The third and final system will feature eight processors in each node for a total of 4,096 processors. This machine also will feature 2.5 terabytes of main memory, which is more than the total that IBM shipped on all of its systems in 1995. All three laboratories will have access to each of the machines. Cooper notes that experts at Lawrence Livermore already are using the ASCI Red Intel machine at Sandia, even though it is only about three-fourths completed. Each laboratory probably will perform about 75-80 percent of its own machine's calculations, with the remainder coming from the other two laboratories.
Sharing is inhibited by the expense of high-speed communications links and encryption.
As technology progresses toward a 10-teraflop machine, it is likely that only one such device will be built, so the other two laboratories will need to access that machine remotely. Accordingly, the three facilities will need to be linked by secure, high-speed communications lines. The National Security Agency, and perhaps industry, will provide the necessary encryption, Cooper suggests. Several obstacles remain to obtaining full capability with these systems. Another important hurdle is adequate software.