Direct Connect 2 Technology eliminates the need for InfiniBand switch in virtual SMP solution

CUPERTINO, Calif., Nov. 4 -- ScaleMP, a leading provider of virtualization solutions for high-end computing, today announced an enhancement to its vSMP Foundation for SMP product with the introduction of Direct Connect 2 (DC2) technology. The new capability targets entry-level symmetric multiprocessing (SMP) customers and creates virtual SMP systems by aggregating up to four Intel Architecture systems using point-to-point InfiniBand connectivity. By eliminating the need to purchase and install an InfiniBand switch, DC2 technology lowers the cost of virtual SMP implementations by as much as 20 percent.

"Using the computational power of Intel Xeon Processor 5500 series, virtual SMP solutions based on ScaleMP technology deliver high performance dedicated SMP solutions at dramatically lower cost than comparable offerings," said Dylan Larson, Data Center Technology Initiatives at Intel Corporation. "ScaleMP offers significant compute and memory bandwidth performance advantages, making it a powerful solution for the entry-level HPC market using servers based on Intel architecture."

"vSMP Foundation for SMP enables companies to deploy an SMP infrastructure on equipment they already own, without having to purchase more costly large systems," said Dan Olds, principal analyst at Gabriel Consulting Group. "Users with a smaller scale deployment can use ScaleMP's new DC2 technology to create a large system image without having to buy an expensive InfiniBand switch -- saving a significant chunk of money."

vSMP Foundation for SMP offers a static virtual SMP implementation that is lower in cost than other SMP solutions. DC2 technology is an entry-level virtual SMP offering, eliminating the need for an InfiniBand switch. As infrastructure and workload requirements increase, organizations can transition to a larger virtual SMP deployment by adding InfiniBand switching infrastructure.

Key features of Direct Connect 2 (DC2) technology:

• Provides an enhancement to ScaleMP's well-founded vSMP Foundation for SMP product.
• Eliminates the need for an InfiniBand switch, resulting in significantly lower total cost of overhead.
• Aggregates up to four Intel Architecture servers to create large CPU and memory systems utilizing Intel's latest generation of Intel Xeon processor 5500 series.
• Enables an 8-socket virtual SMP system with the latest Intel Xeon Processor 5500 series.

"There's a need in the market for customers to create small scale SMP systems at affordable pricing," said Shai Fultheim, founder and president of ScaleMP. "Direct Connect 2 gives these organizations the option to deploy a small scale SMP deployment at a much lower cost. Leveraging Direct Connect 2 technology customers can now innovate and achieve better time to market with a reduced TCO."

Availability

Direct Connect 2, part of the vSMP Foundation for SMP release 2.1, is currently available in beta, and will be generally available on Dec. 1, 2009. For more information, visit www.ScaleMP.com.

About vSMP Foundation

SMP Foundation aggregates multiple industry-standard off-the-shelf Intel Architecture servers into one single virtual high-end system for the high-performance computing (HPC) market. vSMP Foundation provides customers with an alternative to traditional expensive symmetrical multiprocessor (SMP) systems and also offers simplified clustering infrastructure with a single operating system. It supports aggregation of up to 16 servers into a single virtual SMP system, providing customers with:

• Up to 4 TB of shared memory for large memory requirements.
• Up to 128 cores virtual SMP, proven scalability and record-breaking memory bandwidth.
• Ease of use and lowest total cost of ownership (TCO) for applications, with simplified cluster management and storage architecture.
• Improved utilization through a centralized and consolidated architecture.

About ScaleMP

ScaleMP is the leader in virtualization for high-end computing, providing maximum performance and lower total cost of ownership (TCO). The innovative Versatile SMP (vSMP) architecture aggregates multiple Intel Architecture systems into a single virtual Intel Architecture system, delivering an industry-standard, high-end symmetric multiprocessor (SMP) computer. Using software to replace custom hardware and components, ScaleMP offers a new, revolutionary computing paradigm. The company is backed by Sequoia Capital, Lightspeed Venture Partners, TL Ventures, and ABS Ventures. For more information, call +1 (408) 342-0330 or visit www.ScaleMP.com.

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Source: ScaleMP