wm@uunet.UU.NET (Wm Leler) (10/05/88)
I have seen several postings in the last week saying that there is still no transputer-based system that runs without a host. Well, Cogent Research makes such a system. (I don't want this to sound too commercial, so I am only posting some technical details. The real product announcement is in comp.newprod.) The Cogent XTM is a completely transputer-based system. It fits in a package about the size of a PC, but includes 2 T800-20 transputers, each with 4M of RAM, some ROM, a 90 or 190 Meg hard disk, a floppy disk, sound, keyboard, mouse, several serial ports (RS-232 and 422), and three NuBus slots (like a Mac II). For a display we support standard Mac II display cards (color and grayscale). There is also a "resource server" that can hold up to 30 transputers, each with 4M of RAM. Workstations can be connected to the resource server via fiber optics (for truly distributed computing!). Each resource server can support multiple workstations, and multiple resource servers can be connected together. For example, a small group (4-8 people) can share a resource server, so that while each person always has 2 transputer for mundane things such as editing and reading email, more transputers can be accessed for more compute intensive jobs such as graphics, simulation, modelling, etc. Larger groups can have multiple resource servers, and can also add disk servers. The transputers in the resource server communicate via their links (through a crossbar), or a high-speed broadcast bus called the LindaBus. To me, the most exciting thing is the software. The XTM operating system is based on the Linda communication model developed at Yale. The operating system is server-based, and all the servers communicate with each other and with user tasks via Linda. Since Linda is dynamic, the operating system can be dynamically reconfigured (i.e., without rebooting). One of the servers will be a parallel version of the NeWS window system (which we call PIX). Supported languages are C++, C, FORTRAN, and PostScript. We emulate UNIX (using servers) at the system call level, and we also provide a UNIX-compatible shell. One of our major goals is to support portability. We not only offer compatibility with sequential computers via UNIX emulation, but also with other parallel computers via Linda. There are compatible Linda implementations on the Sequent Balance and Symmetry, Encore Multimax, and Intel iPSC, with others in development. Performance is quite impressive. This is partly due to the raw power of the T8 transputer, and also because there is no need to go through a host to do I/O. Disk performance is especially nice. Please don't inundate me with questions. If you would like to receive more information, you should contact Cogent directly. Thanks! 1100 NW Compton Drive Beaverton, OR 97006-6998 503/690-1450 Wm Leler p.s. help make 1989 the Year of Linda. p.p.s. Transputer is a trademark of Inmos Corporation Macintosh is a trademark licensed by Apple Computer Balance and Symmetry are trademarks of Sequent Computer Systems, Inc Multimax is a trademark of Encore Computer Corporation iPSC is a trademark of Intel Corporation UNIX is a trademark of AT&T LindaBus is a trademark of Cogent Research, Inc