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Understanding and Using the SP Switch

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Understanding and Using the SP Switch

Although the IBM RS/6000 Scalable Powerparallel (SP) supercomputer is now more than five years old, and enjoying its second generation of switch technology, the SP Switch is still quite a mystery to many. It embodies leading-edge technology in an area where few people were knowledgeable just a decade ago. This redbook seeks to remove much of the mystery. It is written for system administrators, users and servicers of the SP. The book is organized in five parts and includes the following chapters:
Overview of the SP Switch
The Switch Hardware
Communication Network Hardware
Communicating with the SP Switch
Planning for the SP Switch
Installation of the SP Switch
Initialization of the SP Switch
Managing the SP Switch
SP Switch Problem Determination Tools
SP Switch Problem Diagnosis
SP Switch Specific Application and Server Tuning
In September, 1993, IBM delivered the first generation of its Scalable Powerparallel (SP) supercomputer for scalable parallel computing. This was the SP1:
a system comprised of special AIX workstations (nodes) grouped together physically in building blocks (frames) of 16 or less; the nodes may be linked via various communication networks to allow for collaborative problem solving and symmetric maintenance.

The current day SP uses a shared-nothing model, meaning each node has its own memory, disk, CPU, and so on. In order for a group of nodes to work together on a problem, they must share data and status as needed through inter-node messages. These messages are sent by the components of a running application and are delivered through ôpacketsö sent over the communication network chosen for the application.

To enhance the performance of these communication tasks, IBM provides a special hardware medium: the SP Switch. This switch supports a high-speed communication network which provides applications with a low-latency, high-bandwidth path for message passing. Since September, 1996, the SP has been available with its second generation of switch technology, the SP Switch. The switch is considered the heart of the SP.
Price: $47.00 $37.00
Pages: 288
Date Published: April 8, 1999
ISBN: 0738412864
Author: IBM Redbooks
Product Number: SG24-5161-00
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