SGI Altix XE Cluster Solution Offers Simplicity, Advanced Software Environment at No Extra Cost to Users

INTEL DEVELOPER FORUM, SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 26 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Responding to demand for Linux(R) cluster computing solutions that are easy to manage but still offer industry-leading scalability and performance, SGI (OTC: SGID) (BULLETIN BOARD: SGID) today announced sweeping enhancements to its recently debuted SGI(R) Altix(R) XE cluster offering.

With the SGI(R) Altix(R) XE 1200 Cluster Solution, SGI makes it easier than ever to select, deploy and manage Linux clusters. The customizable, factory-integrated solutions, which offer a selection of interconnect choices including Gigabit Ethernet and Voltaire InfiniBand, feature a newly enhanced cluster software environment that offers distinct cost and convenience advantages over traditional piece-built commodity clusters.

Part of SGI's strategy to support a unified cluster platform across its entire Altix XE server line, the enhancements include bundles of popular third-party software solutions and tools, along with numerous options that enable users to maximize the performance and flexibility of their Altix XE clusters.

The new Altix XE Cluster Solution comes with several software enhancements included as part of the solution, such as:

  *Scali Manage. Every SGI Altix XE cluster solution will ship with a full
   one-year license of Scali Manage, the most complete, integrated, and
   flexible cluster management and monitoring system commercially available.
   Scali Manage allows users to provision, manage, and maintain clusters,
   grids of clusters, and clustered file system installations ranging from
   four to more than 1,000 nodes. Through a single, simple user interface,
   Scali Manage automates the installation, configuration, management,
   updating, and monitoring of the most complex heterogeneous environments.
  *Intel(R) MPI Library Runtime Environment. In an industry first, SGI is
   pre-loading all Altix XE clusters with the Intel(R) MPI Library Runtime
   Environment to help developers and users make the most of their clusters.
   By offering the Intel MPI Runtime Environment free to all Altix XE
   customers, Intel makes it easier than ever to derive maximum performance
   from such Intel MPI-based applications as LS-DYNA, FLUENT, STAR-CD and
   PAM CRASH. On Altix XE, which is based on the Dual-Core Intel(R) Xeon(TM)
   processor 5100 series, Intel provides a high-performance implementation
   of the MPI-2 standard. Intel(R) MPI Library, MPI library for software
   development, is available as an optional add-on.
  *Intel(R) Compiler Runtime Environment. Pre-loaded on all Altix XE
   clusters, Intel(R) Compiler Runtime Environment allows any application
   compiled with the Intel(R) C++ Compiler or Intel(R) Fortran Compiler to
   run on the cluster without the installation of any additional software.

"By providing a unique combination of industry-standard components in a factory-configured cluster solution, SGI has achieved something no other vendor could: We've made clusters simple to deploy and manage without giving up flexibility or performance," said Bill Mannel, director, Server Marketing, SGI. "Bundling Altix XE clusters with Scali Manage and advanced Intel tools creates a plug-and-play environment that until now has proven elusive in the cluster environment. Best of all, Altix XE solutions are backed by SGI's world-class support and Linux computing expertise -- another advantage cluster users will find nowhere else."

"Altix XE clusters are pre-loaded with the Intel MPI runtime system, allowing compatible applications to run 'out-of-the-box,'" said Bill Magro, director, Intel Cluster Software and Technologies. "XE customers get a broader set of available applications, while application vendors reach a larger audience with a single application binary."

Options Enhance Performance and Flexibility

SGI also pre-installs optional software and cluster components to further improve ease of use and performance of Altix XE clusters. Activated with the purchase of a license, the options include:

SGI ProPack(TM) 5 for Linux(R). The first release of SGI ProPack to support an x86 processor architecture, this optional enhancement includes a range of system administration and performance monitoring tools. One premium feature is support for flexible file I/O (FFIO), which enables every application that runs on SGI Altix XE servers and clusters to automatically take advantage of optimized I/O speeds when accessing data files. This results in I/O performance increase of up to 15 percent. SGI ProPack 5 for Linux is available on SUSE(R) Linux Enterprise Server 10 from Novell at this time.

  *Altair Engineering's PBS Professional(TM):  A free trial version of this
   open workload management and queuing software comes bundled with the
   Altix XE. PBS Professional is tightly integrated with Scali Manage to
   provide a comprehensive solution for managing workloads across an Altix
   XE cluster. PBS Professional maximizes the utilization of computing
   resources by intelligently scheduling and managing computational
   workloads. By increasing the efficiency of the hardware and software
   resources, PBS Professional reduces total cost of ownership and provides
   true business value to grid computing customers.
  *Voltaire GridStack(TM):  Voltaire GridStack is a comprehensive set of
   drivers and protocols that enable any application to utilize the
   exceptional performance of RDMA which is featured in Voltaire's
   InfiniBand-based switches.  With support for protocols such as MPI, SDP,
   IPoIB, DAPL and iSER and based on OpenFabrics open-source technology,
   Voltaire GridStack addresses the needs of HPC, enterprise and storage
   applications.

  Other add-ons available for use on Altix XE systems include:

  *Intel(R) Cluster Toolkit
  *Intel(R) C++ Compiler for Linux
  *Intel(R) Fortran Compiler for Linux
  *Intel(R) Math Kernel Library for Linux
  *Intel(R) Math Kernel Library Cluster Edition for Linux
  *Intel(R) MPI Library for Linux
  *Intel(R) Integrated Performance Primitives for Linux
  *Intel(R) Thread Checker for Linux
  *Intel(R) Trace Analyzer and Collector for Linux
  *Intel(R) VTune Performance Analyzer for Linux
  *Choice of:
       *Red Hat(R) Enterprise Linux(R) 4
       *SUSE(R) Linux Enterprise Server 10 from Novell

  Flexibility and Plug-and-Play Deployment

SGI is taking cluster simplicity one step further by offering application-specific bundles in configurations designed to optimize the performance of some of the industry's most popular vertical applications. The first of these is a customized rendering bundle for special effects and game development that incorporates PipelineFX(R) Qube!(TM) Render Manager software, a Gigabit Ethernet switch, and a range of I/O and storage management options to address specific customer needs.

Although the Altix XE Cluster Solution and pre-integrated bundles provide a fast and easy path to plug-and-play deployment, SGI customers always have the option to configure their clusters precisely as they wish. Working through the SGI Professional Services organization, customers can equip their Altix XE clusters with components and software that is not included in the pre-configured solution, thus providing them ultimate flexibility and customization.

Pricing and Availability

SGI Altix XE cluster solutions can be ordered today. Base system configuration pricing starts at less than $3,100 US List Price. For more information, visit: http://www.sgi.com/products/servers/altix/xe/ .

SGI | Innovation for Results(TM)

SGI, also known as Silicon Graphics, Inc., delivers a complete range of high-performance server and storage solutions along with industry-leading professional services and support that enable its customers to overcome the challenges of complex data-intensive workflows and accelerate breakthrough discoveries, innovation and information transformation.

SGI helps customers solve their computing challenges whether it's sharing images to aid in medical research, designing and manufacturing safer and more efficient cars and airplanes, studying global climate, providing technologies for homeland security and defense, or helping enterprises manage large data. With offices worldwide, the company is headquartered in Mountain View, Calif., and can be found on the Web at http://www.sgi.com/ .

NOTE: Silicon Graphics, SGI, Altix, the SGI cube and the SGI logo are registered trademarks and NUMAlink and ProPack are trademarks of Silicon Graphics, Inc., in the United States and/or other countries worldwide. Linux is a registered trademark of Linus Torvalds in several countries. Intel, Itanium and Xeon are trademarks or registered trademarks of Intel Corporation or its subsidiaries in the United States and other countries. All other trademarks mentioned herein are the property of their respective owners.

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  Lisa Pistacchio
  SGI
  +1-650-933-5683
  pistacchio@sgi.com

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