Silicon Graphics SGI Altix 3700 Bx2, User Manual

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Chapter 3
3. System Overview
This chapter provides an overview of the physical and architectural aspects of your SGI
Altix 3700 Bx2 series system. The major components of the Altix 3700 Bx2 series systems
are described and illustrated.
The Altix 3700 Bx2 series is a family of multiprocessor distributed shared memory (DSM)
computer systems that initially scale from 8 to 256 Intel 64-bit processors as a
cache-coherent single system image (SSI). Future releases will scale to larger processor
counts for SSI applications. Contact your SGI sales or service representative for the most
current information on this topic.
In a DSM system, each processor board contains memory that it shares with the other
processors in the system. Because the DSM system is modular, it combines the
advantages of low entry-level cost with global scalability in processors, memory, and
I/O. You can install and operate the Altix 3700 Bx2 series system in a rack in your lab or
server room. Each rack holds from 8 to 64 processors in 1 to 8 CR-bricks.
This chapter consists of the following sections:
• “System Models” on page 47
• “System Architecture” on page 49
• “System Features” on page 51
• “System Components” on page 55
Figure 3-1 shows the front views of a multiple-rack system (the Altix 3700 Bx2 system).