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Silicon Graphics Inc. (SGI)
Silicon Graphics Inc. (commonly referred to as SGI) was a pioneering American company in the field of computer graphics, high-performance computing, and visualization technologies. Founded in 1981 by Jim Clark, it became known for its innovations in 3D graphics workstations, supercomputers, and servers, which played a significant role in industries like media, entertainment, defense, and scientific research.
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- **Key Contributions of SGI**
* **Development of 3D Graphics Workstations** [[SGI]]'s early products, like the [[IRIS]] series, introduced advanced 3D rendering capabilities, revolutionizing industries such as film production and computer-aided design (CAD).
* **Creation of the XFS File System** [[SGI]] developed the high-performance journaling file system [[XFS]], which remains widely used for enterprise-level data storage and computing due to its scalability and efficiency.
* **Influence on Visual Effects and Animation** [[SGI]] workstations were integral to creating visual effects for iconic films like *Jurassic Park* and *The Matrix*, helping push the boundaries of computer-generated imagery (CGI).
* **High-Performance Computing Systems** The company’s supercomputers, such as the [[Origin]] series, were used in scientific research and complex simulations, including weather prediction, molecular modeling, and astrophysics.
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- **Technological Milestones**
* **OpenGL Graphics API** [[SGI]] played a key role in developing [[OpenGL]], an open standard for rendering 2D and 3D vector graphics. This standard remains a critical part of modern computer graphics.
* **Visualization Technologies** [[SGI]] pioneered immersive visualization systems, such as [[RealityEngine]] and [[Onyx]] workstations, which powered real-time simulations and virtual environments.
* **Impact on the Development of Linux** The company contributed code and expertise to the Linux community, especially for high-performance computing and file systems like [[XFS]].
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- **Decline and Legacy**
Despite its innovations, [[SGI]] struggled to maintain its competitive edge during the rise of commodity hardware and evolving market dynamics in the late [[1990s]] and early [[2000s]]. The company filed for bankruptcy in [[2006]], and much of its intellectual property was acquired by [[Rackable Systems]] in [[2009]].
However, the influence of [[SGI]] endures through technologies like [[OpenGL]] and [[XFS]], as well as its lasting impact on industries such as visual effects and scientific research.
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- **Documentation and GitHub Resources**
- [[SGI]] historical documentation: https://irixnet.org - [[XFS]] tools repository: https://github.com/sgi-xfs/xfsprogs
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Conclusion
Silicon Graphics Inc. was a trailblazer in computer graphics and high-performance computing, shaping modern computing landscapes with innovations like OpenGL and XFS. Though the company no longer exists, its contributions remain vital across multiple industries, from CGI in films to enterprise storage solutions. SGI's legacy lives on through the technologies and standards it helped establish, cementing its place in computing history.
- Snippet from Wikipedia: Silicon Graphics
Silicon Graphics, Inc. (stylized as SiliconGraphics before 1999, later rebranded SGI, historically known as Silicon Graphics Computer Systems or SGCS) was an American high-performance computing manufacturer, producing computer hardware and software. Founded in Mountain View, California, in November 1981 by James H. Clark, the computer scientist and entrepreneur perhaps best known for founding Netscape (with Marc Andreessen). Its initial market was 3D graphics computer workstations, but its products, strategies and market positions developed significantly over time.
Early systems were based on the Geometry Engine that Clark and Marc Hannah had developed at Stanford University, and were derived from Clark's broader background in computer graphics. The Geometry Engine was the first very-large-scale integration (VLSI) implementation of a geometry pipeline, specialized hardware that accelerated the "inner-loop" geometric computations needed to display three-dimensional images. For much of its history, the company focused on 3D imaging and was a major supplier of both hardware and software in this market.
Silicon Graphics reincorporated as a Delaware corporation in January 1990. Through the mid to late-1990s, the rapidly improving performance of commodity Wintel machines began to erode SGI's stronghold in the 3D market. The porting of Maya to other platforms was a major event in this process. SGI made several attempts to address this, including a disastrous move from their existing MIPS platforms to the Intel Itanium, as well as introducing their own Linux-based Intel IA-32 based workstations and servers that failed in the market. In the mid-2000s the company repositioned itself as a supercomputer vendor, a move that also failed.
On April 1, 2009, SGI filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and announced that it would sell substantially all of its assets to Rackable Systems, a deal finalized on May 11, 2009, with Rackable assuming the name Silicon Graphics International. The remnants of Silicon Graphics, Inc. became Graphics Properties Holdings, Inc.