The IBM Intelligent Cluster was a cluster solution for x86-based

high-performance computing High-performance computing (HPC) is the use of supercomputers and computer clusters to solve advanced computation problems. Overview HPC integrates systems administration (including network and security knowledge) and parallel programming into ...

composed primarily of IBM ( System x,

BladeCenter The IBM BladeCenter was IBM's blade server architecture, until it was replaced by Flex System in 2012. The x86 division was later sold to Lenovo in 2014. History Introduced in 2002, based on engineering work started in 1999, the IBM eServer ...

and System Storage) components, integrated with network switches from various vendors and optional high-performance

InfiniBand InfiniBand (IB) is a computer networking communications standard used in high-performance computing that features very high throughput and very low latency. It is used for data interconnect both among and within computers. InfiniBand is also used ...

interconnects.

History

The solution was formerly known as the IBM

eServer IBM eServer was a family of computer servers from IBM. Announced in 2000, it combined the various IBM server brands (AS/400, Netfinity, RS/6000, S/390) under one brand. The various sub-brands were at the same time rebranded from: *IBM RS/6000 to ...

Cluster 1300 (or e1300) based on then-current

Pentium III The Pentium III (marketed as Intel Pentium III Processor, informally PIII or P3) brand refers to Intel's 32-bit x86 desktop and mobile CPUs based on the sixth-generation P6 (microarchitecture), P6 microarchitecture introduced on February 28, 1999 ...

processors, which was introduced in November 2001. This was replaced by the e1350 in October 2002 with the introduction of Pentium 4-based Intel

Xeon Xeon (; ) is a brand of x86 microprocessors designed, manufactured, and marketed by Intel, targeted at the non-consumer workstation, server, and embedded markets. It was introduced in June 1998. Xeon processors are based on the same archite ...

processors. Later (in 2008-2009) solution also was known as the IBM System Cluster 1350; in 2010 released line with final IBM Intelligent Cluster name. Roughly twice a year the solution components were updated to include the then-current products from IBM and other vendors. In 2014 this cluster solution was sold and rebranded as Lenovo Intelligent Cluster.

Architecture

The Intelligent Cluster system is a (integrated, factory-built and tested)

rack Rack or racks may refer to: Storage, support and transportation * Amp rack, a piece of furniture in which amplifiers are mounted * Autorack or auto carrier, for transporting vehicles in freight trains * Baker's rack, for bread and other bake ...

tower-size cluster solution with comprehensive warranty service for all components, including third-party options. The system could comprise traditional rack-optimized nodes, as well as IBM

, Flex System or

iDataPlex System x is a line of x86 servers produced by IBM, and later by Lenovo, as a sub-brand of IBM's ''System'' brand, alongside IBM Power Systems, IBM System z and IBM System Storage. In addition, IBM System x was the main component of the IBM Syst ...

blade nodes, or another rack-mounted servers with processor choices between x86-based (Intel Xeon and AMD Opteron) or uncommon

Power Power may refer to: Common meanings * Power (physics), meaning "rate of doing work" ** Engine power, the power put out by an engine ** Electric power, a type of energy * Power (social and political), the ability to influence people or events Math ...

-based processors options (only for blade servers), along with integrated storage and switches to provide a turnkey Linux or Microsoft cluster environment. These platform also supports the water-cooling module options (Heat Exchange Doors) for some rack towers designs. Operating system choices were officially limited to Enterprise Linux distributions from

Red Hat Red Hat, Inc. (formerly Red Hat Software, Inc.) is an American software company that provides open source software products to enterprises and is a subsidiary of IBM. Founded in 1993, Red Hat has its corporate headquarters in Raleigh, North ...

and

SUSE Suse may refer to: * Fort Suse, a military installation in the Kurdistan region of Iraq * Suse Heinze (1920–2018), German diver See also * SUSE (disambiguation) * Sus (disambiguation) * Susa, an ancient capital of Elam and the Achaemenid Emp ...

and to

Microsoft Microsoft Corporation is an American multinational corporation and technology company, technology conglomerate headquartered in Redmond, Washington. Founded in 1975, the company became influential in the History of personal computers#The ear ...

Windows HPC Server 2008 Windows HPC Server 2008, released by Microsoft on 22 September 2008, is the successor product to Windows Compute Cluster Server 2003. Like WCCS, Windows HPC Server 2008 is designed for high-end applications that require high performance computing ...

. For systems management IBM offered

xCAT xCAT (Extreme Cloud Administration Toolkit) is open-source software, open-source distributed computing management software developed by IBM, used for the system deployment, deployment and computer administration, administration of Linux or AIX ...

. Additional software, such as

GPFS GPFS (General Parallel File System, brand name IBM Storage Scale and previously IBM Spectrum Scale) is a high-performance clustered file system software developed by IBM. It can be deployed in shared-disk or shared-nothing distributed parallel ...

and LoadLeveler, could also be ordered from IBM.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Intelligent Cluster IBM supercomputer platforms Cluster computing