H P C w i r e The Text-on-Demand E-zine for High Performance Computing *** Sep. 20, 1996: Vol. 5, No. 39 Circulation: 16,568 *** This Week's Table of Contents Represents 191 Pages of Text ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Article retrieval instructions at end of this file more@hpcwire.tgc.com For subscription information, email sub@hpcwire.tgc.com For a free 4-week trial subscription, e-mail trial@hpcwire.tgc.com -------------------- * -------------------- 7173 ) SUPERCOMPUTING '96 ADVANCE PROGRAM AVAILABLE Conference program and registration information is now available on WWW and in hardcopy. Read this article for full information. ______________________________ IN THIS ISSUE _______________________________ | | | 10179 ) FEATURES: NERSC II IS ON TIME AND WITHIN BUDGET | | 10184 ) SCIENCE NEWS: NEW POLYMER DISCS STORE 1 TB PER CC | | 10190 ) COMMERCIAL NEWS: MICROSOFT OUTLINES DATA WAREHOUSE STRATEGY | | 10191 ) NEWS BRIEFS: NT O/S FOR INTEL'S MERCED NEARS COMPLETION | |____________________________________________________________________________| FEATURES ===================================================================== 10179 ) NERSC II: SO FAR ON TIME, ON BUDGET AT BERKELEY..................12.4K Report by Norris Parker Smith, editor at large In a few frantic months, NERSC has been delivering cycles while installing new machines, rebuilding its physical facility, and recruiting staff. It has met an extremely demanding schedule and is now heading toward even more ambitious goals. 10180 ) HIGH-PERFORMANCE SYSTEMS STRATEGIES:DISINTEGRATION & REINTEGRATION.12K Commentary by Christopher G. Willard, Ph.D. Reintegration strategies can be successfully executed in the high- performance computing market by closely focusing a company's resources on a few points in the value chain. But ultimately, success will depend on a vendor's ability to identify target markets, understand customer requirements, and adapt products to specific market needs. 10181 ) EXPERT PREDICTS MULTIHEADED FUTURE FOR NETWORKING.................5.4K by Alan Beck, editor in chief Today, HPC networking strategists are confronted with an array of options that is not only complex but also confusing. Michael McGowen, an expert in the field, discusses fundamental factors that must be considered in serious networking decisions. 10182 ) IBM PROMOTES PHOENIX AS STANDARD FOR CLUSTERING...................9.3K Commentary by Norris Parker Smith, editor at large IBM is touting its new SP-derived Phoenix technology as an alternative to the diverse solutions for clustering, offering the APIs and specs for open use. Will this reduce the informality and originality in one of computing's last few areas of spontaneity? 10183 ) BLOOR ANALYST SAYS INTEL, MICROSOFT WILL FACE OBSTACLES...........3.7K A recent report from Bloor Group predicts shifts in corporate IT architecture to a network-centric model comprised of thin clients linking the machines into parallel processing computers, in a client/server relationship, running Java-enhanced applications across a Web-compliant environment will dethrone PC-centric companies such as Microsoft and Intel. SCIENCE & ENGINEERING NEWS 10184 ) NEW POLYMER DISKS CAN STORE 1 TERABYTE PER CC.....................5.1K Developed by scientists at the University of Buffalo, NY, the new disks are based on polymer-based photonic materials into which stacks of data can be packed, like pages in a book. The scientists have also developed optical technology to read the stored data. 10185 ) SOLUTIONS SOUGHT FOR INTERNET OVERCROWDING........................3.9K As Internet demand outstrips supply, research has been inaugurated to provide increased capacity through technical approaches and rationing through fees based on speed and data quantity. 10186 ) INCYTE AND MONSANTO FORGE PLANT GENOMICS PARTNERSHIP..............2.8K This broad-based genomics and software licensing agreement to generate sequence and expression data from certain plant species marks the beginning of Incyte's expansion into plant genomics. COMMERCIAL NEWS 10187 ) SYBASE ANNOUNCES DATA MALL INITIATIVE, PARTNERSHIP WITH IBM.......4.3K Sybase and IBM's RS/6000 Division recently unveiled the Enterprise Data Mall Architecture which combines the concept of very large database (VLDB) data warehousing with multiple, interactive data marts, all under the umbrella of the IBM RS/6000 SP. 10188 ) LONGS DRUG USES FORTE FOR ENTERPRISE APP DEVELOPMENT..............2.4K Longs' New Concept Pharmacy System automates the filling and quality control functions of prescription dispensing. The drug store chain plans to roll out this application to its high-volume stores over the next few years. 10189 ) CITRIX I/S EXEC SURVEY STRESSES NETWORK CENTRIC PARADIGM..........3.4K A survey of 200 corporate I/S executives, commissioned by Citrix Systems, Inc., points to network-centric computing as a key solution to the challenges created by client/server and Web-based computing. 10190 ) MICROSOFT OUTLINES AMBITIOUS DATA WAREHOUSING STRATEGY............2.6K Microsoft Corp. this week announced its comprehensive strategy aimed at simplifying implementations of data warehousing solutions using the Microsoft SQL Server. At the heart of the plan is an extensible set of COM-based interfaces designed to simplify design, integration and management. QUOTE OF THE WEEK =========================================================== 10181 ) "There's been a shift, so the commercial marketplace is largely driving things, rather than the scientific, which dominated for many years. And the velocity at which you can trade data is what gives value. The acceptance of clusters and distributed computing is one important direction..." -- Michael McGowen, chairman and CTO, Essential Communications __________________________INDUSTRY SPOTLIGHTS_____________________________ | | | 7172 ) DATATAPE Gearing Up For Growth In High-End Storage & Retrieval | | Industry | | 7170 ) MAXIMUM STRATEGY Server Saves Ford $1,000,000 | | 7171 ) ANCOR COMMUNICATIONS Offers FREE High-Speed Switching White Paper | | 7141 ) FREE Trial Subscription to WEBster, The Cyberspace Surfer -- | | Your Guide to What's News on the Web | | 7142 ) Call for Participation SUPERCOMPUTING 96 Nov.17-22 Pittsburgh, Pa.| | 7122 ) WHAT DO USERS WANT FROM HPC PRODUCTS AND SERVICES? | | A Special State-of-the-Industry Report | | 7169 ) The Real Numbers Behind Net Profits | | * The Largest Study of Web Marketers Ever Conducted * | |__________________________________________________________________________| NEWS BRIEFS ================================================================== 10191 ) 64-Bit NT Operating System Readied for Intel's Merced...........2.1K 10192 ) IBM Product Momentum Earns Merrill Lynch Confidence Rating......2.1K 10193 ) Ancor Demonstrates Prototype Gigabit Ethernet Switch............2.8K 10194 ) Gigabit Ethernet Alliance Surveys Progress Toward Standards.....2.3K 10195 ) IBM Announces Hierarchical Storage System Software................4K 10196 ) Intel PCI Chip Sets Will Support P55C and Klamath Processors....1.4K 10197 ) NTT, Ancor, Hucom to Develop Fibre Channel-ATM Networking.......2.6K 10198 ) Sybase SQL Server 11 Clocked at 12,321.87 tpmC on HP PA-8000....1.7K 10199 ) Unisys Selects Olicom for $10 Million SSA Contract..............2.3K 10200 ) High-Speed Broadband Network Links US and Japan at 155 Mb/s.....1.5K 10201 ) Network Systems Wins $1.1 Million DoD Contract..................2.3K 10202 ) Infonetics Study Highlights ATM Advantages........................2K 10203 ) US Marshalls Nab Adaptec I/O Device Counterfeiters..............2.3K 10204 ) Overland Data Earns Top Quality Designation from DEC............1.7K 10205 ) Williams Co. & PBS Venture Selects Sun MediaCenter Servers......1.7K 10206 ) Pyramid Posts Benchmark for Reliant RM1000 Parallel Server........2K 10207 ) Oxford Molecular Licenses RS3 Discovery to Roche and Abbott.....1.9K 10208 ) ANSI & SMPTE Developing Unified Standard for FC Digital Video...3.3K 10209 ) Discreet Logic Demonstrates Virtual Set Technology for TV.......4.8K 10210 ) PowerMAXION To Support In-Flight Entertainment System...........1.4K 10211 ) NIH Orders Optika Products for Image Processing Resources.......1.6K 10212 ) Construction of New SIMOX Implanter Funded by Motorola..........1.8K SHORT TAKES 10213 ) Product Watch: HP Introduces Computers Based on PA-8000 Kuck & Associates Releases KAI C++ Compiler V 3.0 SCI Releases Linda for Hitachi SR2201..................26K 10214 ) Corporate Liaisons: Emergent Building Pyramid Data Warehouse QED Acquires MIPS Manufacturing & Sales License Open Microsystems & Maximum Strategy Partner Thinking Machines Inks Co-Marketing Agreement........19.3K 10215 ) Financial Update: Thinking Machines Gets $5M Credit Line Wang Increases Revolving Credit by $100M................6K 10216 ) People & Promotions: NSF Names New Administration Head MIPS Technologies Names New President DataTape Gears for Growth, Adds Key Employees........12.8K JOB BANK ===================================================================== 667 ) Employment Opportunities From: MIT Lincoln Laboratory, Minnesota Supercomputer Center, Inc., San Diego Supercomputing Center, IBM Corp. ....................................................................1.7K 604 ) Job Bank Rates and Regulations..................................1.22K CONFERENCES ================================================================== 2888 ) Calendar of Upcoming HPC Events (Updated 09.19.96)...............8.5K HPCwire INFORMATION ========================================================== 670 ) Masthead..........................................................2.2K 601 ) Subscriptions & Removals..........................................2.6K 602 ) Submitting Letters & Articles.....................................1.6K 950 ) Index of Back Issues...............................................11K Comments regarding editorial content may be sent to: editor@hpcwire.tgc.com ______________________H P C w i r e S P O N S O R S_______________________ | Full background information on all Sponsoring Companies | | | | 936) Sony *905) Maximum Strategy 937) Digital Equipment | | 934) HP/Convex Tech. Center930) HNSX Supercomputers 932) Portland Group | | 921) Cray Research Inc. 902) IBM Corp. 915) Genias Software | | 909) Fujitsu 935) Silicon Graphics | |____________________________________________________________________________| Firms with a star (*) have updated their material within the last 30 days. -------------------- * -------------------- To date HPCwire has delivered 1,502,237 articles to HPC professionals worldwide *** LAST ISSUE'S MOST REQUESTED ITEMS *** 10153 ) WIDE-SPREAD USE OF PARALLEL SYSTEMS IS KEY TO FUTURE.............6.8K 10150 ) HIGH PERFORMANCE FORTRAN: PROBLEMS AND PROGRESS..................7.2K 10152 ) MINISUPERCOMPUTERS RETURN FROM THE CRYPT OF THE 1980s............7.4K 10148 ) IBM'S NEW CMOS JUNIOR MAINFRAME TARGETS UNIX AND NT MARKETS......8.3K 10217 ) TOP 20 MOST REQUESTED ARTICLES FROM LAST WEEK'S HPCwire..........1.8K ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~