roger@celtics.UUCP (Roger B.A. Klorese) (10/13/87)
CELERITY ANNOUNCES THE FIRST CONFIGURABLE VECTOR/SCALAR SUPERCOMPUTER FOR DEPARTMENTAL USE SAN DIEGO, CA, September 18, 1987 -- Celerity, manufacturer and distributor of Unix(R)-based computer systems for the engineering and scientific environments, today unveiled its next generation product, the Celerity 6000--a 64-bit departmental supercomputer that is optimized for scalar operations with enhanced performance through integrated vector capabilities. The Celerity 6000 is the first system to architecturally recognize high performance scalar processing as a requirement for sustained high performance vector processing. The fully configured system yields an integer instruction rate of 160 MIPS or 60 million Whetstones. Fully configured with vector capabilities, the peak vector instruction rate of the Celerity 6000 is 160 MFLOPS; the 1000 x 1000 matrix Linpack benchmark suite yields a continuous 60 MFLOPS for one single scalar/vector pair. "One very unique feature of the Celerity 6000 is its very long vector registers. They hold 1024 elements, compared to 64 in the Cray. This allows the 6000 to handle very large math problems with ease, producing real results faster than any other near-supercomputer on the market today," says Robert P. Ollerton, Director of Product Marketing. The vector coprocessor is modeled after the Cray X-MP architecture including stride and scatter/gather addressing. Similarities between Celerity's vector coprocessor and the Cray vector architecture allow a natural transition of Cray optimized code to the Celerity 6000. For departments that utilize vector capabilities, the Celerity 6000 delivers immediate optimization of FORTRAN programs through the Celerity 6000's vectorizing FORTRAN preprocessor. The FORTRAN preprocessor takes industry standard FORTRAN code and automatically generates code containing directives for the Celerity vector coprocessor. Areas of optimization are isolated and made available for vectorization. The resulting code is compiled producing object code which takes full advantage of the Celerity vector coprocessor. Departments that utilize only limited or no vector processing will also gain higher performance levels through the Celerity 6000's architecture because of its superior scalar processing abilities. Recognizing the varied computing requirements of technical departments, the architects designed the Celerity 6000 to allow custom configuration of the processing capabilities of each system. Configurable with up to four processors, the scalar/vector combination is selected by customers, based entirely upon their specific computing requirements. "The Celerity 6000 provides high performance for both scalar and vector programs. Our unique system allows customers to choose the amount of scalar and/or vector power needed to process their applications at the optimal level," says Jim Stafford, Vice President of Marketing & Sales. "No other vendor can make that statement." Celerity's new system is finely tuned for multi-tasking, multi-user workloads. Designed to handle 512 interactive users, the new system boasts a cycle time of 25 nanoseconds. In addition, all Celerity systems are object code compatible. Both the new Celerity 6000 series and the proven C1200 supermini series have the same operating system, 4.3 BSD with System V Interface Definition, and the same commitment to connectivity with communication capabilities such as DECnet, X.25, HASP and SNA. The Celerity 6000 is a balanced system designed for compute-intensive loads. Increased computational speed is achieved on the new system through its RISC architecture, integrated with powerful floating-point capabilities. Large register structures facilitate rapid program execution. Large amounts of memory improve system performance and enhance large program support. The high performance input/output subsystem with up to 11 parallel I/O channels increases overall system throughput by allowing quick access to data. "Every aspect of the Celerity 6000 has been optimized for the needs of a dynamic multi-user environment--scalar, vector, process and memory mangement, input/output---have all been carefully scaled to each other to deliver the highest possible speed without system bottlenecks," says Ollerton. The architecture of the Celerity 6000 minimizes the need for expensive, centralized support facilities and staff, making it available for departmental use. Celerity's near-supercomputer has the environmental requirements of a supermini. The totally dedicated climate control system, typically required for other supercomputers, is not needed for the Celerity 6000. Even space requirements are minimized through the system's small footprint and efficient board layout. For example, the Celerity 6000 contains 1024 million bytes of real system memory in less than two cubic feet. To ensure maximum system up-time, serviceability and overall performance without the expensive maintenance and operating staff of a supercomputer, the Celerity 6000 is equipped with an independent Extended Service Processor (ESP). The ESP is a customized, UNIX-based computer that allows Celerity Service Centers to graphically monitor the system's performance, diagnose problems and provide immediate technical assistance to remote locations, usually before the user realizes there is an irregularity. Starting as low as $235,000 for a basic system, typical Celerity 6000 configurations range from $250,000 to $1.2 million. For example, the list price of a system including one scalar processor, 32MB of 2-way interleaved memory, 690MB of disk, tape drive, ESP console, and the Unix operating system is $250,000. A larger system configuration consisting of two vector/scalar pairs, 128MB of 8-way interleaved memory, 690MB of disk, 6250GCR tape, ESP console and the Unix operating system has a list price of $632,000. "The Celerity 6000 provides the balanced performance, reliability, flexibility and price tag necessary for departmental supercomputing," says Celerity President, Steve Vallender. "It is not only a fast, truly balanced system, but it is engineered with the same adherence to quality on which our current family of superminicomputers was founded." Celerity's current line of superminicomputers provides advanced design and analysis capabilities for many technical environments including animation, automotive, aerospace and scientific research. The company has installed its line of superminicomputers in major corporations, research centers and universities throughout the United States, Canada, Europe and Asia. Customers include General Motors, Ford, Exxon, Westinghouse, Martin Marietta and NBC. Celerity will begin shipments of the new system in November of 1987. The Celerity 6000 will be marketed and serviced through existing U.S. offices and international distributors located in France, Japan, Germany and Belgium. For further information, contact: Robert P. Ollerton Director, Product Marketing Celerity Phone: (619) 271-9940 fax: (619) 549-4668 --- UNIX is a registered trademark of AT&T Bell Laboratories. Cray-1 and Cray X-MP are registered trademarks of Cray Research, Inc. DECnet is a trademark of Digital Equipment Corporation. SNA is a trademark of International Business Corporation. -- ///==\\ (Your message here...) /// Roger B.A. Klorese, CELERITY (Northeast Area) \\\ 40 Speen St., Framingham, MA 01701 +1 617 872-1552 \\\==// celtics!roger@necntc.nec.com - necntc!celtics!roger