Qlogic SilverStorm 9024 Manual

CASE STUDY
University of
Cambridge
Cambridge Earns Top Marks
for High Performance Super-
computing Cluster using QLogic®
InfiniBand™HCAs and Switches
Challenge
Install and optimize the performance of the University’s
Linux cluster InfiniBand network in time to complete
the required LINPACK benchmark tests and meet the
deadline for the November, 2006 Top500 List.
Solution
585 QLogic InfiniPath®QLE7140 PCI Express host
channel adapters interconnect through a SilverStrorm
(SilverStormTechnologies™acquired November,2006 by
QLogic Corporation) multi-protocol switched fabric to 585
Dell PowerEdge 1955 dual-core 3.0 GHz Xeon processor
servers. The resulting nine 65-node computational unit
cluster is capable of operating 27 TFlops.
Result
Supercomputing performance without a super-
computing price tag, helping Cambridge score the #2
spot in the UK,#7 in Europe,and #20 overall in theTop500
List of the world’s most powerful supercomputers.
Supercomputer Hits the Top 20
Ranked 20th in the November 2006 Top500 List, the high performance
supercomputing cluster at Cambridge University is one of the most powerful
supercomputers in the world. Test results by Top500.org demonstrate over 18
TFlops of supercomputing power using the LINPACK benchmark study.
http://www.top500.org/list/2006/11/100
The Cambridge system, nick-named “Darwin”, is a Linux-based HPC cluster
containing nine computational units (CU). Each CU is a pair of racks housing 65
DellPowerEdge 1955 computenodeswhichallconnecttoa corecommunications
rack. The InfiniBand interconnect consists of 585 QLogic InfiniPath QLE7140
PCI Express host channel adapters connected to nine QLogic SilverStorm 9024
InfiniBand switches at the edge and one core QLogic SilverStorm 9080 Multi-
protocol fabric director all supporting Full Bisectional Bandwidth (FBB).
On a day-to-day basis, the Cambridge supercomputer is capable of processing
over 27 trillion floating point operations per second (TFlops) which provides
the computing horsepower to simultaneously analyze anything from complex
molecular structures, to cosmology and geophysics.
Cambridge Studies QLogic
At this level, bottlenecks in the cluster interconnect simply do not make the
grade. That’s why Cambridge selected QLogic InfiniPath InfiniBand Host
Channel Adapaters (HCAs) and a QLogic SilverStorm InfiniBand switched
fabric. Known for their industry-leading performance, QLogic InfiniPath HCAs
offer the lowest latency, the highest message rate and highest effective
bandwidth of any cluster interconnect available.
QLogic SilverStorm multi-protocol switches and directors provide the
low-latency, high-bandwidth fabric through which the InfiniBand cluster
transparently accesses the storage and Ethernet network. The highly scalable
QLogic SilverStorm fabric ensures Cambridge has room to grow, while
reducing costs and complexity in the network. In addition, the system uses 1/3
“The InfiniBand network by QLogic, including HCAs and IB switches & directors
provided us the lowest latency, high bandwidth, high performance interconnect
we could achieve, all at an affordable cost. The ability for QLogic to implement the
solution so quickly enabled us to reach a prestigious # 20 on the Top500 List.”
— Paul Calleja, Director of High Performance Computing,
Cambridge University

Europe Headquarters QLogic (UK) LTD. Surrey Technology Centre 40 Occam Road Guildford Surrey GU2 7YG UK [phone]
CASE STUDY
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Cambridge University
Exam Time
With the cluster installed and fine-tuned, it was now time to test the
system using the LINPACK benchmark. The LINPACK benchmark is
a standard used by the Top500 List in order to measure a cluster’s
computing power. This is achieved by running a program to solve a
dense system of linear equations. The resulting number of MFlops,
GFlops, or TFlops (milions, billions, or trillions of floating point
operations per second) represents a good measure of the system’s
theoretical peak performance.
QLogic Makes the Grade
The LINPACK benchmark tests were run, and with 4 hours to spare,
the Cambridge system running on a QLogic InfiniBand network
yielded over 18 TFlops. This rate of performance was strong enough
to earn Cambridge the # 20 spot in the November Top500 List of the
world’s most powerful supercomputers. This ranking also puts the
Cambridge cluster at # 7 in all of Europe and # 2 in the UK. Just
as important to making an A+ supercomuter was a commodity price
tag. Cambridge turned to Dell and QLogic for a cost-effective high-
performance solution that makes the grade.
About High Performance Computing (HPC)
High Performance Computing (HPC) using clusters of inexpensive,
high-performing processors is being applied to solve some of the
most difficult computational problems in the world. HPC techniques
are used to tackle computationally challenging scientific work in
universities and government agencies around the world, as well as
in businesses where rigorous analytics are needed to model product
characteristics and simulate various scenarios. QLogic is a leader
in the HPC space with its portfolio of InfiniBand products, including
host channel adapters (HCAs) and multi-protocol fabric directors and
switches.
QLogic’s Industry Leading Performance
The InfiniPath InfiniBand host channel adapter yields the lowest
latency, the highest message rate and highest effective bandwidth
of any cluster interconnect available, enabling Cambridge to gain
maximum advantage and return from their investment in clustered
systems. In addition, SilverStorm InfiniBand switches and directors
by QLogic ensure that the overall fabric maintains a low latency, high
bandwidth, simple, yet highly scalable design with reduced operating
costs, as well as up to 1/3 less power requirements.
System name: “Darwin”
System family: Dell PowerEdge
Cluster
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System model: PowerEdge 1955
Computer: PowerEdge 1950, 3 GHz
Interconnect: QLogic InfiniPath
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Switched Fabric: QLogic SilverStorm
Processors: 2340
Rmax (GFlops): 18270
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Rpeak (GFlops): 28080
Nmax: 71300
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or registered trademarks of their respective owners. Information supplied by QLogic is believed to be accurate and reliable. QLogic Corporation assumes no responsibility for any errors in this brochure. QLogic Corporation reserves the right, without notice,
to makes changes in product design or specifications.
SN0130912-00 Rev A 3/07
Cambridge “Darwin” HPC Cluster, with nine 65-node computational units (CU)