CCR doubles supercomputer capacity

By ELLEN GOLDBAUM
News Services Editor

An extremely enthusiastic response by faculty to the year-old, high-performance computing facilities in the Center for Computational Research (CCR) has prompted the center to double the capacity of its most powerful machine, a 64-processor SGI Origin2000 supercomputer. By acquiring 64 additional processors and a high-speed interconnect, the CCR now has a 128-processor Origin2000 supercomputer.

The new supercomputer is one of the most powerful computers in the world. Fewer than 10 universities in the U.S. have an individual machine as powerful as this one, according to Russ Miller, CCR director and professor of computer science and engineering.

"This acquisition helps UB retain its edge as a leading academic supercomputing site in the United States," he said. "Only a handful of universities in the country can provide the high-performance computing and high-end visualization capabilities that now are available in CCR."

Coupled with existing CCR facilities, the complete SGI acquisition takes CCR's computational capacity up to approximately 150 Gigaflops, or 150 operations per second, giving the center the capability of performing a significant scientific calculation in one week that would take several years on a high-end personal computer, assuming a PC could survive and run uninterrupted for that length of time.

CCR gives faculty grant potential Having the Center for Computational Research at UB is allowing faculty members to write proposals for grants and projects that require massive amounts of computing-projects for which they otherwise would not be eligible to apply. So far, one major proposal that would use CCR facilities has been funded and another is expected to be funded. Alan J. Rabideau, associate professor of civil, structural and environmental engineering, has been awarded $1 million from the Environmental Protection Agency to develop new computer models for simulating the movement of groundwater at very large scales-up to the size of an entire continent. Current methods of groundwater-flow modeling typically address problems that range from the size of an industrial site to a watershed. The project will involve work on the SGI Origin2000 supercomputer, and includes applications of the models to the Niagara Region. Co-investigators on the multidisciplinary project are Matt Becker, assistant professor of geology, and Doug Flewelling, assistant professor of geography. Sara Fabrikant, visiting assistant professor of geography, expects to receive a major federal grant to develop new methods of visualizing information in three dimensions, such as using virtual-reality techniques to make accessing vast geospatial data collections far more user-friendly. The project would use CCR's Pyramid Systems ImmersaDesk virtual reality machine. The goal would be to develop a final product that would allow government agencies to exploit more efficiently their vast imagery and geospatial-data collections, particularly those used in national-security applications. If this method proves useful, it could be applied to other very-large data archives that people need to query. This multidisciplinary project includes co-investigators David Mark, director of the UB site of the National Center for Geographic Information and Analysis and professor of geography, and Corinne Jorgensen, assistant professor in the School of Information Studies.

"This is a wonderful initiative that builds on the work we've been doing with SGI in the past and that will greatly contribute to the high-performance computing capability of the university," said Voldemar Innus, UB's chief information officer.

According to Innus, the gift provided by SGI was matched with state funding provided through the State University of New York Capital Match Program, under which donations from private sources receive matching grants from the state on a 60-40 basis.

"SGI is proud of the partnership that we have forged with the CCR at UB," said Cornelius Economou, district manager, State of New York, SGI. "We couldn't be happier with the way that Russ Miller and his team have deployed our computing systems and are using them to solve some of the world's most complex problems."

The need for additional processors became evident soon after the center opened last January, said Miller, noting that all of the center's three major supercomputers-the 42-processor IBM, the 64-processor SGI Origin2000 and the innovative 64-processor Sun Linux cluster-are operating now at maximum capacity.

"In terms of the demand for high-performance computing, we have been essentially 'standing-room only' since we started up last year," said Miller. "Not only are core computational departments, such as Chemistry, Civil Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Mathematics and Geology, using CCR's facilities, but so are nontraditional departments, such as Art and Architecture."

CCR also has reached out to local research institutions, including Roswell Park Cancer Institute and Hauptman-Woodward Medical Research Institute, as well as to local industry, including Occidental Chemical, Praxair, M&T Bank, IBC Digital and others.

Users also will benefit from access to the additional power because it more efficiently allows animated drawings to be turned into high-quality movies, a feat that requires "massive amounts of computing," according to Miller.

"Because the demand on our machines has been so high, we have had to limit each user to only a small fraction of the total capacity in order to satisfy all users," he said.

"Now, we will be able to extend the capabilities of these machines to attacking significantly larger problems, which is particularly important for some of the leading-edge research being done at UB in such areas as chemistry and fluid dynamics," he explained. "This acquisition will provide many of our researchers with the opportunity to move up to an even more advanced level of high-performance computing."

Provost David Triggle called the acquisition "a significant, and more than incremental, addition to our supercomputing facility, which will expand greatly, both our capabilities and capacities, and will further solidify UB's reputation in this rapidly developing field."

Also acquired in the same package from SGI was an Onyx 2 visual supercomputer-one of the most advanced visualization devices available-which will be used to drive the center's Pyramid Systems' ImmersaDesk virtual reality machine. Seven additional personal computers that feature advanced flat panel digital monitors also were included in the package.