OptIPortal/SystemSpecs

System Specifications

Overview

  • 20 (5x4) 24" LCD wall, with 4 panels per node
  • 5 Render nodes with dual NVIDIA Quadro FX 4600
  • 1 Front end
  • 1 NAS with dual 10GbE NICs (1 private, 1 public)
  • 1GbE backplane, 10GbE uplink

Current Total

  • Monitors: $15,400
  • Mounts: $1,400
  • Cluster nodes: $39,000
  • NAS: $12,000
  • Switch: $10,000
  • Shelving: $1,000
  • Total: 78,800

Missing

There are a few things missing from this total, namely cables, power strips, and any construction costs. Cables and power strips are on the order of a few thousand, and the very outside, while construction costs should be handled separately.

Monitors

  • 24" LCD panels, 1920 x 1200
  • Current choice: Dell UltraSharp 2408WFP
  • Qty: 22 (20 for the wall, 2 for the head node)
  • Est Price: $700
  • Total: $15,400

The nodes will be within a few feet of the monitors, so we won't need any signal boosters.

Monitor Mounts

HP LCD Panels

The HP LP2465 is almost identical in specs to the Dell 2408WFP, and the mount looks much better. Unfortunately, it only seems to come in silver, but that's easily fixed with a bit of tape.

HP LP2465 24-inch Widescreen $600

Mounts: HP Flat Panel Monitor Quick Release Mount (EM870AA) $29

Note: check bezel widths and color choices.

Cluster Nodes

Like every thing in the design, these nodes are a compromise between cost and performance. The biggest choice is the use of NVIDIA Quadro FX 4600 cards. These have less memory than their big brothers, the 5600's, but are better than the NVS or GeForce models. Dual 5600 would add upwards of $2,000 per machine; I think a better compromise is to a second dual- or quad-core processor for around $300 per machine.

Also, the initial cluster configuration will be mostly homogeneous, with the head node matching the render nodes. This is just because the head node could be used as a spare render node if need be.

General Requirements

HP xw8600

In general, I would prefer to go with HP. One of the main reasons for this is the better up-front technical documentation. (I like knowing what kind of chipset a machine has.) Currently, it looks like only the HP xw8600 is the best bet.

Given that, here's the current node specifications:

  • HP xw8600
  • Dual Intel E5405 Quad-core (2GHz, 2X6MB cache, 1333 MHz FSB)
  • Dual NVIDIA Quadro FX 4600
  • 4GB RAM (2X2GB)
  • 160GB SATA 7200 RPM
  • Integrated Broadcom 5755 Gigabit Ethernet

As described above, each node is $6,334 using the web site pricing. From searching, the price on comparable systems varies between $5,000 to $6,500, depending on whether not the base system is enterprise or consumer grade.

Nodes

  • Quad-core, 4GB RAM, dual Quadro FX 4600
  • Current choice: HP xw8600
  • Qty: 6
  • Est Price: $6,500
  • Total: $39,000

Netork Attached Storage (NAS)

This will be a local disk cache attached to the cluster to help drive the performance, by allowing us to keep some data close to the switch. The NAS will be dual-purposed by putting it on the public and private networks. This doesn't have to be the most powerful machine, but it will need two fast network cards: one to send data to the render nodes, and the other to send and receive data over the public network.

HP ProLiant ML570

Since none of the other machines are rack-mounted, the best choice for the NAS is a tower server. The ML570 is more expensive than the ML370, but is much more expandable (18 vs. 6 drive bays). The base price on a ML570 is $8,000, and 146GB drives are $330 each. Using one as a system disk, and 6 more running RAID5, is $2,300 in disk. 10GbE copper NICs are $1,000 each. This is probably the most flexible part of the cost, and really depends on how much storage space we want close to the render nodes.

  • Total: $12,000

Network

This is the area I need the most input, mainly because I don't have good gut feeling for the pricing, and I really don't know what 10GbE switches cost. So, given my ignorance, here's my current thoughts:

  • 1Gb backplane
  • 10Gb uplink
  • 10Gb dual homed NAS

However, this really depends on the cost of the network equipment. If we can use copper 10GbE for the private network, it's worth thinking about a 10GbE backplane. Copper 10GbE NICs are $1,000 with the HP machines, so for 9 total (2 for the head node, 1 per render node, and 2 for the NAS), that adds $9,000 to the cost. My wild guess for the switch is $5,000 for a small 10GbE copper switch. Unfortunately, this is almost undoubtedly without the necessary fiber uplink. For now, I'm going to suggest that we go with a 1GbE internal network. We can offset future upgrade costs by getting an expandable switch.

  • Total: $10,000

This number is based on some judicious searching, and previous conversations. When Tom returns, I think a brief conversation will reduce the uncertainty in it.

My parting comment on the networking equipment is that I think it's better to go with commodity solutions, rather than custom ones, such as Myrinet. While this cluster will have some intense data needs, they will be sporadic, and don't require the dedicated performance that costlier network systems provide. And, for maintenance, COTS parts are desirable.

Attachments