IT professionals better off in SA

vodacom3g said:
What year was this?

I just ran through the Top 500 Super computer lists for the last few years and can't find a year when Switzerland topped the list in Europe.

In 2008, the best the Swiss could do was 85th, 39th in 2007 and 16th in 2006.

UK for the same periods: 18th, 17th, 15th
Germany: 6th, 2nd, 8th
Click to expand...
Which list is this (SOURCE)?
 
Just a couple of the bigger boys in SA who have spent (and are continuously spending) millions on UNIX systems on a yearly basis (in most cases IBM, which is who I help with implementations), where I have been involved last year:

1. Telkom (quite a couple of P570s, P595s, and recently started to switch to P6s, apart from the stacks of HP SuperDomes and Sun E series)
2. Vodacom (agree with v3g that their computer centers are awesome!)
3. MTN (has an impressive new link between their data centers :eek:)
4. Eskom (Just finished delivering another 4 full P595s there...)

Then smaller, but still substantial:
5. City of Cape Town (was the biggest SAP Billing system worldwide in 2006, and is used as a SAP reference site for this...)
6. Unilever
7. NewClicks
8. Media24
9. Shoprite
...

Thus, lot of sites, lots of money being spent, and lots of money being made! :cool: And all on UNIX! :)
 
vodacom3g said:
Top 500 SuperComputer Sites, been running since 1986 and in it's current form since 1993.

Why don't you post some specs on the system you worked on. And when?
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Country/Geographical Region ..? What did you want to compare exactly. There are a lot of options. I don't recall the exact specs. It's not that relevant to the discussion anyway.
  • If you look at the best computers outside the US, where are they situated??
  • Where does SA come in this list??
 
ettubrute said:
Just a couple of the bigger boys in SA who have spent (and are continuously spending) millions on UNIX systems on a yearly basis (in most cases IBM, which is who I help with implementations), where I have been involved last year:

1. Telkom (quite a couple of P570s, P595s, and recently started to switch to P6s, apart from the stacks of HP SuperDomes and Sun E series)
2. Vodacom (agree with v3g that their computer centers are awesome!)
3. MTN (has an impressive new link between their data centers :eek:)
4. Eskom (Just finished delivering another 4 full P595s there...)

Then smaller, but still substantial:
5. City of Cape Town (was the biggest SAP Billing system worldwide in 2006, and is used as a SAP reference site for this...)
6. Unilever
7. NewClicks
8. Media24
9. Shoprite
...

Thus, lot of sites, lots of money being spent, and lots of money being made! :cool: And all on UNIX! :)
Click to expand...
I'm pleased to hear it. I'll have to check them out. (no Linux then, data-centre-dave will be disappointed ;))
 
Sackboy said:
Country/Geographical Region ..? What did you want to compare exactly. There are a lot of options. I don't recall the exact specs. It's not that relevant to the discussion anyway.
  • If you look at the best computers outside the US, where are they situated??
  • Where does SA come in this list??
Click to expand...

We're trying to establish the supporting evidence for your statement that you worked on the "biggest, fastest computer in Europe" (your words) at a bank in Switzerland.

So far, we've not been able to get any such supporting data. (Care to help a bit? :))

So, this list of the "biggest, fastest" computers in the world over the last two decades is a good place to try and find your elusive system. But, alas, can't find a Swiss system anywhere near the top in Europe.

I did notice though that the top system in Switserland seems to run Linux. :)
 
vodacom3g said:
We're trying to establish the supporting evidence for your statement that you worked on the "biggest, fastest computer in Europe" (your words) at a bank in Switzerland.

So far, we've not been able to get any such supporting data. (Care to help a bit? :))

So, this list of the "biggest, fastest" computers in the world over the last two decades is a good place to try and find your elusive system. But, alas, can't find a Swiss system anywhere near the top in Europe.

I did notice though that the top system in Switserland seems to run Linux. :)
Click to expand...
I'm amazed at how much you're adding quite freely to what I originally said or assuming things. I never said the bank was in Switzerland. Before we continue this 'debate' let's try and resolve that first.

[By the way, you sound like you're conducting an interrogation, but I want to know where this is going or why it's relevant to the topic.]
 
Sackboy said:
Country/Geographical Region ..? What did you want to compare exactly. There are a lot of options. I don't recall the exact specs. It's not that relevant to the discussion anyway.
Click to expand...

It is relevant to your credibility.
 
Sackboy said:
I'm amazed at how much you're adding quite freely to what I originally said or assuming things. I never said the bank was in Switzerland. Before we continue this 'debate' let's try and resolve that first.

[By the way, you sound like you're conducting an interrogation, but I want to know where this is going or why it's relevant to the topic.]
Click to expand...

Well, it all started when you said you worked on the "biggest and fastest computer in all of Europe". And you kinda used the statement as justification for knowing so much about the discrepancies in SA / ROW IT environments.

So, we're just all very interested which one it was.

I assumed a Swiss Bank (as per your post) and that they probably would have their biggest systems in Switzerland. If not Switzerland, where is the system?

We've already established you've not really worked on SA-based systems (but have perused the job sections in the news papers), and it's much cooler to talk about the big, butch system you worked on in Europe.

I'm sure you can throw us a bone here and tell us more about this system?
 
icyrus said:
It is relevant to your credibility.
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You're quite welcome to your opinion, but you don't back it up. Put your own experiences and workplace out there and we can compare if you like. Thus far I see just pointed questions (and a giggle). We are well OT.:p
 
Sackboy said:
You're quite welcome to your opinion, but you don't back it up. Put your own experiences and workplace out there and we can compare if you like. Thus far I see just pointed questions (and a giggle). We are well OT.:p
Click to expand...

As you will rightly see if you read the thread I have made no claims, unlike you.

I have merely asked for justifications of your claims. Should be easy to do, given your vast experience then? Lets see how it turns out, although I have my suspicions.
 
OT

I think I'm going to execute:

Code: 
LOCAL: chrisb@wal-e [ 23:58:21 ][ ~ ]$ sudo shutdown -h -P now

Well we are so derailed, that if I were not tired I would tell you what I saw today when I took my little monster for his daily walk

Cheers

/OT
 
cbrunsdonza said:
Interesting that UNIX / LINUX / BSD kernel based OS's count for 99% of super computers.
Click to expand...

For operators who want high performance and high quality processing... of course they would use Linux. Its the best choice out there for most people.
 
vodacom3g said:
Well, it all started when you said you worked on the "biggest and fastest computer in all of Europe". And you kinda used the statement as justification for knowing so much about the discrepancies in SA / ROW IT environments.

So, we're just all very interested which one it was.

I assumed a Swiss Bank (as per your post) and that they probably would have their biggest systems in Switzerland. If not Switzerland, where is the system?

We've already established you've not really worked on SA-based systems (but have perused the job sections in the news papers), and it's much cooler to talk about the big, butch system you worked on in Europe.

I'm sure you can throw us a bone here and tell us more about this system?
Click to expand...
If you think a Swiss Bank is going to go public and say "Hey, we've got a BlueGene/P and we've loaded GLOSS 5 and SYBASE 12" then you're crazy.

Outside of the USA, Europe STILL has the next largest number of computing power, for want of a better description using your own source. So you have your answer already.

We all have an opinion based on our own experiences. We clearly come from different worlds. I've not challenged much of your own skills or claims so I don't understand your approach at all. You either accept some level of what people say or you don't. I've already offered to give Icyrus some details offline for privacy reasons, but he's refused. Conclude what you like from that - the offer is now closed. Note that he's not related ANY of his own experience here either.
 
w1z4rd said:
For operators who want high performance and high quality processing... of course they would use Linux. Its the best choice out there for most people.
Click to expand...
And, unlike the commercial O/S'es, where the slimy corporates are tightfisted, and limit the number of programmers, Linux has millions of developers, who can help fix problems in no-time, without a call being placed in a first-come-first-serve-except-for-emergency queue and waiting there forever! :D
 
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