new backend computer?

[David Webber <dwebber@npl.uiuc.edu>]

Hi Tim and Volodya,

Would a faster backend machine be a good investment?  MuCap is 
considering purchasing a new machine for analysis that would be four 
times faster than their Cheetah, and we could buy a similar machine and 
share both (MuCap would get both for their run, in exchange for us 
getting both for our run).  In your opinion, would upgrading the backend 
significantly improve our livetime?

Thanks,
David



 >peter wrote:

 >FYI

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Thu, 19 Jan 2006 18:06:15 -0800
From: Frederick Gray <fegray@berkeley.edu>
To: kammel@npl.uiuc.edu
Subject: online analysis computers

Dear Peter,

During run 9, we were able to process online approximately 20% of the
incoming data, using a single processor on cheetah.  I would propose 
that it
may be very useful to have full real-time reconstruction capability
available for run 9A.

The processors in cheetah are Opteron 242s.  From the benchmark
information that I have seen on the Web, it seems that the Opteron 270 is
about twice as fast.  Using both processors of a dual-processor machine,
we would gain a factor of about 4 over cheetah.  To be safe, I propose
purchasing two such machines, which would give us a factor of 8.   Each 
machine
costs about $3400, so we're looking at a total of $7000.

As you know, Berkeley's equipment budget is $0.  Do you think there is a
possibility that any of us have this kind of funding available?

Thanks,

-- Fred

-- Fred Gray / Visiting Postdoctoral Researcher                 --
-- Department of Physics / University of California, Berkeley   --
-- fegray@berkeley.edu / phone 510-642-2438 / fax 510-642-9811  --