HP Superdome
Encyclopedia
The HP Superdome is a high-end server computer
developed and produced by Hewlett-Packard
. The latest version of product, "Superdome 2" was introduced in 2010. Superdome 2 scales from 2 to 32 sockets (up to 128 cores) and 4 TB of memory. When introduced in 2000, the Superdome used PA-RISC
processors. Since 2002,
there was another version of the machine based on Itanium 2 processors, marketed in parallel as the HP Integrity Superdome. The classic PA-RISC Superdome was subsequently rebranded to HP 9000 Superdome.
The new HP Integrity Superdome 2 utilizes the Intel Itanium 93xx-series microprocessor, otherwise known as "Tukwila
" and is totally redesigned with parts from the HP BladeSystem C7000 enclosure.
Superdome usually runs HP-UX
operating system, although Itanium 2 version is also compatible with many other systems, for example with Microsoft Windows Server 2003 or Microsoft Windows Server 2008 Datacenter Edition, SUSE Linux Enterprise Server
from Novell, Red Hat Enterprise Linux
, and HP OpenVMS
V8.2-1 and later.
hardware mechanisms. In this case, a directory-based coherency mechanism is employed.
A center of each cell is an ASIC
called cell controller (CC), that connects to four processor sockets (providing an average of 1.6 GB/s of bandwidth per socket), to four local memory subsystems, and to the backplane
. The CC itself contains a crossbar
, and four CCs interconnect via a second-level crossbar. In maximum machine's configuration four second-level crossbars interconnect with each other, supporting in total 64 processor sockets.
Each socket may hold either a single-core PA-RISC processor (PA-8600 or PA-8700), or a dual-core PA-RISC processor (PA-8800 or PA-8900), a single-core Itanium 2 processor, two Itanium 2 processors (using the mx2 module), or one dual-core Itanium 2 processor. There are almost no architectural differences between PA-RISC and Itanium versions of Superdome.
slots. Maximum 192 slots are possible for the Legacy and SX1000. It is not possible to expand the number of I/O slots for a cell.
Superdome does not contain any internal hard disk
s, it relies exclusively on external disk enclosure
s.
Similarly to both Legacy and SX1000 setups, SX2000 can be:
(hard partitions), that are granular on the level of a whole cell (and its I/O card cage), this means that a maximum of 16 cells can be part of a nPar.
The Superdome also supports vPars (virtual partitions), granular on a single core level and a single PCI slot level, this means that a top level nPar can house several vPars to better utilize the hardware in the Superdome.
For the SX3000 there are four integrated 10 Gbit ethernets per blade. In addition, maximum of 96 external PCI-e ports are available. It is unsupported to install any mezzanine cards, although three free slots exist on each blade.
Server (computing)
In the context of client-server architecture, a server is a computer program running to serve the requests of other programs, the "clients". Thus, the "server" performs some computational task on behalf of "clients"...
developed and produced by Hewlett-Packard
Hewlett-Packard
Hewlett-Packard Company or HP is an American multinational information technology corporation headquartered in Palo Alto, California, USA that provides products, technologies, softwares, solutions and services to consumers, small- and medium-sized businesses and large enterprises, including...
. The latest version of product, "Superdome 2" was introduced in 2010. Superdome 2 scales from 2 to 32 sockets (up to 128 cores) and 4 TB of memory. When introduced in 2000, the Superdome used PA-RISC
PA-RISC
PA-RISC is an instruction set architecture developed by Hewlett-Packard. As the name implies, it is a reduced instruction set computer architecture, where the PA stands for Precision Architecture...
processors. Since 2002,
there was another version of the machine based on Itanium 2 processors, marketed in parallel as the HP Integrity Superdome. The classic PA-RISC Superdome was subsequently rebranded to HP 9000 Superdome.
The new HP Integrity Superdome 2 utilizes the Intel Itanium 93xx-series microprocessor, otherwise known as "Tukwila
Tukwila (processor)
Tukwila is the code-name for the generation of Intel's Itanium processor family following Itanium 2 and Montecito. It was released on 8 February 2010 as the Itanium 9300 Series. While its features have not been publicly disclosed in detail, it utilizes both multiple processor cores and SMT...
" and is totally redesigned with parts from the HP BladeSystem C7000 enclosure.
Superdome usually runs HP-UX
HP-UX
HP-UX is Hewlett-Packard's proprietary implementation of the Unix operating system, based on UNIX System V and first released in 1984...
operating system, although Itanium 2 version is also compatible with many other systems, for example with Microsoft Windows Server 2003 or Microsoft Windows Server 2008 Datacenter Edition, SUSE Linux Enterprise Server
SUSE Linux distributions
SUSE Linux is a computer operating system. It is built on top of the open source Linux kernel and is distributed with system and application software from other open source projects. SUSE Linux is of German origin and mainly developed in Europe. The first version appeared in early 1994, making...
from Novell, Red Hat Enterprise Linux
Red Hat Enterprise Linux
Red Hat Enterprise Linux is a Linux-based operating system developed by Red Hat and targeted toward the commercial market. Red Hat Enterprise Linux is released in server versions for x86, x86-64, Itanium, PowerPC and IBM System z, and desktop versions for x86 and x86-64...
, and HP OpenVMS
OpenVMS
OpenVMS , previously known as VAX-11/VMS, VAX/VMS or VMS, is a computer server operating system that runs on VAX, Alpha and Itanium-based families of computers. Contrary to what its name suggests, OpenVMS is not open source software; however, the source listings are available for purchase...
V8.2-1 and later.
Differences
The Superdome comes in four different generations :- Legacy (Only PA-RISC cells)
- SX1000 (Can mix both Itanium and PA-RISC cells, but not in the same partition)
- SX2000 (Can mix both Itanium and PA-RISC cells, but not in the same partition)
- SX3000 (Blade based with only Itanium 93xx-series blades)
Architecture (SX1000 version)
A building block is a cell, a card holding 4 processors and memory. Superdome has a ccNUMA architecture, which means that processors have shorter access times for their cell's memory but longer access times for other cell's memories, and data items are allowed to be replicated across individual cache memories but are kept coherent with one another by cache coherenceCache coherence
In computing, cache coherence refers to the consistency of data stored in local caches of a shared resource.When clients in a system maintain caches of a common memory resource, problems may arise with inconsistent data. This is particularly true of CPUs in a multiprocessing system...
hardware mechanisms. In this case, a directory-based coherency mechanism is employed.
A center of each cell is an ASIC
ASIC
ASIC may refer to:* Application-specific integrated circuit, an integrated circuit developed for a particular use, as opposed to a customised general-purpose device.* ASIC programming language, a dialect of BASIC...
called cell controller (CC), that connects to four processor sockets (providing an average of 1.6 GB/s of bandwidth per socket), to four local memory subsystems, and to the backplane
Backplane
A backplane is a group of connectors connected in parallel with each other, so that each pin of each connector is linked to the same relative pin of all the other connectors forming a computer bus. It is used as a backbone to connect several printed circuit boards together to make up a complete...
. The CC itself contains a crossbar
Crossbar switch
In electronics, a crossbar switch is a switch connecting multiple inputs to multiple outputs in a matrix manner....
, and four CCs interconnect via a second-level crossbar. In maximum machine's configuration four second-level crossbars interconnect with each other, supporting in total 64 processor sockets.
Each socket may hold either a single-core PA-RISC processor (PA-8600 or PA-8700), or a dual-core PA-RISC processor (PA-8800 or PA-8900), a single-core Itanium 2 processor, two Itanium 2 processors (using the mx2 module), or one dual-core Itanium 2 processor. There are almost no architectural differences between PA-RISC and Itanium versions of Superdome.
Input/output
Each CC connects to one local I/O controller (an SBA), which in turn may connect to a single I/O card cage (also called I/O chassis) with 12 PCI-XPCI-X
PCI-X, short for PCI-eXtended, is a computer bus and expansion card standard that enhances the 32-bit PCI Local Bus for higher bandwidth demanded by servers. It is a double-wide version of PCI, running at up to four times the clock speed, but is otherwise similar in electrical implementation and...
slots. Maximum 192 slots are possible for the Legacy and SX1000. It is not possible to expand the number of I/O slots for a cell.
Superdome does not contain any internal hard disk
Hard disk
A hard disk drive is a non-volatile, random access digital magnetic data storage device. It features rotating rigid platters on a motor-driven spindle within a protective enclosure. Data is magnetically read from and written to the platter by read/write heads that float on a film of air above the...
s, it relies exclusively on external disk enclosure
Disk enclosure
A disk enclosure is essentially a specialized chassis designed to hold and power disk drives while providing a mechanism to allow them to communicate to one or more separate computers. Drive enclosures provide power to the drives therein and convert the data sent across their native data bus into a...
s.
Physical layout
Superdome is not mounted on a standard rack, it is instead shipped as either one or two dedicated cabinets. One cabinet scales up to 8 cells.Architecture (SX2000 version)
The architecture of the SX2000 is highly similar at first glance compared to the SX1000, however it has quite a few design differences.- The hardware clock has been moved from the power-board to the backplane and doubled up for redundancy and greater quality.
- The SX2000 introduced PCI-Express card cages (retaining support for PCI-XPCI-XPCI-X, short for PCI-eXtended, is a computer bus and expansion card standard that enhances the 32-bit PCI Local Bus for higher bandwidth demanded by servers. It is a double-wide version of PCI, running at up to four times the clock speed, but is otherwise similar in electrical implementation and...
2.0). Maximum of 192 external slots are possible. - All connections have been changed to high speed serial (HSS) connections for greater speed and greater redundancy.
- Three crossbarCrossbar- Structural engineering :* A primitive latch consisting of a post barring a door* The top tube of a bicycle frame* The horizontal member of many sports goals including those for hockey, association football, rugby league, rugby union and American football...
s compared to two crossbars in each quadrant (per four cells) for greater speed.
Similarly to both Legacy and SX1000 setups, SX2000 can be:
- 16-way (four cellboards and two IO-cages can be used)
- 32-way (eight cellboards and four IO-cages can be used)
- 64-way (expands the one cabinet to two-cabinet complex, with 16 cells and eight IO-cages)
Partitioning
Superdome supports nParsHP nPar (Hard Partitioning)
nPar partitions are electrically isolated from other nPar partitions within the same chassis. Cells make up nPar partitions. Being electrically isolated means that if a nPar partition were to fail due to hardware failure, then the other nPar partitions would continue to work...
(hard partitions), that are granular on the level of a whole cell (and its I/O card cage), this means that a maximum of 16 cells can be part of a nPar.
The Superdome also supports vPars (virtual partitions), granular on a single core level and a single PCI slot level, this means that a top level nPar can house several vPars to better utilize the hardware in the Superdome.
Architecture (SX3000 version)
The currently available options for SX3000 are:- 8s (maximum 8 blades, max 4 blades per partition)
- 16s (maximum 8 blades, max 8 blades per partition)
- 32s starter (maximum 16 blades, max 16 blades per partition)
For the SX3000 there are four integrated 10 Gbit ethernets per blade. In addition, maximum of 96 external PCI-e ports are available. It is unsupported to install any mezzanine cards, although three free slots exist on each blade.