NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Selects Linux Networx Supercomputers for Earth and Space Sciences Research

SALT LAKE CITY, May 1 /PRNewswire/ -- Linux Networx, The Linux Supercomputing Company, today announced that Computer Sciences Corporation (CSC) has ordered a Custom Supersystem for the NASA Center for Computational Sciences (NCCS) at the Goddard Space Flight Center. The new system is designed to dramatically increase throughput for applications ranging from studying weather and climate variability to simulating astrophysical phenomena. The system will supplement the NCCS architecture with improved price/performance and is designed to scale to as many as 40 trillion floating-point operations per second (TFLOPS) in its full configuration.

"For over twenty years NASA Goddard has been at the forefront of adopting new supercomputing technologies and approaches," said Robert (Bo) Ewald, chief executive officer, Linux Networx. "We're honored to be selected as NASA Goddard's partner as they continue to advance their scientific computing capabilities." CSC and the NCCS selected a 128-node, 3.3 TFLOPS Supersystem with Intel dual-core Dempsey processors and an Infiniband Network from Silverstorm Technologies. This system includes a high-performance storage subsystem with 60 TBs of raw Data Direct Networks storage running the IBM General Parallel File System (GPFS). The storage subsystem will be tightly integrated with the supercomputer to further accelerate and optimize performance.

This initial system will be the cornerstone of a cluster environment that is easily expandable to keep pace with the ever-increasing scientific requirements for computational capacity. In addition to powering the NCCS's application throughput and price/performance needs, the Custom Supersystem was chosen for its system reliability and the ability to incorporate new technologies over time. Linux Networx also offers unrivaled industry expertise and experience in meeting the needs of other government agencies. The NASA Goddard acquisition is the second major order by a government agency in three months. In February Linux Networx announced that the Department of Defense High Performance Computing Modernization Program placed the largest single order for Linux Supercomputers in the company's history.

Linux Networx Custom Supersystems are especially well-suited for organizations that wish to pioneer new technologies, new programming models or new levels of supercomputing scale. As an experienced system partner, Linux Networx works with customers and technology partners to identify and integrate a variety of emerging and proven technologies into a production-ready system. Linux Networx leads the design, integration and testing of these next generation one-of-a-kind supercomputing clusters to the exacting specifications of our customers.

About Linux Networx For over a decade Linux Networx has delivered Linux Supercomputers specifically designed to drive new levels of Total Application Throughput for our customers. The company's Linux Supercomputing offerings power value in application-tuned price/performance and utilization, overall system reliability, uptime and Total Cost of Operations. The company has delivered over 475 supercomputing clusters to more than 175 supercomputing customers around the world. In 2005, the company achieved record orders, finishing the year with three consecutive quarters of record growth.

Our global customer base represents supercomputing leaders ranging from Boeing in aerospace; BMW, Daimler Chrysler, Audi, Caterpillar and John Deere in heavy manufacturing; Total, Schlumberger and Shell Oil in the Oil and Gas industry; and Los Alamos National Laboratories, Sandia National Laboratories and the Department of Defense in the government arena. In 2005 the company was awarded three HPCWire Editor and Reader's Choice Awards -- for Most Innovative Technology in two categories and for Best Price/Performance. For more information about Linux Networx, visit http://www.linuxnetworx.com.