The Silicon Graphics Servers That Use 1024 Processors
Silicon Graphics have an enviable reputation as an R&D powerhouse, creating flexible graphics workstations that provided the effects for many blockbuster films. Less well known are the high end servers and supercomputers that Silicon Graphics develop.
When Silicon Graphics bought legendary supercomputer company Cray in the mid 1990s, they leveraged some of Cray’s knowledge, and developed their own line of powerful super machines. The Origin 2000 was the first of these. Powered by MIPS CPUs, the Origin 2000 could scale from 8 CPUs up to 1024. Adding special graphics cabinets created the Onyx, a graphics supercomputer of extreme power.
Then SGI created the Origin 3000, growing on the previous design. The Origin 3000 used modular ‘bricks’ - containing processors, IO cards, or even graphics cards - to enable very customised configurations. Again, ranging from 8 CPUs to 1024 - with rumours of custom 2048 CPU machines being built for government agencies.
These servers were Single System Image (SSI) servers. Despite the large number of processors in them, they ran one copy of the IRIX operating system, and behaved to the end user exactly the same way as a normal compuyter would.
Silicon Graphics are carrying on their development with the current line of Altix scaleable supercomputers, using Intel’s Itanium processor and running Linux. With multi-core Itaniums available rumours abound of monster 4096 core SSI systems tucked away in government labs.
Sphere: Related ContentTape Imaging Software,
When you have backed up every single night for the last five years, then you find that the only time you require to restore the backup, you discover the tape wont load because of a tape error.
So what can you do. There are several software options for backup data recovery, but most of these only work on backup files, so how do you recover data from a tape?
Data Recovery Engineering Software Limited write software mainly for data recovery companies, and one of their titles is a very cost effective tape dumping tool.
The software reads the tape and creates a file dump to hard disk. Now you are able access the data on the tape and recover it with your backup recovery software.
Another use for the software is when someone has created a backup set that you need to access, but it is password protected (not encrypted) and the user cant remember the password or left the company. Or a forensics engineer needs to examine the data stored on the tape but does not have access to the software used to make the tape.
Sphere: Related ContentRetrieval Of Data From a Hard Disk Drives
Overview
Modern computer system hard disk drives can contain a massive amount of data. So when the hard disk fails, and there are no recent backups available, data recovery is the only option available.
Introduction
A hard disk consists of a number of component parts. Each of which has its own failure modes.
1. Electronics
2. Mechanics
3. Firmware
4. Logical
Electronics
The circuit board on a hard disk is the ‘brain’ of the hard disk and a single component failure will render the drive useless. Recovering data from hard disk drives with electronics failures requires highly skilled electronics engineers who can to fix the drive temporarily in order to recover the data.
There are also electronic components inside the hard disk that are necessary for the correct functionality of the hard disk and consists of the head pre-amplifier circuit.
Mechanical
The critical mechanical parts of a hard disk comprise of, the actuator arm, the motor and the platters. (There are other Mechanical parts, vibro-acoustic components, filters, VCM Magnets, etc, but these are less critical).
The majority of mechanical failures involve the Head pre-amplifier. Whilst this is not exactly a mechanical failure, the method that the head pre-amplifier is fixed to the head stack means that when it fails it involves the replacement of the entire head stack assembly.
The next biggest cause of failure is motor failure. This is probably the most serious problem and requires specialist equipment so that platter alignment is not lost when removing and replacing the motor. Main problems with motors are burnt out coils and seized bearings.
Firmware
The firmware region or System Area (SA) is a region on the hard disk that contains the manufacturer’s proprietary information such as
- Translator Tables
- ATA Password Information
- ROM Overlays
- SMART Logs
- Primary Defect Maps
- Grown Defect Maps
- Security Data
- Self test logs
and many others
For a hard disk to function properly it is vital that the Firmware Zone is error free. Fixing the Firmware on a hard disk is a highly skilled job and requires specialist equipment. Making a mistake when modifying the information in the Firmware of a hard disk can render a drive unrecoverable.
Logical
Logical problems are where there is nothing physically wrong with the hard disk and it is fully functional. Logical problems are where data has become inaccessible for some reason, for example, the user has deleted the files, the computer has come under virus attack. The skill set of the engineer requires knowledge of how the operating system that the files were stored on works. Also, knowledge of the structure of individual file types so that quality of files can be determined on a bulk and individual basis.
Data Recovery from Hard Disk Drives
MjM Data Recovery Ltd
Facts About Video Blog
The use of blogs and website design is becoming more and more all-purpose. It gives more immediate reaction times for a company, and serves render a better servicing to customers. Planning a blog is also comparatively less pricy than Planning a web page that has limited data availability. Knowledge is power and comes from all directions. In having an synergistic blog, people tend to feel they are that much more important because they are able to have their input as well as website designer.
Blogs may be used for personal use as well. A place for friends and family to get together, make plans or just interact. The subject matters of blogs vary widely - from family orientated subjects, to businesses providing a servicing or product, and a myriad of other topics in between. Think of a topic and you can make a blog. It really is that simple.
The process of Planning a blog is based upon your ideas of what you want to see happen or accomplish. A mock-up of your blog is put together either by yourself or a third party. It can show more and give a feel of the environment you are creating. Once the mock-up is approved it is coded for internet usage and launched on one of the Many blog servers, Many of which are free.
Do a search for blogs and see what you come up with. There are so Many creative ideas out there that you may well be surprised. You’ll be able to see the different designs being used and ascertain ideas for your own blog design. Or if you prefer, use a third party to design and launch your blog for you. There are Many enterprises who offer this servicing of media design.
The most popular blog software is WordPress, allowing for more control and functionality than ever before.
So what are you waiting for? Go see what the fuss is really all about!
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