BIG DATA

High-performance computer for even more accurate weather forecasts: The Central Institute for Meteorology and Geodynamics in Vienna (ZAMG) will officially commence operation of its new high-performance computer today. The meteorologists are particularly pleased with the SX-8R vector computer from NEC since it will enable them to produce even more accurate weather forecasts in future. With around 512 billion computational operations per second, the new supercomputer is 28 times more powerful than the model it is replacing at the data center. Dr. Fritz Neuwirth, Director of the ZAMG, is enthusiastic about the new prospects: “Things are definitely moving towards even more precise forecasts in future, with the necessary preconditions created by faster computer systems.” With the new vector computer the meteorologists can now compute four as opposed to two forecasts per day in a matter of minutes. A further aim is to improve the accuracy. The calculation will be made on denser grid points with grid sizes of 2.5 kilometres. The Austrian meteorologists are currently anticipating a horizontal resolution of 9.6 kilometres. “We wanted to increase the quality of our forecasts yet further, so we decided to replace our system which was five years old. In the invitation to tender we put high demands on the bidders with our specifications for processing power, space requirements, power consumption and cooling requirements,” Neuwirth continues. NEC proposed the power-saving computer that achieves the highest performance values in the smallest of spaces. The higher model resolution with the improved forecasting of extreme weather events is particularly useful as it creates a platform from which appropriate measures for reducing human casualties and damage to property can be initiated. The ZAMG vector computer consists of two nodes, each equipped with eight processors and connected with each other via two high-speed switches developed by NEC. The system takes up a surface area of just around 12 square metres and consumes some 20 kilowatts of power. In terms of the computing performance, this is just 30% of the actual available capacity. Along with the significantly lower heat emission, the ZAMG will thus save considerable costs on power and cooling within the next five years. At around the same time an identical computer was acquired by the French weather service Météo France, meaning that in future it will be possible to deploy the software developed there more quickly and effectively at the ZAMG in the scope of a joint forecasting-model project. “Our SX-8R vector processor is currently the fastest single-core processor with the highest storage bandwidth in the world. This means that we can implement a high-performance computer system in the smallest possible space and with the lowest possible energy consumption,” says Makoto Tsukakoshi, Managing Director of NEC High Performance Computing Europe GmbH. “We are delighted that our leading technology can contribute to the traditional Austrian weather service being able to produce even more accurate forecasts in the future.”