MultiComputer
Solutions
A Quarterly Publication
from the CSP Inc. MultiComputer Division
February
2002
Contents (click title to jump to story)
CSPI Development Systems Selected by Lockheed Martin/Indra Sistemas S.A. for Mk 92 Program
CSPI Enhances High-Performance Cluster Computing Systems By Introducing Fiber Networking Components
CSPI Increases Memory Capacity of 2000 SERIES and FastCluster Systems by 100%
CSP
Inc. Reports Fourth-Quarter and Year-End Fiscal 2001 Financial Results
Feature Story
Linux
and MPI Ease Development and Deployment of Highly Scalable Signal Processing
Applications on MultiComputers
The
most difficult aspect of managing large, real time multicomputing projects
is to develop, document and debug application code written by several
engineers and running across many processors. Historically, these tasks
have been accomplished with customized middleware and application specific
software. Legacy
tools and shared memory approaches were appropriate for systems with a
small number of processors but failed to scale as the number of processors
increased. Developers were then burdened with creating scalable test environments
to verify timings and estimate the optimal number of processors for a
given application. Evaluating trade-offs in performance, cost, power and
system size is critical to determining the best system to be deployed.
Using the CSPI FastCluster product running Linux and MPI (message passing interface) addresses these issues by providing a platform that supports standards, openness, portability and scalability. The Linux open source software approach benefits users by affording them access to a large community of users sharing resources for development of tools and applications as well as support. MPI provides a standard API with a large set of message passing primitives to support efficient parallel processing on a large number of processors interconnected via a Myrinet SAN network. A very important feature of MPI is scalability. The code is developed for an arbitrary number of processors and MPI allows the user to decide at run-time how many processors are used by the application. This feature enables scalable code development and facilitates performance evaluation and sizing of the system.
Both Linux and MPI are available on workstations, PCs, and HPC Clusters, facilitating the development of portable code for applications running in a homogeneous or heterogeneous environment. MPI / Linux code developed on a cluster of workstations or a single workstation are ready to run on the FastCluster embedded system. This full compatibility produces tremendous advantages in both cost and time savings for software engineers during the development and debugging phases. The same advantages continue to exist for software upgrade and support during the life of the program.
Signal
Processing applications require determinism. Linux and MPI meet this requirement
when a single MPI process is running on each DSP processor. The execution
time on each DSP processor (AltiVec) is then independent of Linux context
switching.
Performance of each DSP is optimized
using the FastCluster Signal Processing library (ISSPL or VSIPL). If there
are no latency issues for the application, a round-robin approach is quite
simple and often the most effective way to keep up with the "throughput".
In this case each processor performs the full application with frames
distributed sequentially. However, most systems cannot tolerate a latency
that is proportional to the number of processes (processors). Therefore
parallel and pipelined approaches are combined to match throughput and
latency requirements. Using a large number of processors in parallel on
a single task reduces the effective efficiency while improving latency.
Issues of data exchange, concurrent processing and I/O operations between
processors become important and ultimately will limit the number of processors
that can be used on any given task with a marginal gain in performance.
Performance, flexibility and reliability of data transfers across the interconnect fabric is central to the global performance of a sonar and radar platform. Rather than attempting to control these micro-tasks on the application DSP processor (requiring a very responsive real time kernel) they could be controlled by an independent network processor on each node. The FastCluster system uses a nano-kernel running off a high speed local SRAM on the Myrinet LANai to control all incoming messages at the packet level. This approach is also utilized to recombines packets to deliver larger messages to the application processor while providing hand-checks between network processors across the network. To off load the application processor, the network processor's nano-kernel manages four independent direct memory access channels (DMAs) to perform concurrent in-and-out network operations at peak transfer rates of 250 MBytes/s full duplex, on each processing node. This approach of combining Linux and MPI on the FastCluster platform has addressed the need for an open, efficient and comprehensive development environment for the most demanding highly scalable signal processing application.
CSPI
in the News
CSP Inc. Announces Shipment
of Linux Cluster Computing Systems for Mission Critical Defense Applications
February 11, 2002 - CSP Inc. MultiComputer Division, announced delivery of FastCluster systems to five different U.S. defense contractors in August. CSPI's FastCluster is an ultra dense, rugged, high-performance cluster computer based on the Linux operating system that provides high throughput and large memory options with trouble-free expansion that is required for mission critical military applications.
The FastCluster systems are being evaluated for use in five new military programs involving laser signaling in detection and tracking systems, stimulation/simulation, and Command and Control, Communication & Intelligence applications. Initial customer testing of CSPI's FastCluster MultiComputer systems has proven that the Linux operating system, when coupled with the processing power of Motorola's PowerPC 7400 using AltiVec, provides all of the system performance characteristics required for defense related signal and image processing applications, such as SONAR and RADAR. "CSPI's value proposition is to integrate the best of breed technologies into the highest performing, and most open systems for today's defense related mission critical applications. Linux is the most open operating system available today. Integrating it into our ultra dense hardware platform gives our customers the optimal combination of open high performance cluster computing", said Scott Mitchell, Vice President Marketing for CSPI's MultiComputer Division.
XonTech, a FastCluster customer, is a leading research and development firm that provides technical services and systems engineering for the Aerospace and Defense Industries. "We are very much impressed with the ease of portability for our code stream that was initially developed on another platform. We ported several segments of the code over to the CSPI embedded system and were up and running within a day", stated David Lowe, Manager Information Systems - Special Studies Division of XonTech.
CSPI
Development Systems Selected by Lockheed Martin/Indra Sistemas S.A. for
Mk 92 Program
Customers
Benefit from the Outstanding Reliability of Fiber Interconnect
February 11, 2002 - CSP Inc. MultiComputer Division announced
that Lockheed Martin Naval Electronics & Surveillance Systems - Surface
Systems in Moorestown, NJ and Indra Sistemas S.A. in Madrid, Spain, the
premier Spanish defense company, have selected the CSPI 2000 SERIES products
as the DSP component of a COTS technology upgrade initiative for the Mk92
Fire Control System.
The Mk92 is a lightweight, compact family of fire control systems that provides AAW, ASuW and shore bombardment capabilities for naval surface combatants. The system combines integrated radar detection, command and control functions and multiple-channel engagement capability for fast reaction missile and gun operations. The modular design of the system makes it suitable for a variety of ship classes. Variants have been installed on more than seventy Oliver Hazard Perry class (FFG-7) frigates worldwide and the system is presently in use on the Santa Maria class frigates in the Spanish Navy as well as eight other international navies. It is also employed on U.S. Coast Guard cutters as well as international corvette/fast attack missile craft.
Lockheed Martin has been under contract with the U.S. Navy since the mid-1970s as the design agent for the Mk92 Gun and Missile Fire Control System. Over the life of the MK92 program, Lockheed Martin has continually developed improvements and upgrades for the fire control system. Teaming with Indra, Lockheed Martin will design and develop a state of the art Reconfigurable Generic Search DSP (RGSD) that will be used to perform surveillance and detection functions for the radar system.
"We
embrace the opportunity to provide products and support to the Lockheed
Martin/Indra development and integration teams. We, like they, are committed
to technology modernization efforts under the COTS initiative," stated
William Bent, Jr., General Manager and Vice President of CSPI MultiComputer
Division.
Product News
CSPI
Enhances High-Performance Cluster Computing Systems By Introducing Fiber
Networking Components
Customers Benefit from the Outstanding Reliability of Fiber
Interconnect
November 29, 2001- CSP Inc. (NASDAQ: CSPI) MultiComputer
Division is pleased to announce that all 2000 SERIES and FastCluster products
are now shipping with Myrinet fiber components. Incorporating Myrinet-fiber
links into the superior architectural design of the CSPI cluster computing
systems offers customers increased levels of quality and performance,
and a notable improvement in environmental operating condition ranges.
The Myrinet fiber links provide a high-bandwidth interconnect capable of 2.0+2.0 Gigabit/second data rates over distances up to 200 meters. CSPI cluster computing systems use the high speed data links for both intra- and inter chassis communication to create one continuous platform network, regardless of the number of processor nodes. Systems incorporating the 50/125 multimode fiber-pair cables are especially attractive for use in telecommunication and military applications where electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) compliance is of primary concern. The exceptionally reliable cables have no electrical contacts or connectors, emit no electromagnetic interference, and display incredible tolerance for "ground noise". These products all fall well within FCC Class A margins.
"Integrating
the Myrinet fiber components into our own products is just another
example of CSPI's ongoing commitment to invest in the latest open technology
and deliver state-of-the-art product upgrades to our customers" stated
William Bent, Jr., General Manager and Vice President of CSPI MultiComputer
Division.
The 2000 SERIES and FastCluster MultiComputers with Myrinet fiber components
are currently available for standard delivery of 45 days after order.
CSPI
Increases Memory Capacity of 2000 SERIES and FastCluster Systems by 100%
Performance
of Embedded Computer System Applications Driven to New Levels with 512
Megabytes of Memory per processor
October
31, 2001- CSP Inc. MultiComputer Division announced that new memory configurations,
with up to twice the current capacity, are now available for the top-of-the-line,
high-performance processing modules in the 2000 SERIES and FastCluster
product lines.
The 2821-XM MultiComputer module now offers 512 megabytes of high speed DRAM storage, coupled with the latest high-performance PowerPC processors with AltiVec and Myrinet-2000 technology, on a single 6U module. Systems incorporating 2821-XM MultiComputers are the most powerful embedded computer systems now available for demanding applications requiring a very large fast memory sub-system.
"The memory design of the 2821-XM MultiComputer is ideally matched to the needs of large compute-intensive applications," stated William Bent, Jr., General Manager and Vice President of CSPI MultiComputer Division. "The fast access, interleaved, 64-bit DRAM technology with error detection and correction provides an unbeatable solution for very large database problems as well as for complex signal processing in mission critical applications."
CSP Inc. Reports
Fourth-Quarter and Year-End Fiscal 2001 Financial Results
Key FastCluster MultiComputer Defense Contracts and Demand for ViewMax® Software Products Generate 22% Sequential Increase in Fourth-Quarter Sales
BILLERICA, MA, October 10, 2001 - CSP Inc. (Nasdaq:CSPI), a provider of Internet software for e-business solutions, image processing software, network management integration services and dense cluster computing systems, today reported financial results for the fourth quarter and 2001 fiscal year.
For the fiscal fourth quarter ended August 31, 2001, CSP Inc. reported a net loss of $582,000, or $(0.17) per share, on sales of $11.6 million. This compares with net income of $59,000, or $0.02 per share, on sales of $11.6 million for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2000.
For the 12 months ended August 31, 2001, CSP Inc. reported a net loss of $2.9 million, or $(0.82) per share, on sales of $41.9 million. This compares with net income of $675,000, or $0.18 per diluted share, on sales of $62.0 million in fiscal 2000. The Company recorded a tax expense for the year due primarily to the adjustment of its valuation reserve that was established to offset future tax benefits.
Comments
on Fourth-Quarter Performance
"Although the global economy continued to weaken during the fiscal
fourth quarter, CSP's sales rebounded more than 22 percent from the sequential
third quarter and were essentially level with sales for the year-earlier
quarter," said Alexander R. Lupinetti, CSP chairman, president and
chief executive officer.
"The Company's bottom-line performance also improved sequentially, thanks to the cost-reduction and cash-conservation initiatives we took during the fiscal third quarter and a continuing emphasis on rigorous cost control. At the same time, we continued our program of strategic investments in software and high-performance computer hardware technology. These investments have allowed us to create a technology and product pipeline that positions CSP to benefit from recent trends in U.S. defense procurements and from a resumption in the migration of e-business to the Internet when a recovery in global corporate IT investment begins to materialize," continued Lupinetti.
MODCOMP
Business
"Demand for MODCOMP's Web-to-host and wireless e-business solutions
remained soft in the fourth quarter, amid the continuing worldwide decline
in corporate IT spending," Lupinetti said. "Additionally we,
recorded an inventory write-down of $250,000 during the period, related
to the end-of-life of MODCOMP's CLASSIC systems. With January 31, 2002
remaining as the deadline for final orders and shipments of our CLASSIC
products, we anticipate an uptick in orders for these legacy products
during the first and second quarters of fiscal 2002. Going forward, MODCOMP's
primary focus will be to continue to enhance and support its newest WAP/66,
ViewMax® and ScadaBase products, and to unlock additional revenue
potential from these products by forging additional alliances with quality
partners."
"MODCOMP's introduction of its ViewMax Instant Integrator in September demonstrates the company's commitment to continued product development," continued Lupinetti.
"Instant Integrator adds a new dimension to the ViewMax development environment by enabling the generation of HTML pages from legacy applications quickly and error free. This allows companies to modernize their legacy applications with easy-to-use Web-based interfaces in a fraction of the time previously required."
Among MODCOMP's
new business wins during the fourth quarter was a contract
with Cornell University to build a Web-to-host front end for the university's
budgeting, workforce planning and compensation management applications.
MODCOMP will employ ViewMax to re-engineer the workflow and user interface
of three of Cornell's mission-critical, mainframe-based functions. Deployment
is scheduled for early 2002.
"MODCOMP's venture with British Telecom's eSP Group reflects the success of our alliance strategy," said Lupinetti. "This alliance has the potential to produce strong ViewMax sales to corporate clients in the UK in fiscal 2002." MODCOMP is also working to expand the scope of its channel partnership strategy by building alliances for offerings including content management, Web-enablement, and transaction security products and services. For example, MODCOMP announced an alliance with Integrated Information Systems, Inc. (IIS) during the fourth quarter, which has enabled the integration of MODCOMP's product suite with IIS' consultancy offerings to help clients extend their legacy IT systems to the Internet. At the same time, MODCOMP is positioning itself to benefit from an expected rebound in demand for its traditional outsourcing services, especially those designed to support mobile e-business as Europe's major wireless carriers increase their commitment to next-generation wireless infrastructure deployment.
MultiComputer
Business
"We have yet to see any change in fundamental military procurement
policies, and the ongoing trend toward extended defense deployment incubation
periods continued to be a significant factor in CSP's defense business
during the fourth quarter," Lupinetti said. "Nevertheless, our
confidence in the potential for our MultiComputer Division's Linux-based
FastCluster system was validated in a major way, as we shipped FastCluster
systems to four different U.S. defense contractors in August 2001. The
systems are being evaluated for use in five new military programs involving
laser signaling in detection and tracking systems, stimulation/simulation,
and Command, Control, Communication and Intelligence applications."
"Integrating Linux, the most open operating system available today, into CSP's ultra-dense hardware platform gives FastCluster's defense customers the optimal combination of high throughput and large memory in a rugged, compact, high-performance computer designed for the most demanding military applications," Lupinetti said.
"In addition, our MultiComputer Division announced a joint business relationship and technical collaboration with Objective Interface Systems, a worldwide provider of embedded and real-time communications software. This alliance provides our aerospace/defense customers with the advantage of both a hardware and software environment that is standards compliant, extremely reliable, highly scalable and can easily accommodate future growth in their complex, real-time distributed systems without compromising performance."
Corporate
Initiatives and Financial Outlook
To better align the reporting of its U.S. and European results, effective
October 1, 2001, the Company's fiscal year will consist of the months
of October through September, ending on September 30th. In order to accomplish
this transition, CSP will be reporting separately its results for the
month of September 2001.
"With our reduced cost structure and an array of compelling IT hardware, software and services offerings in both the defense and commercial sectors, CSP is positioned for a stronger year in fiscal 2002," Lupinetti said. "Fully capitalizing on these opportunities requires solid corporate business development capabilities, and we are very pleased that Scott M. Mitchell has joined our management team to assist in this key function. As CSP's vice president of corporate business development, Scott will focus on evolving and integrating our growth strategies for our multiple lines of business."
Commenting on the outlook for CSP's defense business, Lupinetti stated, "Given the growing awareness in the U.S. policymaking community that further investments in the nation's electronic defense and intelligence capabilities are essential to America's security, we are cautiously optimistic about the outlook for CSP's defense business."
"Although the prolonged downturn in commercial IT investment appears to be continuing, we believe the fundamentals for MODCOMP remain strong," stated Lupinetti. "As business conditions become increasingly competitive, we anticipate growing demand for IT solutions that lower overall cost and enhance productivity. Companies will also continue the global drive to shorten and minimize the complexity of supply chains by doing business with fewer, higher-quality suppliers, each of which can provide more of the overall IT solution. This is MODCOMP's value proposition, and MODCOMP's strategic focus on leveraging its e and m business software products through third-party alliances with a greater emphasis on outsourcing services is designed to capitalize on this value."