Supercomputer

A supercomputer is a computer with an exceptionally high processing capacity and
computing power. Since its introduction in the forties to the present , the
capacity of electronic machines increases rapidly.

The first supercomputers were built in 60 years, an average pocket calculator
now has a greater capacity. Currently (2010), the Cray XT5 Jaguar is the fastest
supercomputer. Then followed by IBM Roadrunner (2008) and the Blue Gene / L
(2004) IBM, which in turn was preceded by the Earth Simulator (2002) of NEC.

<bold>Mainframe vs. Supercomputer </bold>

One should not confuse a supercomputer with a mainframe. Both have a large
capacity, but supercomputer is the greatest. Mainframe purpose is to serve users
continuosly. They used a supercomputer can take pleasure when a system that
sometimes must be serviced, but which demanded absolute excellence if the system
is running. The focus is usually on floating point operations. Often a
supercomputer used for research work in universities or technical institutes
which at any moment only a limited number of people the system works, and each
user has their own specific applications.

<bold> Safety </bold>

A particular aspect of supercomputers is the possibility that this could be used
for encryption and decryption algorithms and to do research on the effects of
nuclear weapons. That is why USA restrict the exports of supercomputers.

<bold> Features </bold>

Supercomputers now contain multiple processors. While most (home) PC's one or
two processors, a supercomputer may contain thousands. These processors are
connected by a very fast network. Widely used for supercomputers include
Myrinet, Quadrics and InfiniBand. Some super computer like Cray, that can
develop their own network. Other common features of supercomputers, the presence
of memory and storage capacity. It is also possible to a cluster of computers to
act as a fast supercomputer. Its tasks are then distributed supercomputing on
the computers that the supercomputer. Now increasingly powerful personal
computers can also be used in a cluster.

<bold> Future </bold>

Today, increasing use of these clusters that operate using Distributed Computing
with networks such as normal (slower but much cheaper) PCs as a major
supercomputer deployment. Sometimes exceeds the computational speed of these
networks of the largest 'single' supercomputers. An example is the network of
the world scattered PCs are used in SETI search for extraterrestrial life. This
"virtual" network computers are faster and can often be measured well with the
fastest supercomputers. Some experts therefore suggest that as the networks from
which the Internet is becoming faster and gradually all the computers connected
to the Internet eventually as a single "supercomputer" will function. That would
be pointless to even have separate supercomputers to speak. For now this will
not happen because the connections between individual computers via ordinary
Internet is too slow. Especially the startup time of compounds (Latency) via
ordinary Internet yet too high.