NextIO, a premier provider of next-generation I/O solutions, today announced it is working with IBM to offer customers integrated cluster solutions that incorporate NextIO technology, with availability in 2010. The solution will enable reconfigurable and on demand GPU compute capabilities for IBM iDataplex customers. The announcement was made at the Supercomputing 2009 show in Portland, Ore.

The reference architecture for the solution is based on NextIO’s I/O virtualization technology, which provides a flexible, agile, scalable, open and energy efficient platform that supports a variety of GPUs. For example, IBM and NextIO will deliver modular "hot plug" sleds for servicing or upgrading GPUs without incurring system downtime.

The GPU virtualization solution will offer the ability for a single IBM iDataPlex™ server to access from one to eight double-wide GPUs or up to 16 single-wide GPUs in the appliance. Users can quickly and easily enable more or less GPU resources on demand, depending on application requirements. Each iDataPlex rack supports 10 GPU appliances providing up to 160 GPUs and over 80TFlops of compute processing per rack.

“IBM is committed to offering iDataPlex customers the best HPC solution for investment protection at the lowest total cost of ownership,” said Alex Yost, vice president, IBM Systems & Technology Group. “Customers in HPC now have the performance, density and power savings of iDataPlex available for applications that require GPU computing.”

“Today’s announcement helps validate NextIO’s leadership in I/O virtualization and will help drive rapid adoption of NextIO-based solutions in the HPC market,” said K.C. Murphy, founder and CEO, NextIO. “NextIO looks forward to continuing our work with IBM in rolling out a joint solution in 2010.”

NextIO will be available at the IBM booth #1335 and the NextIO booth #2585 during Supercomputing 2009.