🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <1991May9.144406.20558@vlsi.waterloo.edu> ward@vlsi.waterloo.edu (Paul Ward) writes:
>In article <c506634.3284@umcvmb.missouri.edu> 
>            c506634@umcvmb.missouri.edu (Eric Edwards) writes:
>
>>Also, is there anything to prohibit a RISC based machine from having a high
>>speed IO subsystem?  Would adding this make the machine cost as much as a
>>3090?

    The HIPPI? interface with RAID (Redundant Arrays of Inexpensive Disks)
disk systems is one possible solution.

>
>I don't know, but it is an interesting question.  Do you have $20,000,000 ?
>We can try a little experiment.  :-)
>

    So, you want to build a mainframe-class RISC system. Well, to compete
with recently announced high-end CISC products from IBM, Amdahl, et. al., 
your going to need at least:

    4-8 CPU's with 50+ honest MIPS - none of those inflated marketing
    RISC mips.

    ~1GB of fast static RAM - can't let those CPU's wait on paging,
    or have to twiddle their thumbs for too long after cache hits.

    A couple of hundred SCSI controllers - for that 10 million dollar 
    disk farm in your garage.

    The capability for a like number of FDDI controllers - to keep up
    with the latest net-news.

    Several additional processors to help manage the I/O, encrypion/
    decryption, ...

    Perhaps a few GB of dynamic RAM for disk caching, SSD and such.

    The busses and logic to make all this work...

    Features to ensure high availability...

    Oh, and don't forget a 100kw power source and cooling system.
         

   Now, if your a bit shy of the 100's of millions of dollars it would 
take to develop such a system -- several vendors (including Amdahl)
have announced that they are working on "RISC-based" mainframes (I believe
a few low-end systems have already been announced or are even avaliable from a 
couple of the Japanese mainframe producers) -- just wait until they become 
commodity items, and buy off the shelf. :-)


--
Henry Worth  --  haw30@duts.ccc.amdahl.com
No, I don't speak for Amdahl -- I'm not even sure I speak for myself.