AUSTIN, Texas, Nov. 19 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Supercomputing 2008,
Booth 1009 -- Belgium's Catholic University of Leuven (K.U.Leuven) has
selected an energy-smart, space-efficient cluster system from Silicon
Graphics, Inc. (SGI) (Nasdaq: SGIC) to form one of the initial building blocks
of a new supercomputer center to drive research excellence in the Flemish
Region of Belgium.
K.U.Leuven, the oldest existing Catholic university in the world, recently
installed a 928-core SGI(R) Altix(R) ICE system and a 29 Terabyte (TB) SGI(R)
InfiniteStorage NEXIS 2000 InfiniBand NAS storage solution. The high-
productivity installation will hasten computational results Belgian
researchers require to achieve breakthroughs in the study of climatology,
molecular imaging, computational systems biology, nanoscale physics, chemistry
and more.
Like every university, K.U.Leuven depends on the quality of its academic
research to create a "virtuous circle" in which published high-quality
research attracts increased funding that leads to better facilities, which
help attract the best researchers, who in turn produce more widely recognized
research.
"Academic research is the lifeline of a university, the substrate of
education, and the basis of its community service," said Professor Marc
Vervenne, Rector of K.U.Leuven, which was founded in 1425. "Investment in
high-quality research in an international environment is thus indispensable.
These solutions from Silicon Graphics provide the foundation for future
research efforts that will benefit K.U.Leuven, Belgium and the scientific
community at large."
K.U.Leuven's SGI Altix ICE 8200 system is powered by 232 Intel(R) Xeon(R)
5000 Sequence processors with a dual MPI backplane and unique door design that
reduces data center cooling costs by removing heat via an innovative chilled
water system. The Linux(R) system is supported by two InfiniBand-connected SGI
InfiniteStorage NEXIS NAS arrays with a total capacity of 29 Terabytes. Both
compute and storage systems are designed to easily scale as the demands of
K.U.Leuven's scientific research escalate.
Additional Quotes:
-- "The scalability shown in some of our users' benchmarks and the
professionalism of the Silicon Graphics staff showed us that Silicon Graphics
was the way to go," said Kurt Lust, coordinator, Flemish Supercomputer Center.
"In addition to triggering a 'virtuous circle' for research, this new cluster
and storage array will satisfy our HPC-oriented user base."
-- "Like everyone else, universities must compete for funding -- and one
way to remain competitive is to invest in world-class technology solutions
that fuel innovation," said Joop Ruijgrok, EMEA vice president, Silicon
Graphics. "Silicon Graphics is proud to work with K.U.Leuven and the Flemish
Supercomputer Center to deliver the strategic backbone of its new compute and
data management resource. And with the rapid growth of scientific data sets,
K.U.Leuven can scale its compute and storage solutions as its needs warrant."
Demonstrations at SCO8:
-- Silicon Graphics will demonstrate its high-productivity solutions,
including Altix ICE and InfiniteStorage arrays, in Booth 1009 at the SC08
International Conference, Nov. 15-21 at the Austin Convention Center in
Austin, Texas.
Silicon Graphics, Inc.
Silicon Graphics, Inc. (SGI) (NASDAQ: SGIC), is a leader in
high-performance computing. SGI 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 solutions help customers solve their
computing challenges whether it's enhancing the quality of life through drug
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 Sunnyvale, California, and can be
found on the Web at http://www.sgi.com.
Note: SGI corporate phone numbers have changed. The new main number for
SGI corporate headquarters is 408-524-1980. Effective immediately, all numbers
featuring the 650 area code are no longer in service.
(C) 2008 SGI. All rights reserved. SGI, the SGI cube, Altix and the SGI
logo are registered trademarks of SGI in the United States and/or other
countries worldwide. Linux is a registered trademark of Linus Torvalds in
several countries. Intel, Xeon and Itanium 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.
MEDIA CONTACT
Marla Robinson
marlar@sgi.com
256.773.2371
SGI PR HOTLINE
408-524- 2810
SOURCE Silicon Graphics, Inc.