[comp.edu] Parallel Computer Options

buz@cs.nps.navy.mil (07/21/89)

I hate to barge on the scene with an article like this, but...  Until
two days ago I had been without a news feed for almost a year and am,
thus, a little out of touch.  So much for the apologies in advance.

In a perilously short time frame, I have the opportunity to argue for
the use of $150-300K to purchase a Unix-based multiprocessing server
for (more or less) general purpose CS department computing needs.
Aside from our more esoteric machines, we will increase our
departmental resources to about 6 Sun servers (sparc and '020) and
about 60 workstations (sparc and '020).  I would like to augment this
very reasonable computing base with a parallel processor to:

(1) handle general CPU and disk intensive computing needs (i.e.,
    provide an efficiently managed pool of CPU cycle and disk resources)
(2) allow us to credibly teach parallel algorithms, architecture and
    parallel/distributed O.S. courses with realistic projects
(3) allow research experimentation with parallel algorithms,
    simulations, operating systems, etc. (both running on the native
    O.S. and via simulations of "virtual" parallel machines that we can
    build on top of the native O.S.).
(4) handle critical departmental computing needs in a reliable
    fashion (hopefully, without comflicting with (3) too much).

As a minimum the machine needs to:

(1) provide excellent price/performance
(2) have a good reliability and service reputation
(3) run an "almost perfectly real" version of 4.3BSD Unix (i.e. it must
    be an easy port target -- Mach would also be an interesting option)
(4) run tcp/ip, NFS, X11R3, tex/latex, lisp, ada, and other common academic
    software

I've not been tracking the product offerings, nor the opinions of
the users of the offered products, in this area recently.  But I
think we want a machine "in the style of" a Sequent Symmetry.

Any and all opinions, comments, suggestions and pointers are welcome.
Especially welcomed, are first-hand testimonials and approximate
pricing info.  Please respond via mail and I'll summarize and post
a response of any interesting results.

Greg Buzzard (prof.) 			internet:  buz@cs.nps.navy.mil
CS Department (mail code 52Bu)
Naval Postgraduate School		phone:     408/646-2693
Monterey, CA  93943