New, high performance hardware for computing and data storage provided with additional funding from the DOE-OBER is being tested. A four-processor Digital Alpha server running Digital UNIX and a 750 GB storage array are in commissioning phase to serve BL9-2, BL9-1, and BL7-1 in the near future for data storage and analysis. The high readout speeds of the two MAR345 detectors on BL7-1 and BL9-1 and the even higher rate of the ADSC-Q4 CCD detector on BL9-2 require fast and robust access to storage arrays. Only if data can be accessed by multiple computers at speeds greatly exceeding the speed of data collection, geometric corrections and data analysis can be done sufficiently. First tests are also underway with SGI Octane computers, which have dual graphics capability allowing for two simulataneous console logins on two consoles (two monitors, keyboards, mice). The long term plan is to provide a unified interface on the SGI computers to data collection and data processing, while the actual compute jobs are performed on remote servers. The benefits are in user friendliness, robustness and performance.
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