GB2536386A

GB2536386A - Personal cluster computer

Info

Publication number: GB2536386A
Application number: GB1611212.0A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Dul Robert
Original assignee: Flow Computing Tech Ltd
Current assignee: Flow Computing Tech Ltd
Priority date: 2016-06-28
Filing date: 2016-06-28
Publication date: 2016-09-14
Anticipated expiration: 2036-06-28
Also published as: GB201611212D0; GB2536386B

Abstract

A personal cluster computer comprises a cuboid cabinet (2), an internal frame (10) and four motherboards consisting of a master 3 and three slaves 4, 5, 6, each with a first edge and a second edge opposite the first edge. Within the cabinet, the master motherboard 3 is mounted on the frame vertically, perpendicular to a back panel 8 of the cabinet with its first edge adjacent the back panel. The first slave motherboard 4 is mounted on the frame vertically, parallel to the back panel 8 and adjacent to the second edge of the master 3 and an upper side of the cabinet. The second slave motherboard 5 is mounted on the frame vertically, parallel to the back panel 8 and the first slave 4, and at the same height as the first slave. The third slave motherboard 6 is mounted on the frame horizontally at a base of the cabinet and below the first and second slaves 4, 5. Each motherboard may have an attached ventilator 11 extending in a perpendicular direction to the motherboard to which it is attached in order to provide sufficient cooling.

Description

TITLE

Personal Cluster Computer

DESCRIPTION

Field of Invention

The present invention relates to cluster computing. The present. invention provides an optimised personal cluster computer consisting of four network connected motherboards in a single cabinet wherein the motherboards and associated components are arranged within the cabinet in an optimised manner to minimise the volume of the computer whilst still providing sufficient cooling to each motherboard and allow additional components to be mounted within the cabinet and wherein all (he components of the computer can be standard off-the-shelf components.

Background to Invention

Cluster computing is an active area of development within the computing industry. It has been found that a combination of higher computing power and greater reliability can be achieved by utilising several separate computers networked together as a single system, rather than constructing specialised super-computers.

The most powerful current cluster computers are rack supercomputers. Rack supercomputers consist of hundreds of thin motherboards mounted on a rack within specially constructed frames. Such supercomputers require a special environment having extremely powerful air conditioning, special protected electrical supplies, and can also be extremely noisy. In part due to these special requirements rack supercomputers are extremely expensive and only large organisations and institutions can invest in them.

As a cheaper alternative to rack supercomputers makeshift cluster computers are sometimes used. These generally comprise several standard computers networked together and mounted on a bespoke frame. These cluster computers can he relatively cheap depending on the specific hardware used. However, such cluster computers still require special environments. They also tend to be noisy and are typically located in locations where noise is not an issue, such as in a basement. They generally have a modest power consumption, in the range of 20kWh. Due to the ad hoc nature of their construction makeshift cluster computers tend to be large and are not suitable for large-scale commercialisation.

As a result of the above issues personal cluster computers intended for deskside use have been introduced as a commercial product. These products tend to comprise up to 120 processor cores provided on a plurality of motherboards within a cabinet that is sized for deskside use. They generally have a power consumption of approximately 2kWh and have cooling requirements that allow them to be used in a standard office environment. Currently available personal cluster computers have prices of between $10,000 and $50,000. This price is relatively high due to the fact that they generally comprise special hardware components designed for thin motherboard racks. In fact, many personal cluster computers are formed of components, including motherboards, that are intended for rack supercomputers. In most currently available personal cluster computers they motherboards are stacked in a rack such that are each horizontal and are positioned above one another.

In light of the above, there is a need for an improved personal cluster computer that comprises cheap components, is capable of deskside use, and is capable of large-scale commercialisation. Any such personal cluster computer should be the minimum necessary size whilst still allowing sufficient cooling of its components. That is, both the footprint and the volume of the personal cluster computer should be minimised. Preferably, in order to minimise cost, any such personal cluster computer should be able to be constructed from off-the-shelf components.

Summauy of Invention The present invention provides a personal cluster computer comprising: a substantially cuboid cabinet; an internal frame formed within the cabinet for mounting components; four motherboards consisting of a master, first slave, second slave and third slave, wherein each motherboard is substantially flat board having a first edge and a second edge opposite the first edge, each motherboard having at least one auxiliary component attached thereto such that each auxiliary component extends in a direction perpendicular to the motherboard to which it is attached; and a network switch; the motherboards being mounted within the cabinet in the following manner: the master motherboard is mounted on the frame vertically, perpendicular to a back panel of the cabinet, and with its first edge adjacent to the back panel such that input/output connectors of the master motherboard are at the back panel; the first slave motherboard is mounted on the frame vertically, parallel to the back panel of the cabinet, and adjacent the second edge of the master motherboard and an upper side of the cabinet; the second slave motherboard is mounted on the frame vertically, parallel to the back panel and the first slave motherboard, and at substantially the same height as the first slave motherboard; and the third slave motherboard is mounted on the frame horizontally at a base of the cabinet and below the first and second slave motherboards.

The personal cluster computer of the present invention is advantageous in that it provides a cluster computer with four motherboards in an optimised arrangement within a small cabinet that can be located at a deskside. The personal cluster computer of the present invention can be constructed from standard off-the-shelf components that are readily available to the skilled person in order to minimise its cost. Further, the use of standard components and the relatively small size of the computer can allow it to be commercialized on a large scale. If standard components are used according to the preferred embodiment discussed below and shown in the Figures the cabinet may be 35cm wide x 56.2cm high x 65 cm deep and have a footprint no larger than many standard deskside computers that are currently available.

The specific arrangement of the components of the computer within the cabinet and on the frame is optimised to minimise the size of the computer, to allow the in/out connectors of the master motherboard to be easily accessible in accordance with normal conventions, to allow sufficient air flow and cooling within the computer, and to allow standard components to he used. That is, the position of each component within the computer is determined by the technical requirements of the invention.

In embodiments of the invention an auxiliary component of each motherboard will he a ventilator. That is, in such embodiments each motherboard has a ventilator attached thereto such that the ventilator extends in a direction perpendicular to the motherboard to which it is attached. Although it is anticipated that most embodiments of the invention will comprise ventilators in this manner this is not essential as some embodiments of the invention may utilise liquid cooling for the motherboards. In embodiments that utilise liquid cooling each motherboard will comprise an alternative auxiliary component such as a data processing card.

In embodiments of the invention, an auxiliary component of each motherboard may be a graphics card or other data processing card. That is, in such embodiments each graphics card or other data processing card attached thereto such that the card extends in a direction perpendicular to the motherboard to which it is attached.

The present invention is preferably formed from standard off-the-shelf components that are readily available to the skilled person in order to minimise its cost. This means that it is not necessary to use expensive motherboards that arc more properly intended for rack supercomputers. Instead, motherboards that might more usually be found in standard deskside computers can he used. Such motherboards and their auxiliary components, such as ventilators and data processing cards, arc not necessarily designed or intended to be used in a cluster computer. For example, a ventilator of such a motherboard will be formed such that it extends perpendicularly from the motherboard. Whilst this can provide good ventilation to the motherboard it is not ideal for minimising space when the motherboard forms part of a cluster computer. Other auxiliary components, such as data processing cards, are often arranged in a similar manner. As a result, such motherboards have generally not been used in previous attempts to produce commercially viable cluster computers that could be manufactured on a large scale. The present invention can utilise such standard motherboards and their auxiliary components in a space efficient manner and results in a commercially viable cluster computer of small volume and high power. This is achieved by arranging the motherboards and their auxiliary components within the cabinet of the computer in the manner defined in claim 1.

For example, positioning the master motherboard such that it is vertical and immediately adjacent the back panel of the cabinet minimises the necessary width of the cabinet whilst still allowing its in/out connectors to he easily accessed from the rear of the computer. The slave motherboards do not need their in/out connectors to be immediately accessible so they do not need to be immediately adjacent the back panel. The location of the slave motherboards is carefully optimised such that they can be cooled sufficiently but also retain space for graphics or other data processing cards should they be required and for large (standard) ventilators to he mounted perpendicularly thereon should they be require. Positioning the third slave motherboard below the first and second slave motherboards minimises the required depth of the cabinet.

Further, the personal cluster computer of claim 1 is arranged so as to provide space above and behind the master motherboard which can he advantageously used for mounting power supply units (see below) or air conditioning units (see below) should they be required without the need to increase the size of the cabinet.

In addition the arrangement of the components within the computer is optimised with respect to airflow and the required cooling of the components if the auxiliary components of the computer include ventilators. In these embodiments ambient air can be drawn in from one side of the cabinet by the ventilators of the first and second slave motherboards. The ventilators of all four motherboards can draw air through the cabinet towards the back panel. In some embodiments of the invention this air flow can provide sufficient cooling of the components of the personal cluster computer. In other embodiments additional air conditioning units may be required (see below).

The cabinet of the present invention may be formed in any manner apparent to the person skilled in the art. If the computer comprises ventilators attached to each motherboard it will he generally preferable that the cabinet has vents positioned adjacent the ventilators of the slave motherboards to allow good air flow and cooling through the cabinet. The cabinet may be formed in the same manner as a standard deskside computer.

It may be preferable that each motherboard has an independent power source unit. This is advantageous as it can allow independent usage of the motherboards regardless of whether the other motherboards are turned on or off. That is, providing an independent power source unit for motherboard can allow the power supply to each motherboard to be independently controlled.

As set out above, it is preferable that the components of the personal cluster computer of the present invention are standard components that are cheap and readily available. Therefore, it may be preferred that each motherboard is either a micro-ATX, ATX, or extended ATX motherboards. These are standard sized motherboards that are readily available. In embodiments of the invention the master motherboard may be an ATX motherboard and the first, second, and third motherboards may be micro-ATX motherboards.

In sonic embodiments of the invention the motherboards may be either single CPU or double CPU motherboards. In some embodiments each motherboard may be a single CPU motherboard such that the computer has from 30 to 50 processor cores. In other embodiments each motherboard may he a double CPU motherboard such that the computer has from 60 to 100 processor cores. In further alternative embodiments the motherboards may be a combination of single CPU motherboards and double CPU motherboards.

A personal cluster computer according to the present invention may comprise any number of storage drives. In preferred embodiments a personal cluster computer according to the present invention may comprise 12 storage drives. These 12 storage drives may consist of 12 2.5 inch storage drives. As an alternative the 12 storage drives may consist of 10 2.5 inch storage drives and 2 3.5 inch storage drives. It is to he understood that as the size of off-the-shelf storage drives and their bolt patterns are generally standardized the storage drives can be hard-disk drives (HDD), solid-state drives, or a mix thereof.

The motherboards of the personal cluster computer may be connected in any manner apparent to a person skilled in the art. It will be generally preferable that the motherboards are connected to allow them each to he operated independently or connectedly in a cluster-mode.

As set out above, one or more of the motherboards of the present invention may be equipped with a graphics card (GPU). The provision of one or more GPUs is advantageous as such cards can allow a personal cluster computer to carry out simulations, calculations, and other operations to be carried out that would be difficult or impossible in their absence. For example many engineering simulations are best carried out on GPUs. In some embodiments of the invention each motherboard may have a GPU. Preferably, any GPUs in an embodiment of the invention will be a standard off-the-shelf component. For example, it may be preferable that GPUs of an embodiment of the present invention are PCI express cards. Such cards are generally 241mm long and 96.9mm high.

If the computer comprises ventilators then said ventilators must be sufficient to provide adequate ventilation to the motherboard to which they are attached. Further, in order to minimise the noise of the personal cluster computer it is preferable that the largest possible ventilators are used. This is because generally the speed of a ventilator is dependent on its size with smaller ventilators required to operate at higher speeds than larger ventilators to provide the same air flow. This is a particular issue when CPUs of a motherboard is fully loaded and requires maximum cooling. Operating at higher speeds necessarily generates more noise than operating at lower speed.

As a result of this, if the computer comprises ventilators, it may be preferable that each ventilator has a height from 90mm to 178mm, wherein 178mm may be the largest ventilator that can he physically accommodated. In order to use standard ventilators and to provide some spare space within the cabinet it may be preferable that each ventilator is 118mm high.

In order to provide sufficient cooling to the personal cluster computer it is preferable that it comprises one or more air conditioning units. Any suitable air conditioning units can be used. Preferred embodiments of the present invention may comprise a plurality of air conditioning units mounted on the frame within the cabinet in a position immediately adjacent the back panel of the cabinet. It may be particularly preferred that the present invention has four air conditioning units.

The network switch of the present invention will preferably he mounted immediately adjacent the back panel of the cabinet such that its ports can be accessed through the back panel. The network switch may be mounted such it is immediately adjacent the back panel of the cabinet and to one side of the master motherboard.

The network switch of the present invention may be any suitable network switch apparent to the person skilled in the art. Generally, the network switch will require at least five ports: one for a local area network connection and four for the motherboards. As for other components it is generally preferable that the network switch is a standard off-the-shelf component that is readily available at relatively low cost. For example, the network switch may be an 8-port gigabit LAN switch. The additional ports, beyond the four required for the motherboard and one for a local area network connection, may be used to connect the personal cluster computer to other computers, such as a personal notebook computer.

Further features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the preferred embodiment of the invention that is shown in the drawings and is discussed below.

Drawings Figure 1 is a first side view of an embodiment of a personal cluster computer according to the present invention with the cabinet and internal flame omitted; Figure 2 is a second side view of the embodiment of Figure 1 with the cabinet and internal frame omitted; Figure 3 is a plan view of the embodiment of Figures 1 and 2 from the same side as Figure 2 including the internal frame but with a top panel of the cabinet removed; Figure 4 is a side view showing the arrangement of the motherboards within the embodiment of Figures 1 to 3; Figure 5 is a top view showing the arrangement of the motherboards within the embodiment of the previous Figures; Figure 6 is a top view showing the master motherboard and back panel of the embodiment of the previous Figures; and Figure 7 is a top view showing the master motherboard, back panel, and first and second slave motherboards of the embodiment of the previous Figures.

Components and features of an embodiment of a personal cluster computer 1 according to an embodiment of present invention are shown in the Figures. The computer 1 has a cabinet 2, an internal frame 10 formed within the cabinet for mounting components. During normal use the cabinet 2 is the only visible component of the computer, all other components being mounted internally within the cabinet.

The cabinet 2 has a back panel 8 at a rear side.

The computer 1 has four motherboards 3, 4, 5, 6: a master motherboard 3, a first slave motherboard 4, a second slave motherboard 5, and a third slave motherboard 6. Each motherboard 3, 4, 5, 6 is a flat board and has a ventilator 11 perpendicularly attached thereto. The computer 1 additionally has a network switch 7, storage drives 13, power supply units 9. All of these components are mounted on the internal frame 10 within the cabinet 2.

AU of the motherboards 3, 4, 5, 6 are rectangular and have in/out connectors at a first edge. Each motherboard 3, 4, 5, 6 has a single CPU having ten computing cores. As a result the computer 1 has forty computing cores. Each motherboard 3, 4, 5, 6 is -10 -provided with a standard PCI express card (not shown), which is approximately 241mm long and 97mm high. The PCI express cards 12 are mounted parallel to the ventilator 11 of the motherboard 3, 4, 5, 6 on which they are mounted and perpendicular to said motherboard. The ventilators 11 of each motherboard 3, 4, 5, 6 are high performance CPU coolers with a height of approximately 118mm. The master motherboard 3 is an ATX motherboard having a length of 305mm and a width of 244mm. The first, second, and third slave motherboards 4, 5, 6 are ATX motherboards of standard dimensions. All of the components of the computer 1, with the exception of the cabinet 2 and the frame 10 are off-the-shelf standard components that are freely available in order to minimise the cost of the computer 1.

The components of the computer 1 are arranged within the cabinet 2 in accordance with the present invention in order to minimise the footprint and volume of the cabinet 2 whilst allowing the computer 1 to operate in a normal room-temperature environment without the need for additional cooling.

The master motherboard 3, is positioned adjacent the back panel 8 such that its in/out connectors are positioned at the back panel. This is because it is advantageous that users can easily access these connectors without needing to remove any covers or panels of the computer 1 and such connectors are conventionally positioned at a back panel of a computer. The master motherboard 3 is positioned vertically to minimise the necessary width of the cabinet 2. The master motherboard 3 is also positioned such that an edge is adjacent a base of the cabinet 2 thereby providing free space within the cabinet 2 above the motherboard. The positioning of the master motherboard 3 within the cabinet 2 is shown in isolation in Figure 6.

The positioning of the first, second, and third slave motherboards 4, 5, 6 within the cabinet 2 is determined by the same considerations: the minimisation of the footprint and the volume of the cabinet whilst avoiding the need for specialist cooling. As they are slave motherboards 4, 5, 6 it is not crucial that their in/out connectors are accessible to a user. As a result of these criteria the first and second slave motherboards 4, 5 are positioned vertically and parallel to the back panel 8 of the cabinet 2. In order to allow good airflow through the cabinet 2 the first and second slave motherboards 4, 5 are positioned adjacent a top side of the cabinet. That is, they are vertically staggered from the master motherboard 3. The third slave motherboard 6 is positioned horizontally and beneath the first and second slave motherboards 4, 5.

A block of storage drives 13 are provided behind the ventilator of the first slave motherboard 4.

A height of the cabinet 2 is substantially determined by the positioning of the first, second, and third slave motherboards 4, 5, 6: in particular the size of the ATX motherboards 4, 5, 6 and the height of the ventilator 11 of the third slave motherboard 6. A width of the cabinet 2 is determined by the width of the first and second slave motherboards 4, 5. A depth of the cabinet 2 is determined by a width of the master motherboard 3 and the third slave motherboard 6. The motherboards 3, 4, 5, 6 are all positioned to allow good air flow through the cabinet. As shown in Figure 4 this arrangement is also beneficial as the in/out connectors of all the slave motherboards 4, 5, 6 face the same direction, making connection of these motherboards simple. In addition, the ventilators 11 of the first, second, and third motherboards 4, 5, 6 also all face the same direction, making air flow simpler.

The space above the master motherboard 3 is utilised for mounting two power supply units 9. Two further power supply units 9 are positioned to a rear side of the master motherboard 3. AU four power supply units 9 are positioned adjacent the back panel 8 such that a hot air outlet of each power supply unit can he directed out of the computer 1.

The network switch 7 is positioned adjacent an upper side of the master motherboard 3 and the back panel 8. This allows ports of the network switch 7 to be easily accessed from the back panel 8. The network switch 7 is an 8-port Gigabit LAN switch. This allows four ports for the motherboards 3, 4, 5, 6 a port for a LAN connection and three spare ports for other uses, such as connecting a user's personal computer.

-12 -The arrangement of the air conditioning units 9, motherboards 3, 4, 5, 6, and ventilators 11 provide optimised cooling for the computer 1. As shown in Figure 3, ambient air is drawn in from a side of the cabinet 2 by the ventilators 11 of the first, second and third slave motherboards 4. 5, 6. In order to allow this the side of the cabinet 2 has vents formed therein. The air drawn in by the ventilators 11 of the first, and second slave motherboards 4, 5 is pushed towards the storage drives 13 to cool those drives. Air is drawn out of the cabinet by the power supply units 9. The ventilator 11 of the master motherboard 3 draws air from inside the cabinet, primarily from air drawn in by the ventilator 11 of the third slave motherboard 6 that is not used to cool the storage drives 13. In this manner all of the components of the computer 1 can be adequately cooled in a normal office environment at acceptable noise levels.

Claims

-13 -CLAIMS1. A personal cluster computer comprising: a substantially cuboid cabinet; an internal frame formed within the cabinet for mounting components; four motherboards consisting of a master, first slave, second slave and third slave, wherein each motherboard is substantially flat board having a first edge and a second edge opposite the first edge, each motherboard having at least one auxiliary component attached thereto such that each auxiliary component extends in a direction perpendicular to the motherboard to which it is attached; and a network switch; the motherboards being mounted within the cabinet in the following manner: the master motherboard is mounted on the frame vertically, perpendicular to a back panel of the cabinet, and with its first edge adjacent to the back panel such that input/output connectors of the master motherboard are at the back panel; the first slave motherboard is mounted on the frame vertically, parallel to the back panel of the cabinet, and adjacent the second edge of the master motherboard and an upper side of the cabinet; the second slave motherboard is mounted on the frame vertically, parallel to the back panel and the first slave motherboard, and at substantially the same height as the first slave motherboard; and the third slave motherboard is mounted on the frame horizontally at a base of the cabinet and below the first and second slave motherboards.
2. A personal cluster computer according to claim 1, wherein each motherboard has a ventilator attached thereto such that the ventilator extends in a direction perpendicular to the motherboard to which it is attached.
3. A personal cluster computer according to claim 2, wherein each ventilator has a height from 90mm to 180mm.
4. A personal cluster computer according to claim 3, wherein the height of each ventilator is 118mm.

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5. A personal cluster computer according to any preceding claim, wherein each motherboard has a graphics card or other data processing card attached thereto such that the card extends in a direction perpendicular to the motherboard to which it is attached.
6. A personal cluster computer according to claim 5, wherein the or each graphics card is a standard PCI express card.
7. A personal cluster computer according to any preceding claim, wherein each motherboard has an independent power source unit mounted on the frame within the cabinet immediately adjacent a back panel of the cabinet.
8. A personal cluster computer according to any preceding claim, wherein each motherboard is either a micro-ATX, ATX, or extended ATX motherboard.
9. A personal cluster computer according to claim 8 wherein the master motherboard is an ATX motherboard and the fist, second, and third slave motherboards are micro-ATX motherboards.
10. A personal cluster computer according to any preceding claim, wherein each motherboard has either a single CPU or a double CPU.
11. A personal cluster computer according to claim 10, wherein each motherboard has a single CPU and the computer has from 30 to 50 processor cores.
12. A personal cluster computer according to claim 10, wherein each motherboard has a double CPU and the computer has from 60 to 100 processor cores.
13. A personal cluster computer according to any preceding claim, further comprising 12 storage drives.

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14. A personal cluster computer according to claim 11, wherein the 12 storage drives consist of 12 2.5 inch storage drives.
15. A personal cluster computer according to claim 11, wherein the 12 storage drives consist of 10 2.5 inch storage drives and 2 3.5 inch storage drives.
16. A personal cluster computer according to any preceding claim, wherein the motherboards arc connected to allow them to be operated independently or connectedly.
17. A personal cluster computer according to any preceding claim, further comprising a plurality of air conditioning units mounted on the frame within the cabinet in a position immediately adjacent the back panel of the cabinet.
18. A personal cluster computer according to claim 17 having four air conditioning units.
19. A personal cluster computer according to any preceding claim, wherein the network switch is mounted on the frame within the cabinet immediately adjacent the back panel of the cabinet and to one side of the master motherboard.
20. A personal cluster computer according to any preceding claim wherein the network switch is an 8-port gigabit LAN switch.