Supercomputing needs a super solution
For the fourth consecutive time, the world’s top 500 super computer list was headed by Tianhe-2, a supercomputer developed by China’s National University of Defense Technology.
According to Top500.org the Tianhe-2 system delivers a performance of 33.86 Pflop/s (quadrillions of calculations per second) on the Linpack benchmark, according to the 44th edition of the twice-yearly Top 500 list of the world’s most powerful supercomputers.
More and more supercomputing or High Performance Computing (HPC) is being linked to nation building, with regions like Europe, North America and Asian embracing the benefits that supercomputing can bring to research and the development of the economy.
This link to nation building was highlighted in a recent article by the Financial Times when it made reference to President Barack Obama State of the Union speech in 2011 when he acknowledged China had just grabbed the lead in supercomputing.
“This is our generation’s Sputnik moment,” The President said, comparing supercomputing to the space race between Russia and the US in the 1960s.
But supercomputing is also being recognised by other regions in the world including Africa and South America and with the capability modular data center infrastructure can bring to supercomputing, many regions not previously known for supercomputing are now making the leap into supercomputing and over their competitors.
More and more the modular data center approach is providing a super solution to supercomputing.
There are now numerous examples worldwide of where a modular data center approach has been successfully deployed to accommodate HPC systems and the reasons the modular data center approach is adding capability to high performance computing is four fold :
- Less expensive,
- Speed to deployment and commission
- Scalable
- Higher density and efficiency
It has been shown to be significantly less expensive to create a purpose built modular environment for a new supercomputer than to upgrade existing data center facilities that accommodate a much wider array of equipment.
The Datapod System provides customers with advanced performance, flexibility, and deployability specific to the new supercomputer needs. The combination of less cost and speed to deployment means organisations can begin to think in real time as opposed to the lengthy plan/design/build delays familiar to legacy data center projects. The modular approach means a High Performance Computing solution can practically be purchased off the shelf and significantly reduces the time associated with planning and implementation.
The modular approach will also enable a further disruption of the top 500 supercomputers, by enabling new entries to bring forward the timing of their deployment and improve the longevity of the system, as modules are added and replaced seamlessly with the age of the facility and without downtime.
High Performance Computers are no longer constrained by a buildings footprint. Modular data center modules, like the modules offered by Datapod can be seamlessly ordered and added to existing systems. For example, a Datapod customer at a university in Australia has transformed a disused space into a data center/computing facility with ample room to expand the facility as required. But the suitability of the modular approach is not just limited to the university sector. The attributes of the modular data center approach is also suited to meet needs in the energy, government, including defense, and manufacturing.
The efficient design and the use of chilled water cooling in the Datapod modular data center means higher density computing of above 30 kW per rack can be achieved which allows the system to support multi-petabyte performance with an efficient use of resources.
The major benefit of supercomputing is it enables to significantly condense the time it takes to make calculations which means everything from gene sequencing, to advance 3D deep seafloor modelling to developing new creative design solutions can be developed faster, which in turn provides a significant advantage to an organisation and to the local economy that houses the supercomputing facility.
Datapod has been at the forefront of modular data center technology since 2007 and has built a reputation for quality and performance.
To speak with a consultant regarding your supercomputing needs contact us today.