Convex C-1 computer?

[Eugene Miya]

The contractor that runs our Cray XMP has just received a Convex C-1
[Technology Development of California (TDC)].  You will be able to
rent time on their machine shortly.  They are new to the Unix environment,
but I'll be telling them about uucp.

Their software (FORTRAN, 4.2, etc.) looks good.  We will be benchmarking
on a machine shortly, and I have a set of test programs to characterize
architectures.  Regarding Vectorizing C, most C programs are poor
candidates for vectorization due to the typical structure of C programs.
Vectorization only works on certain "well structured, regular" loops.
This is nothing new, the first FORTRAN programs did not vectorize well
either, so you will either restructure to gain performance benefits of
vector C (potentially non-portable) or settle for scalar performance.
That is how most supercomputer codes are structured.  It depends how much
work you are willing to put into it.

Lastly, if you are close to the South SF Bay, I might be able to run
simple benchmarks if you send them to me.  You can also mail to convex
since they are on the net.  I don't have time to modify your codes, just
run them.  I've been told that there is a 100Hz ala the 4.2 gettimeofday()
and a call 'etime()' which is a 1 microsecond clock.

--eugene miya
  NASA Ames Research Center
  {hplabs,ihnp4,dual,hao,decwrl,allegra}!ames!aurora!eugene
  emiya at ames-vmsb.ARPA