The next-generation 6400Mbit GSN gigabyte system network technology recently got its first outing at CERN, the European Centre for Nuclear Research in Geneva. GSN – nee Super-HIPPI, nee HIPPI-6400 – can send data down duplexed connections at 640 megabytes per second. Genroco has a PCI GSN interface linking Sun Sparc and Compaq Alpha boxes. Two Silicon Graphics workstations have also been networked. The High Performance Networking Forum is also to vote on a proposed GSN standard operating at 1 gigabyte (1,000Mb) per second parallel copper interface usable across distances of up to 40 meters. That will push GSN towards becoming an ANSI interconnect standard. The forum is also working on an optical GSN standard. SGI already licenses GSN controllers called SuMacs; Super HIPPI media access control chipsets. Product implementations of the GSN standard will follow from SGI, Genroco, ODS and others. Now it’s time for companies with patents to implement any HIPPI standards work to come to an agreement with ANSI over the patents it requires.
