HPC news
Contents Prace holds inaugural
HPC News 26
The latest news and
science-themed conference
applications in high-
Prace held its first Scientific first presentation provided a infrastructure; Prace’s vision
performance computing
Conference on 26 November high-level abstraction focused for a training and education
in Lyon, in conjunction with on project management, programme aimed at petascale
HPC Products 28
ICT 2008, the largest research governance and the computing; and a presentation
The latest hPc software
event for information and development of an HPC on a scalable scientific in
and hardware
communication technologies in infrastructure in Europe. Europe that is approaching
Europe. The second presentation was petaflop/s performance.
A supercomputer chip
The Scientific Conference targeted at a more practical More than 40 participants
for everyone 30
programme focused on level, describing the use of the from 16 countries attended the
Paul Schreier looks at the
irresistible rise of the GPu
applications, architectures and Prace prototype architectures sessions aimed at facilitating
chip
training needs for the petascale to ensure that scientists using discussion and collaboration
computing regime, covering scalable software applications between researchers, technical
these topics from multiple and HPC centres – in terms experts and policy makers,
perspectives – from the policy of facilities management, in furthering Prace’s goal
maker to the application integration and support – will of establishing an HPC
scientist. The conference be ready to exploit the Prace infrastructure in Europe.
consisted of a networking infrastructure in 2009. By organising the workshop
session at ICT 2008 and an The third presented the during ICT 2008, Prace was
evening session at the nearby computational scientist’s able to connect closely with
Weathering well 34 Hotel de la Cite Concorde. perspective; and the fourth other European ICT projects,
better climate and The networking session addressed the practical aspects such as Deisa and EGEE,
weather predictions need
consisted of four 20-minute of access provision. enhancing collaboration. The
supercomputing. Gemma
presentations followed by a The evening session second scientific conference is
Church reports
general Q&A session. The focused on topics closer to being organised in conjunction
agenda was designed to cover the application scientist: with the Deisa Symposium, and
aspects of the project from information on how to will be held in Amsterdam in
multiple viewpoints: the access the Prace computing May 2009.
Engineering firm turns to HPC for simulation
Tecnica uK, an engineering smaller simulation and so on, hPc system takes our simulation to
design consultancy specialising running smaller simulations another level – reducing processing
in crankshafts, connecting rods concurrently. time for simulations and enabling
and axle beam forging designs for The ability to run smaller us to allocate performance to
the automotive industry, is using simulations concurrently – simulations which need it most.’
hPc to reduce the processing potentially for different customers – To ensure maximum power
time of its complex 3D computer enables Tecnica to complete more and performance, Ocf’s hPc
HPC Director 37
simulations. The bespoke design, simulations in less time, increasing system design consists of both
Marek Niezgódka, Director
implementation, configuration and productivity and ultimately an Ibm System x3655 Server
support of the entire hPc system is increasing profit. and Ibm System x3455 Servers,
of the Icm centre at the
provided by the uK hPc integrator, using the power and both with amD Opteron Dual-core
university of Warsaw
Ocf. performance of the hPc system to processors.
Tecnica can also use make its simulation process more The design includes
performance from the hPc system efficient and effective, Tecnica is acoustiracK, a sound-proofed
proportionately – for example helping customers reduce time rackmount cabinet, which enables
Tecnica can use performance from spent on the overall forge design Tecnica to house the hPc system
all 16 cores of the hPc system on process and helping them to bring in its main office without the
a single large simulation (and run products to market more quickly. noise affecting staff productivity
other simulations sequentially). ‘Three-dimentional simulation is or breaching health and safety
alternatively, it can use now an essential part of the forge regulations. The acoustiracK was
performance from four cores, for design process,’ says mark Wren, also selected by Ocf because of its
example, on a smaller simulation, simulation and design, Tecnica uK. built-in cooling fans which help to
HPC Projects cover:
Beth Goldsworthy
then four cores on a second ‘The power and performance of the remove heat from the system.
26
SCIENTIFIC COMPUTING WORLD february/march 2009 www.scientific-computing.com
SCWfeb09 pp26-29 HPC news.indd 26 4/2/09 10:44:10
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