications which scale well on clusters it provides high performance. - The AMD Embedded Opteron processing module for 64bit applications - available as dual or single core offerings running at 1.8 to 2.4 GHz with up to 8GB of RAM for high performance applications. Intel Core 2 Duo processing modules will be available Q1 2007 supporting up to 4GB of RAM. Ainkaboot focuses on providing the complete solution, from conception to completion and beyond. Working closely with our partners we can provide a dedicated approach that will fulfil all requirements. Octimod provides the hardware platform, and Ainkaboot KlustOS operating system will provide the means to integrate the software seamlessly into your current setup. The advantage is the cluster is delivered to our customers as a cluster not a collection of hardware, once installed it is immediately operational. KlustOS is a Linux based operating system consisting of a variety of management utilities, installed and configured to the customers requirements. There are a number of software options available depending on the requirements. A range of systems can be rolled out: full high availability LAMP setups with replication and redundancy; distributed compiling clusters; render farms for intensive 3D graphics and animations; powerful supercomputing environments with MPI (Message Passing Interface) for simulation and modelling. All customisable by our experts to your specific requirements. Ainkaboot is now taking pre-orders for the Octimod platform for delivery in late December. write your comments about the article :: © 2006 Computing News :: home page |