View source for Cray

{{short description|American supercomputer manufacturer}}
{{about|the supercomputer brand}}
{{Use mdy dates|date = May 2020}}
{{Infobox company
| name = Cray Inc.
| logo = Cray logo (2018).svg
| type = [[Subsidiary]]
| foundation = {{start date and age|1972}} as<br />Cray Research, Inc.<!-- this parameter modifies "Founded" --> (current corporate entity founded in {{start date and age|1987}} as [[Tera Computer Company]])
| founder = [[Seymour Cray]]
| location = [[Seattle, Washington]], U.S.
| key_people = Peter Ungaro ([[Chief executive officer|CEO]])
| products = [[Supercomputer]]s
| revenue = {{increase}} $455.9 million (2018)
| operating_income = {{decrease}} -$74.2 million (2018)
| net_income = {{increase}} -$71.6 million (2018)
| assets = {{decrease}} $517.1 million (2018)
| equity = {{decrease}} $343.3 million (2018)
| num_employees = 1,282 (Dec 2015)
| parent = [[Hewlett Packard Enterprise]]
| homepage = {{URL|https://hpe.com/us/en/compute/hpc/cray.html}}
| footnotes = <ref name="xbrlus_2013">{{cite web|url=https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/949158/000094915814000007/0000949158-14-000007-index.htm |title=CRAY INC 2013 Annual Report Form (10-K) |publisher=United States Securities and Exchange Commission | format=XBRL |date=February 13, 2014}}</ref><ref name="Cray-Feb-2016-10-K">{{cite web|url=https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/949158/000094915816000035/cray-12312015x10k.htm |title=CRAY INC 2015 Annual Report Form (10-K) |publisher=United States Securities and Exchange Commission | format=XBRL |date=February 19, 2015}}</ref><ref name="Cray-Feb-2015-10-K">{{cite web|url=http://pdf.secdatabase.com/727/0000949158-15-000009.pdf |title=CRAY INC 2014 Annual Report Form (10-K) |publisher=United States Securities and Exchange Commission | format=XBRL |date=February 19, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=High Performance Computing |url=https://www.hpe.com/us/en/newsroom/content-hub/high-performance-computing.html |publisher=[[Hewlett Packard Enterprise]] |access-date=September 2, 2022}}</ref><ref name=rev2017>{{cite web|url=http://investors.cray.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=98390&p=irol-newsarticle&ID=2332873|title=Press Release &#124; Cray Inc. Reports 2017 Full Year and Fourth Quarter Financial Results &#124; Cray Investors: Press Releases|website=investors.cray.com|access-date=2018-08-01|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190517184709/http://investors.cray.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=98390&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=2332873|archive-date=May 17, 2019|url-status=dead}}</ref>
}}

'''Cray Inc.''', a subsidiary of [[Hewlett Packard Enterprise]], is an American [[supercomputer]] manufacturer headquartered in [[Seattle]], Washington.<ref name="Cray-Feb-2016-10-K" /> It also manufactures systems for data storage and analytics.<ref>{{Cite news | url=https://fortune.com/2015/08/05/venture-capital-hits-average/ | title=Could a 'Moneyball' approach help VCs improve their success rate? | first=Kirk | last=Kardashian | work=[[Fortune (magazine)|Fortune]] | date=August 5, 2015}}</ref> {{As of|2025|6}}, Cray supercomputer systems held the top three spots in the [[TOP500]], which ranks the most powerful supercomputers in the world.<ref>{{Cite web | url=http://www.top500.org/ | title=TOP500 Supercomputer Sites | publisher=[[TOP500]]}}</ref>

In 1972, the company was founded by computer designer [[Seymour Cray]] as Cray Research, Inc., and it continues to manufacture parts in [[Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin]], where Cray was born and raised.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://edgar.secdatabase.com/1237/89102003000047/filing-main.htm |title=Cray, Form S-3, Filing Date Jan 6, 2003 | publisher=secdatabase.com}}</ref> After being acquired by [[Silicon Graphics]] in 1996, the modern company was formed after being purchased in 2000 by [[Tera Computer Company]], which adopted the name Cray Inc.<ref>{{Cite web |last=EETimes |date=2000-03-02 |title=Tera Computer buys Cray from SGI, readies CMOS processors |url=https://www.eetimes.com/tera-computer-buys-cray-from-sgi-readies-cmos-processors/ |access-date=2025-05-28 |website=EE Times}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=http://edgar.secdatabase.com/1003/89102000000813/filing-main.htm | title=Cray, Form 8-K, Current Report, Filing Date Apr 17, 2000 | publisher=secdatabase.com}}</ref> In 2019, the company was acquired by [[Hewlett Packard Enterprise]] for $1.3 billion.<ref>{{Cite web|title=HPE is buying Cray for $1.3 billion|url=https://techcrunch.com/2019/05/17/hpe-is-buying-cray-for-1-3-billion/|access-date=2020-06-22|website=TechCrunch|date=May 17, 2019 |language=en-US}}</ref>

==History==

===Founding (1950–1972)===
In 1950, [[Seymour Cray]] began working in the computing field when he joined [[Engineering Research Associates]] (ERA) in [[Saint Paul, Minnesota]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Scherer |first=McKenna |date=2025-09-22 |title=C.F. Museums to Celebrate 'Father of Supercomputers’ 100th Birthday |url=https://volumeone.org/sites/chippewafalls/articles/2025/09/22/370907-chippewa-falls-museums-to-celebrate-the-father-of-supercomputers-seymour-cray-100th-birthday |access-date=2025-09-26 |website=volumeone.org |language=en}}</ref> There, he helped to create the [[ERA 1103]]. ERA eventually became part of [[UNIVAC]], and began to be phased out.

In 1960, he left the company, a few years after former ERA employees set up [[Control Data Corporation]] (CDC). He initially worked out of the CDC headquarters in Minneapolis. He eventually set up a lab in his hometown of [[Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin]]. Cray had a string of successes at CDC, including the [[CDC 6600]] and [[CDC 7600]].

===Cray Research Inc. and Cray Computer Corporation (1972–1996)===
[[File:Cray2.jpeg|right|thumb|250px|Cray-2 supercomputer]]
When CDC ran into financial difficulties in the late 1960s, development funds for Cray's follow-on [[CDC 8600]] became scarce. When he was told the project would have to be put "on hold" in 1972, Cray left to form his own company, Cray Research, Inc. Copying the previous arrangement, Cray kept the research and development facilities in Chippewa Falls and put the business headquarters in [[Minneapolis, Minnesota|Minneapolis]]. The company's first product, the [[Cray-1]] supercomputer, was a major success because it was significantly faster than all other computers at the time. The first system was sold within a month for $8.8 million. Seymour Cray continued working, this time on the [[Cray-2]], though it ended up being only marginally faster than the [[Cray X-MP]], developed by another team at the company.

Cray soon left the CEO position to become an independent contractor. He started a new [[Very Large Scale Integration]] technology lab for the Cray-2 in [[Boulder, Colorado]], '''Cray Laboratories''', in 1979, which closed in 1982. Cray later headed a similar spin-off in 1989, Cray Computer Corporation (CCC) in [[Colorado Springs, Colorado]], where he worked on the [[Cray-3]] project—the first attempt at major use of [[gallium arsenide]] (GaAs) [[semiconductor]]s in computing. However, the changing political climate (collapse of the [[Warsaw Pact]] and the end of the [[Cold War]]) resulted in poor sales prospects. Ultimately, only one Cray-3 was delivered, and a number of follow-on designs were never completed. The company filed for [[bankruptcy]] in 1995. CCC's remains then became Cray's final corporation, [[Seymour Cray#SRC Computers|SRC Computers, Inc]].

Cray Research continued development along a separate line of computers, originally with lead designer [[Steve Chen (computer engineer)|Steve Chen]] and the [[Cray X-MP]]. After Chen's departure, the [[Cray Y-MP]], [[Cray C90]] and [[Cray T90]] were developed on the original Cray-1 architecture but achieved much greater performance via multiple additional processors, faster clocks, and wider vector pipes. The uncertainty of the Cray-2 project gave rise to a number of Cray-object-code compatible "Crayette" firms: Scientific Computer Systems (SCS), American Supercomputer, [[Supertek]], and perhaps one other firm. These firms did not intend to compete against Cray and therefore attempted less expensive, slower CMOS versions of the X-MP with the release of the COS operating system (SCS) and the CFT [[Fortran]] compiler; they also considered the [[Cray Time Sharing System]] operating system, developed at [[United States Department of Energy national laboratories]] ([[LANL]]/[[LLNL]]), before joining the broader trend toward adoption of [[Unix]]es. Today, Cray OS is a specialized version of [[SuSE Linux Enterprise Server|SUSE Linux Enterprise Server]].<ref>{{cite web|date=2023-01-07 |title=World's Fastest Supercomputer Runs SUSE Linux| url=https://www.suse.com/c/worlds-fastest-supercomputer-runs-suse-linux/}}</ref>

[[File:Processor board cray-2 hg.jpg|thumb|left|Cray T3E processor board]]
A series of [[massively parallel]] computers from [[Thinking Machines Corporation]], [[Kendall Square Research]], [[Intel]], [[nCUBE]], [[MasPar]] and [[Meiko Scientific]] took over the 1980s high performance market. At first, Cray Research denigrated such approaches by complaining that developing software to effectively use the machines was difficult – a true complaint in the era of the [[ILLIAC IV]], but becoming less so each day. Cray eventually realized that the approach was likely the only way forward and started a five-year project to capture the lead in this area: the plan's result was the [[Digital Equipment Corporation]] [[DEC Alpha|Alpha]]-based [[Cray T3D]] and [[Cray T3E]] series, which left Cray as the only remaining supercomputer vendor in the market besides NEC's [[SX architecture]] by 2000.

Most sites with a Cray installation were considered members of the "exclusive club" of Cray operators. Cray computers were considered quite prestigious because Crays were extremely expensive machines, and the number of units sold was small compared to ordinary [[mainframe computer|mainframe]]s. This perception extended to countries as well: to boost the perception of exclusivity, Cray Research's marketing department had promotional [[necktie]]s made with a mosaic of tiny national flags illustrating the "club of Cray-operating countries".<ref>{{cite AV media | date=September 21, 2006 | title= Cray-1 Supercomputer 30th Anniversary| url= https://www.computerhistory.org/events/video/96/ | publisher = [[Computer History Museum]]}}</ref>

New vendors introduced small supercomputers, known as [[minisupercomputer]]s (as opposed to superminis) during the late 1980s and early 1990s, which out-competed low-end Cray machines in the market. The [[Convex Computer]] series, as well as a number of small-scale parallel machines from companies like [[Pyramid Technology]] and [[Alliant Computer Systems]] were particularly popular. One such vendor was [[Supertek]], whose S-1 machine was an air-cooled [[CMOS]] implementation of the X-MP processor. Cray purchased Supertek in 1990 and sold the S-1 as the [[Cray XMS]], but the machine proved problematic; meanwhile, the not-yet-completed S-2, a Y-MP clone, was later offered as the [[Cray Y-MP]] (later becoming the [[Cray EL90]]) which started to sell in reasonable numbers in 1991–92—to mostly smaller companies, notably in the [[oil exploration]] business. This line evolved into the [[Cray J90]] and eventually the [[Cray SV1]] in 1998.

In December 1991, Cray purchased some of the assets of [[Floating Point Systems]], another minisuper vendor that had moved into the [[file server]] market with its [[SPARC]]-based Model 500 line.<ref>{{cite news | first=Jim | last=Mallor | title=Cray Research names manager of new subsidiary – Floating Point Systems' Martin Buchanan | work=[[Newsbytes News Network]] | date=January 3, 1992 | id={{Factiva|nbyt000020020615do1300048}} }}</ref> These [[symmetric multiprocessing]] machines scaled up to 64 processors and ran a modified version of the [[Solaris (operating system)|Solaris]] operating system from [[Sun Microsystems]]. Cray set up Cray Research Superservers, Inc. (later the [[Cray Business Systems Division]]) to sell this system as the [[Cray S-MP]], later replacing it with the [[Cray CS6400]]. In spite of these machines being some of the most powerful available when applied to appropriate workloads, Cray was never very successful in this market, possibly due to it being so foreign to its existing market niche.

CCC was building the [[Cray-3/SSS]] when it went into [[Chapter 11]] bankruptcy in March 1995.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/857101/0000927356-95-000316.txt | title=CRAY COMPUTER CORP FORM 10-Q DATED SEPT. 30, 1995 | publisher=[[U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission]]}}</ref>

===Silicon Graphics ownership (1996–2000)===
In February 1996, Cray Research was acquired by [[Silicon Graphics]] (SGI) for $740 million.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/business/1996/02/27/silicon-graphics-to-acquire-cray-in-740-million-deal/d6590707-6eda-4ecf-a553-d9ee7b9ca479/ | title=SILICON GRAPHICS TO ACQUIRE CRAY IN $740 MILLION DEAL | first=Elizabeth | last=Corcoran | newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] | date=February 27, 1996}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.cnet.com/news/sgi-buys-supercomputer-vendor-cray/ | title=SGI buys supercomputer vendor Cray | first=BROOKE | last=CROTHERS | work=[[CNET]] | date=February 26, 1996}}</ref>

In May 1996, SGI sold the Superservers business to Sun.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1996-05-17-9605180091-story.html | title=Sun buys Cray unit: Sun Microsystems Inc | work=[[Chicago Tribune]] | date=May 17, 1996}}</ref> Sun then turned the UltraSPARC-based ''Starfire'' project then under development into the extremely successful [[Sun Enterprise 10000]] range of servers.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.forbes.com/2002/05/06/0506sun.html#703713c16a5e | title=Sun's Purchase Of Cray's Unix Server Business | first=Lisa | last=DiCarlo | work=[[Forbes]] | date=May 6, 2002}}</ref> SGI used several Cray technologies in its attempt to move from the graphics workstation market into supercomputing. Key among these was the use of the Cray-developed [[HIPPI]] [[computer bus]] and details of the interconnects used in the T3 series. SGI's long-term strategy was to merge its high-end server line with Cray's product lines in two phases, code-named ''SN1'' and ''SN2'' (SN standing for "Scalable Node"). The SN1 was intended to replace the T3E and [[SGI Origin 2000]] systems and later became the ''SN-MIPS'' or [[SGI Origin 3000]] architecture. The SN2 was originally intended to unify all high-end/supercomputer product lines including the T90 into a single architecture. This goal was never achieved before SGI divested itself of the Cray business, and the SN2 name was later associated with the ''SN-IA'' or SGI [[Altix]] 3000 architecture.

In October 1996, founder Seymour Cray died as a result of a traffic accident.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/1996/10/06/computer-pioneer-seymour-cray-dies/4e993f5f-9e89-42af-8e84-4da7bfb2f5ce/ | title=COMPUTER PIONEER SEYMOUR CRAY DIES | first=Richard | last=Pearson | newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] | date=October 6, 1996}}</ref>

In 1998, under SGI ownership, one new Cray model line, the [[Cray SV1]], was launched. This was a clustered SMP vector processor architecture, developed from J90 technology.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.hpcwire.com/1998/06/19/sgi-unveils-cray-sv1-series-vector-supercomputer-line/ | title=SGI UNVEILS CRAY SV1 SERIES VECTOR SUPERCOMPUTER LINE | publisher=HPC Wire | date=June 19, 1998}}</ref>

On March 2, 2000, Cray was sold to [[Tera Computer Company]], which was renamed Cray Inc.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB951951988258804510 | title=Tera Computer Will Acquire Cray In Surprise Bid to Rebuild Industry | first=Don | last=Clark | work=[[The Wall Street Journal]] | date=March 2, 2000}}</ref>

===Post-Tera merger (2000–2019)===
[[File:HLRN III Konrad Cray C30 XC40.jpg|thumb|upright=2|Cray-designed HLRN-III ''Konrad'' (XC30/XC40) at [[Zuse Institute Berlin]], featuring a portrait of German computer pioneer [[Konrad Zuse]], 2014]]

After the Tera merger, the Tera MTA system was relaunched as the [[Cray MTA-2]]. This was not a commercial success and shipped to only two customers. Cray Inc. also unsuccessfully badged the [[NEC SX-6]] supercomputer as the Cray SX-6 and acquired exclusive rights to sell the SX-6 in the US, Canada, and Mexico.

In 2002, Cray Inc. announced its first new model, the [[Cray X1]] combined architecture [[vector processor]] / [[massively parallel]] supercomputer.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.theregister.co.uk/2002/11/15/cray_flogs_x1_supercomputer/ | title=Cray flogs X1 supercomputer | work=[[The Register]] | date=15 November 2002}}</ref> Previously known as the ''SV2'', the X1 is the result of the earlier ''SN2'' concept originated during the SGI years. In May 2004, Cray was announced to be one of the partners in the [[United States Department of Energy]]'s fastest-computer-in-the-world project to build a 50 tera[[Flops]] machine for the [[Oak Ridge National Laboratory]]. Cray was sued in 2002 by Isothermal Systems Research for patent infringement. The suit claimed that Cray used ISR's patented technology in the development of the Cray X1.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.spokesmanreview.com/news-story.asp?date=041603&ID=s1336570 |title=Local tech company claims patent infringement |publisher=spokesmanreview.com |date=2003-04-16 |access-date=2014-04-24 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140424174255/http://www.spokesmanreview.com/news-story.asp?date=041603&ID=s1336570 |archive-date=April 24, 2014 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The lawsuit was settled in 2003.<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/stories/2003/08/18/daily25.html |title=Cray settles patent lawsuit |publisher=bizjournals.com |date=2003-08-21 |access-date=2014-04-24}}</ref> As of November 2004, the [[Cray X1]] had a maximum measured performance of 5.9 teraflops, being the 29th fastest supercomputer in the world. Since then the X1 has been superseded by the X1E, with faster dual-core processors.

On October 4, 2004, the company announced the [[Cray XD1]] range of entry-level supercomputers which use dual-core [[64-bit]] [[Advanced Micro Devices]] [[Opteron]] [[central processing unit]]s running [[Linux]].<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.theregister.co.uk/2004/10/05/cray_xd1/ | title=Cray comes to market with XD1 | first=John | last=Leyden | work=[[The Register]] | date=October 5, 2004}}</ref> This system was previously known as the OctigaBay 12K before Cray's acquisition of that company. The XD1 provided one [[Xilinx]] Virtex II Pro field-programmable gate array ([[FPGA]]) with each node of four Opteron processors. The FPGAs could be configured to embody various [[digital hardware]] designs and could augment the processing or input/output capabilities of the Opteron processors. Furthermore, each FPGA contains a pair of [[PowerPC]] 405 processors which can add to the already considerable power of a single node. The Cray XD1, although moderately successful, was eventually discontinued.

In 2004, Cray completed the [[Red Storm (computing)|Red Storm]] system for [[Sandia National Laboratories]]. Red Storm was to become the jumping-off point for a string of successful products that eventually revitalized Cray in supercomputing. Red Storm had processors clustered in 96 unit cabinets, a theoretical maximum of 300 cabinets in a machine, and a design speed of 41.5 teraflops. Red Storm also included an innovative new design for network interconnects, which was dubbed SeaStar and destined to be the centerpiece of succeeding innovations by Cray. The [[Cray XT3]] massively parallel supercomputer became a commercialized version of Red Storm, similar in many respects to the earlier T3E architecture, but, like the XD1, using AMD Opteron processors.

On August 8, 2005, Peter Ungaro was appointed CEO. Ungaro had joined Cray in August 2003 as Vice President of Sales and Marketing and had been made Cray's President in March 2005.<ref>{{cite press release | url=https://investors.cray.com/news-releases/news-release-details/cray-appoints-peter-j-ungaro-chief-executive-officer | title=Cray Appoints Peter J. Ungaro as Chief Executive Officer | publisher=Cray Inc. | date=August 8, 2005}}</ref>

Introduced in 2006, the [[Cray XT4]] added support for DDR2 memory, newer dual-core and future quad-core [[Opteron]] processors and utilized a second generation SeaStar2 communication coprocessor. It also included an option for FPGA chips to be plugged directly into processor sockets, unlike the Cray XD1, which required a dedicated socket for the FPGA coprocessor.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cray.com/products/xt4/index.html|website=cray.com|title=products/xt4/index|access-date=2018-08-01|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070630153640/http://www.cray.com/products/xt4/index.html|archive-date=2007-06-30|url-status=dead}}</ref>

On November 13, 2006, Cray announced a new system, the [[Cray XMT]], based on the MTA series of machines.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cray.com/products/xmt/ |title=Cray Inc., The Supercomputer Company – Products – XMT |publisher=Cray.com |access-date=2012-03-03 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120205235938/http://www.cray.com/products/xmt/ |archive-date=2012-02-05 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.hoise.com/primeur/06/articles/live/AE-PL-06-06-5.html |title=Cray's new systems Black Widow and Eldorado on schedule for availability in 2007 |publisher=Hoise.com |date=2006-06-29 |access-date=2012-03-03 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120217154425/http://www.hoise.com/primeur/06/articles/live/AE-PL-06-06-5.html |archive-date=2012-02-17 |url-status=dead }}</ref> This system combined multi-threaded processors, as used on the original Tera systems, and the SeaStar2 interconnect used by the XT4. By reusing [[Application-specific integrated circuit|ASICs]], boards, cabinets, and system software used by the comparatively higher volume XT4 product, the cost of making the very specialized MTA system could be reduced. A second generation of the XMT is scheduled for release in 2011, with the first system ordered by the Swiss National Supercomputing Center (CSCS).<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.hpc-ch.org/wp/2011/02/18/cscs-orders-first-next-generation-cray-xmt-supercomputer/ | title=CSCS Orders First Next-Generation Cray XMT Supercomputer | access-date=2011-04-27 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200413225623/https://www.cray.com/ | archive-date=April 13, 2020 | url-status=dead }}</ref>

In 2006, Cray announced a vision of products dubbed ''Adaptive Supercomputing''.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.hpcwire.com/hpc/601369.html |title=Cray's Adaptive Supercomputing – A Paradigm Shift |access-date=2007-10-15 |work=HPCwire |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071024111442/http://www.hpcwire.com/hpc/601369.html |archive-date=2007-10-24 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The first generation of such systems, dubbed the ''Rainier Project'', used a common interconnect network (SeaStar2), programming environment, cabinet design, and I/O subsystem. These systems included the existing XT4 and the XMT. The second generation, launched as the [[Cray XT5|XT5h]], allowed a system to combine compute elements of various types into a common system, sharing infrastructure. The XT5h combined Opteron, vector, multithreaded, and [[FPGA]] compute processors in a single system.

In April 2008, Cray and [[Intel]] announced they would collaborate on future supercomputer systems. This partnership produced the [[Cray CX1]] system, launched in September the same year. This was a deskside [[blade server]] system, comprising up to 16 dual- or quad-core Intel [[Xeon]] processors, with either [[Microsoft]] [[Windows HPC Server 2008]] or [[Red Hat Enterprise Linux]] installed.<ref>{{Cite news | url=https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2008/04/in-depth-intel-cpus-gpus-and-upcoming-cray-supercomputers/ | title=If they mated: Intel and Cray to conceive x86 Linux monster | first=Jon | last=Stokes | work=[[Ars Technica]] | date=April 29, 2008}}</ref>

By 2009, the largest computer system Cray had delivered was the [[Cray XT5]] system at [[National Center for Computational Sciences]] at [[Oak Ridge National Laboratories]].<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.ornl.gov/news/oak-ridge-jaguar-supercomputer-worlds-fastest | title=Oak Ridge 'Jaguar' Supercomputer is World's Fastest | work=[[Oak Ridge National Laboratories]] | date=November 16, 2009}}</ref> This system, with over 224,000 processing cores, was dubbed ''[[Jaguar (supercomputer)|Jaguar]]'' and was the fastest computer in the world as measured by the [[LINPACK]] benchmark<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.top500.org/lists/2009/11/ | title=TOP500: November 2009 | work=[[TOP500]] | date=November 17, 2009}}</ref> at the speed of 1.75 petaflops<ref name="cnet-jaguar">{{cite news | url=https://www.cnet.com/news/jaguar-supercomputer-races-past-roadrunner-in-top500/ | title=Jaguar supercomputer races past Roadrunner in Top500 | last=Ogg | first=Erica | work=[[CNET]] | date=November 16, 2009}}</ref> until being surpassed by the [[Tianhe-1A]] in October 2010. It was the first system to exceed a sustained performance of 1 petaflops on a 64-bit scientific application.

[[File:CraySC18.jpg|thumb|Cray stand at the 2018 Supercomputing Conference SC18 in Dallas, Texas, USA.]]

In May 2010, the [[Cray XE6]] supercomputer was announced. The Cray XE6 system had at its core the new Gemini system interconnect. This new interconnect included a true global-address space and represented a return to the T3E feature set that had been so successful with Cray Research. This product was a successful follow-on to the XT3, XT4 and XT5 products. The first multi-cabinet XE6 system was shipped in July 2010. The next generation ''Cascade''<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nccs.gov/wp-content/training/cray_meeting_pdfs/Cray_Tech_Workshop_sscott_2_26_07.pdf |title=Thinking Ahead: Future Architectures from Cray |last=Scott |first=Steve |access-date=2007-10-15 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071203174457/http://www.nccs.gov/wp-content/training/cray_meeting_pdfs/Cray_Tech_Workshop_sscott_2_26_07.pdf |archive-date=2007-12-03 |url-status=dead }}</ref> systems were designed make use of future multicore and/or [[manycore processor]]s from vendors such as Intel and Nvidia. Cascade was scheduled to be introduced in early 2013 and designed to use the next-generation network chip and follow-on to Gemini, code named ''Aries''.

In early 2010, Cray also introduced the [[Cray CX1000]], a rack-mounted system with a choice of compute-based, GPU-based, or SMP-based chassis.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.datacenterdynamics.com/news/cray-launches-new-supercomputer-starting-at-100000/ |title=Cray launches new supercomputer, starting at $100,000 | work=DatacenterDynamics | date=March 22, 2010}}</ref> The CX1 and CX1000 product lines were sold until late 2011.

In 2011, Cray announced the [[Cray XK6]] hybrid supercomputer. The Cray XK6 system, capable of scaling to 500,000 processors and 50 petaflops of peak performance,<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.engadget.com/2011/05/25/cray-xk6-supercomputer-smashes-petaflop-record-humbly-calls-its/ | title=Cray XK6 supercomputer smashes petaflop record, humbly calls itself a 'general-purpose' machine | first=Sean | last=Buckley | work=[[Engadget]] | date=May 25, 2011}}</ref> combines Cray's Gemini interconnect, AMD's multi-core scalar processors, and [[Nvidia]]'s Tesla [[GPGPU]] processors. In October 2012 Cray announced the [[Cray XK7]] which supports the Nvidia Kepler GPGPU and announced that the ORNL Jaguar system would be upgraded to an XK7 (renamed ''[[Titan (supercomputer)|Titan]]'') and capable of over 20 petaflops.<ref>{{Cite web | title=Inside the Titan Supercomputer: 299K AMD x86 Cores and 18.6K NVIDIA GPUs | first=Anand Lal | last=Shimpi | date=October 31, 2012 | work=AnandTech | url=http://www.anandtech.com/show/6421/inside-the-titan-supercomputer-299k-amd-x86-cores-and-186k-nvidia-gpu-cores/ | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121101155340/http://www.anandtech.com/show/6421/inside-the-titan-supercomputer-299k-amd-x86-cores-and-186k-nvidia-gpu-cores | url-status=dead | archive-date=November 1, 2012 }}</ref> Titan was the world's fastest supercomputer as measured by the [[LINPACK]] benchmark<ref>{{cite web | title=Oak Ridge Claims No. 1 Position on Latest TOP500 List with Titan | url=https://www.top500.org/news/lists/2012/11/press-release/ | publisher=[[TOP500]] | date=December 11, 2012}}</ref> until the introduction of the [[Tianhe-2]] in 2013, which is substantially faster.

In 2011 Cray also announced it had been awarded the $188 million [[Blue Waters]] contract with the [[University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign]], after IBM had pulled out of the delivery.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-cray-deal/cray-wins-188-million-deal-to-build-supercomputer-shares-up-idUSTRE7AD1SQ20111114 | title=Cray wins $188 million deal to build supercomputer, shares up | first1=Himank | last1=Sharma | first2=Sakthi | last2=Prasad | work=[[Reuters]] | date=November 14, 2011}}</ref><ref name="Cray-Nov-2011-8-K">{{cite web | url=http://edgar.secdatabase.com/85/119312511308616/filing-main.htm |title=Cray, Form 8-K, Current Report, Filing Date Nov 14, 2011 |publisher=secdatabase.com}}</ref> This system was delivered in 2012 and was the largest system to date, in terms of cabinets and general-purpose x86 processors, that Cray had ever delivered.

In November 2011, the Cray Sonexion 1300 Data Storage System was introduced and signaled Cray's entry into the high performance storage business. This product used modular technology and a [[Lustre (file system)|Lustre file system]].<ref>{{cite news | url=http://primeurmagazine.com/weekly/AE-PR-12-11-88.html | title=Cray enters the integrated storage market | work=Primeur Magazine | date=14 November 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.storagereview.com/cray_sonexion_1300_launched_scalable_lustre_storage_system_supercomputing_2011 | title=Cray Sonexion 1300 Launched - Scalable Lustre Storage System [Supercomputing 2011] | work=Storage Review | date=16 November 2011}}</ref>

In 2011, Cray launched the [[OpenACC]] parallel programming standard organization.<ref name="cray2">{{cite press release | url=https://nvidianews.nvidia.com/news/nvidia-cray-pgi-caps-unveil-openacc-programming-standard-for-parallel-computing | title=NVIDIA, Cray, PGI, CAPS Unveil 'OpenACC' Programming Standard for Parallel Computing | publisher=[[NVIDIA]] | date=November 14, 2011}}</ref> In 2019, Cray announced that it was deprecating [[OpenACC]], and will support [[OpenMP]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://twitter.com/hpc_guru/status/1113565651350589441|title=HPC_Guru tweet: Cray's views on #OpenACC vs #OpenMP - John Levesque at the PPP meeting in Denver.|access-date=2019-05-14}}</ref>
However, in 2022, the Cray Fortran compiler still supported OpenACC,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.openmp.org/wp-content/uploads/2022-04-29-ECP-OMP-Telecon-HPE-Compiler.pdf|title=HPE COMPILER GPU OFFLOADING.|access-date=2023-05-11}}</ref> in part due to its usage in the ICON climate simulation code.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.openacc.org/sites/default/files/inline-images/events/OpenACC%20Summit%202021/2021_09_14_ICON_Good_Ugly_Bad_OpenACC.pdf|title=The Good, the Ugly and the Bad: What We Learned from Porting ICON to GPUs.|access-date=2023-05-11}}</ref>

In April 2012, Cray announced the sale of its interconnect hardware development program and related intellectual property to Intel for $140 million.<ref name="Cray-Apr-2012-8-K">{{cite web|url=http://edgar.secdatabase.com/1370/119312512179611/filing-main.htm |title=Cray, Form 8-K, Current Report, Filing Date Apr 25, 2012 |publisher=secdatabase.com |access-date =2013-03-29}}</ref><ref name="forbes">{{cite web |first=Eric |last=Savitz |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/ericsavitz/2012/04/24/cray-to-sell-interconnect-hardware-biz-to-intel-for-140m/ |website=forbes.com |title=Cray To Sell Interconnect Hardware Biz To Intel For $140M |date=April 24, 2012 |access-date=September 2, 2022}}</ref>

On November 9, 2012, Cray announced the acquisition of [[Appro International, Inc.]], a California-based privately held developer of advanced scalable supercomputing solutions.<ref name="Cray-Nov-2012-8-K">{{cite web|url=http://edgar.secdatabase.com/1533/119312512461680/filing-main.htm |title=Cray, Form 8-K, Current Report, Filing Date Nov 9, 2012 |publisher=secdatabase.com |access-date =2013-03-29}}</ref> As of 2012 the #3 provider on the Top100 supercomputer list, Appro builds some of the world's most advanced high performance computing (HPC) cluster systems. In 2012, Cray also opened a subsidiary in China.<ref name="geekwire">{{cite web|url=https://www.geekwire.com/2012/27703/|title=Supercomputer maker Cray expands in China|website=GeekWire|date=February 23, 2012|access-date=2018-08-01}}</ref>

===Subsidiary of Hewlett Packard Enterprise (2019–)===
On September 25, 2019, [[Hewlett Packard Enterprise]] (HPE) acquired the company for $1.3 billion. HPE's acquisition strengthened its position in high-performance computing (HPC) and artificial intelligence (AI) markets.<ref>{{cite press release | url=https://www.hpe.com/us/en/newsroom/press-release/2019/09/hpe-completes-acquisition-of-supercomputing-leader-cray-inc.html | title=HPE completes acquisition of supercomputing leader Cray Inc. | publisher=[[Hewlett Packard Enterprise]] | date=September 25, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Comment |first=Dan Swinhoe |date=2021-02-04 |title=HPE to invest $22 million in former Cray facility for supercomputer manufacturing |url=https://www.datacenterdynamics.com/en/news/hpe-invest-22-million-former-cray-facility-supercomputer-manufacturing/ |access-date=2025-09-26 |website=www.datacenterdynamics.com |language=en}}</ref>

In October 2020, HPE was awarded the contract to build the pre-exascale [[European High-Performance Computing Joint Undertaking|EuroHPC]] computer [[LUMI]], in [[Kajaani]], [[Finland]].<ref name="hpe">{{cite web|date=October 21, 2020|title=Hewlett Packard Enterprise wins $160M+ contract to power one of the world's fastest supercomputers based in Finland to bolster Europe's research in science and unlock economic growth|url=https://www.hpe.com/us/en/newsroom/press-release/2020/10/hewlett-packard-enterprise-wins-160m-contract-to-power-one-of-the-worlds-fastest-supercomputers-based-in-finland-to-bolster-europes-research-in-science-and-unlock-economic-growth.html|access-date=February 13, 2021|website=Hewlett Packard Enterprise|publisher=Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP}}</ref> The contract, worth €144.5 million, is for an HPE Cray EX system, with a theoretical maximum performance of 550 [[petaflops]]. Once fully operational, LUMI will become one of the fastest supercomputers in the world.<ref>{{Cite web|title=LUMI: a new EuroHPC world-class supercomputer in Finland {{!}} European High Performance Computer Joint Undertaking|url=https://eurohpc-ju.europa.eu/news/lumi-new-eurohpc-world-class-supercomputer-finland|access-date=2021-07-13|website=eurohpc-ju.europa.eu|archive-date=June 10, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210610152353/https://eurohpc-ju.europa.eu/news/lumi-new-eurohpc-world-class-supercomputer-finland|url-status=dead}}</ref>

On June 28, 2022, the US [[National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration]] (NOAA) inaugurated the nation’s newest weather and climate supercomputers, two HPE Cray supercomputers installed and operated by [[General Dynamics]] (GDIT). Each supercomputer operates at 12.1 [[petaflops]].<ref>{{cite press release | url=https://www.noaa.gov/news-release/us-supercomputers-for-weather-and-climate-forecasts-get-major-bump|title=U.S. supercomputers for weather and climate forecasts get major bump | publisher=[[NOAA]] | date=June 28, 2022}}</ref>

On November 18, 2024, the US National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) unveiled an HPE Cray supercomputer for use in nuclear weapons analysis and inertial confinement fusion design.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Genkina |first=Dina |date=November 19, 2024 |title=New Fastest Supercomputer Will Simulate Nuke Testing |url=https://spectrum.ieee.org/supercomputer-for-nukes |access-date=November 22, 2024 |website=IEEE Spectrum}}</ref> The supercomputer is housed at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), and was ranked at #1 in the TOP500 supercomputer list in the November 2024 edition.  HPE Cray supercomputers were listed in 7 of the top 10 positions on the list, including the #1, #2, and #3 positions.<ref>{{Cite web |title=TOP 500: November 2024 |url=https://www.top500.org/lists/top500/2024/11/ |access-date=November 22, 2024 |website=TOP500}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==Further reading==
* {{Cite book
 | title      = The Supermen: The Story of Seymour Cray and the Technical Wizards behind the Supercomputer
 | last       = Murray
 | first      = Charles J.
 | year       = 1997
 | publisher  = [[John Wiley & Sons]]
 | location   = New York
 | isbn       = 0-471-04885-2
 | url        = https://archive.org/details/supermenstory00murr
 | url-access = registration}}
* {{Cite book
 | title      = Unmatched : 50 years of Supercomputing
 | last       = Barkai
 | first      = David
 | year       = 2023
 | publisher  = [[CRC Press]]
 | location   = New York
 | isbn       = 9780367479619
 | url        = https://www.routledge.com/Unmatched-50-Years-of-Supercomputing/Barkai/p/book/9780367479619
 | url-access = registration}}

==External links==
{{commons category|Cray Inc|Cray}}
{{Portal|Companies|Electronics}}
* {{official website|https://www.cray.com/}}
* [https://cray-history.net/ Cray-History.net a comprehensive site with history of machines, sales documents, Cray Channels magazine and FAQ notes]
* [http://www.computinghistory.org.uk/cgi-bin/sitewise.pl?act=sect&pt=1609_398&s=2257 Cray Manuals Library @ Computing History]
* [http://bitsavers.org/pdf/cray/ Cray Manuals at bitsavers.org]
* [https://www.computerhistory.org/brochures/a-c/com-42b9d5d68b216/ Historic Cray Research Marketing Materials at the Computer History Museum]

{{Cray computers}}
{{Hewlett Packard Enterprise}}
{{Silicon Graphics}}
{{Authority control}}

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