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Weather Simulation grid developed by Sun Microsystems and AMD in conjunction with the United Nations and UAE Army: Predicting the weather in the United Arab Emirates is fairly simple - it's usually sunny. However, in many industries, a bit more information is required, as calculating precise geothermic patterns and wind and tide schedules are determining factors in making business decisions. Powering the ongoing calculation of such minute data to give an overall pattern is where the United Nations and the UAE Army recently turned to Sun Microsystems and AMD, to enable them to build a simulation grid of weather patterns in the Southern Gulf that is second to none. Ensuring neutrality was a key factor in the role of the United Nations in building the weather simulation grid, which takes into account weather data from areas surrounding the UAE to enable them to build a cohesive picture. Working in close conjunction with the UAE Government's Weather Department, which is a part of the Ministry of Defense, the UN team was looking for a high speed system which would deliver availability, performance and speed, while enabling custom-build capability that would allow the system to be tailored to their requirements. The resulting grid works in a similar fashion to an oil and gas simulation grid, drawing on the expertise of regional simulation professionals as well as Sun's global CRS team to develop the solution. The UN can enter models for testing, as well as carrying out ongoing monitoring of present weather conditions. The system is based on Sun Fire x64 (x86, 64-bit) servers with 68 AMD Opteron processor cores, incorporating backup and storage technology from Sun, and Infiniband technology for truly hi-speed connectivity. The combination of multi and single core AMD Opteron processors, and Sun Fire X4100 and Sun Fire X4200 servers have proven to perform at least 28 percent better than any other x64 server in its class and over 12 percent faster than competing systems powered by AMD Opteron processors. "The system has been custom built at the Sun facility in Scotland and our team trained at their labs on site, to remove the need for on-site implementation training in the UAE," commented Lieutenant Colonel Ahmad Awad Al-Katheri, UAE Government. "Combining the local understanding of the Sun and AMD teams in the region with the global expertise in simulation projects has resulted in the project being delivered on time, on brief, and beyond our expectations." Sun Quick File System and expertise on Infini band systems were critical elements of the project, and the system runs on a custom built Linux operating system powered by the AMD Opteron 2.8 GHz processors. "Building a home grown application with the assistance of technical experts from Sun and AMD made this project run exceptionally smoothly," commented UNDP (United Nations Development Program) expert Radi Ajjaji. "We look forward to working with both the UAE team and the regional Sun team in the future on similar projects." Industries that could benefit from this solution include the burgeoning shipping industry that has played such a central role in the UAE's trading history. Shipping forecasts rely heavily on a combination of wind and tide reports, and are closely mapped together with potential for flight, due to physically transporting the pilots and captains to and from the rig or tanker. The ongoing monitoring of the weather simulation grid from the UN and Sun Microsystems will enable the UAE Government to provide world class information to the global shipping industry that will further smooth their passage through the Gulf. "Powering this project has been an exercise in teamwork and best of breed technology," commented Chris Cornelius, managing director, Sun Microsystems MENA. "The vision demonstrated by the UAE Government in their initial specifications documents, and the United Nations team in implementing the project throughout has made this a unique implementation process, and one of the most interesting for our team." "We were delighted to be part of this initiative, bringing world class processor power to deliver up to the minute weather information to Middle Eastern businesses and governments," commented Gaith Kadir, Regional Director, AMD Middle East, Africa & Pakistan. "Working with global partners to deliver customer-centric innovation in our region, through the partnership of the local teams ensures the best possible solutions for the customer, and this project has been a case study of excellence in this regard."