computer science

SGI Origin 350

SGI Origin 350 is a computer science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand SGI Origin 350 rather than just read about it. In short: The SGI Origin 350 is a mid-range server computer developed and manufactured by SGI introduced in 2003. Their discontinuation in December 2006 brought to a close almost two decades of MIPS and IRIX computing.

Key takeaways

SGI Origin 350 belongs to computer science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect SGI Origin 350 to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of SGI Origin 350 from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

The SGI Origin 350 is a mid-range server computer developed and manufactured by SGI introduced in 2003. Their discontinuation in December 2006 brought to a close almost two decades of MIPS and IRIX computing.

Hardware The Origin 350 is based on the NUMAflex architecture, where a system is constructed from a varying number of modules connected together using the NUMAlink3 interconnect via cables. A system can consist of 2 to 32 processors, 1 to 64 GB of memory and 4 to 62 PCI-X slots. For systems with more than 8 processors, a 2U NUMAlink module is required for routing. Modules for disk storage and further PCI slots were also available. Multiple modules are coordinated at power up by an L2 controller which communicated to the modules via USB ports. The L2 controller was an external PowerPC computer running Linux with console, USB, modem and Ethernet ports.

Compute module The 2U compute module contained the processors, memory and four PCI-X slots on two buses. Each compute module features an IP53 node board, which contains two or four MIPS R16000 microprocessors clocked at 600 or 700 MHz with 4 MB of ECC L2 cache, eight DIMM slots for 1 to 8 GB of ECC memory, a Bedrock ASIC serving as the crossbar for enabling communication between the processors, memory and PCI-X slots. Two variants of the compute module exist, the base compute module and the system expansion compute modules. The difference between these two models is that the inclusion of a SCSI disk drive and an IO9 input/output card is mandatory in the base compute module, but optional in the system expansion compute module. The IO9 input/output card connects to a PCI-X slot and provides SCSI interfaces for two internal disks, an external SCSI port, audio I/O and a 10/100/1000BASE-T Ethernet connection.

References

SGI Origin 350 Server System User's Guide, 007-4566-001, June 16, 2003, Silicon Graphics

External links SGI: SGI Origin 350 nekochan wiki: SGI Origin 350 Archived 2015-09-19 at the Wayback Machine

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with SGI Origin 350

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what SGI Origin 350 claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In computer science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to SGI Origin 350 before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about SGI Origin 350 ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of SGI Origin 350

In research: SGI Origin 350 appears in computer science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses SGI Origin 350 in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: SGI Origin 350 is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Computer-related introductions in 2003, Computer hardware stubs, SGI servers, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for SGI Origin 350 outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study SGI Origin 350 in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what SGI Origin 350 means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain SGI Origin 350 out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is SGI Origin 350 in simple terms?

Why does SGI Origin 350 matter?

Because it connects several computer science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study SGI Origin 350?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on SGI Origin 350.