INDUSTRY

When it comes to high-performance computing, the interconnect architecture linking the computing nodes significantly affects the overall performance of the system. As part of the International Supercomputer Conference, a one-day tutorial on "Interconnection Architectures in Practice" will be held Tuesday, June 21, 2005, in Heidelberg's Print Media Academy. ISC2005, which marks its 20th anniversary this year, will be held June 21-24 in Heidelberg. Advance registration, at discounted rates, is now open for both the tutorial and the three-day conference its Website. Under the theme “Applications, Architectures, Trends,” ISC2005 offers the tutorial, three days of intensive technical sessions and plenty of networking opportunities to provide attendees with a comprehensive and compact overview on HPC topics presented by world-renowned scientists and experts. “While HPC performance discussions often revolve around processor speed, the interconnect architectures play a critical role in allowing users to achieve the best performance of their codes,” said ISC Chairman Prof. Hans Werner Meuer of the University of Mannheim. “This tutorial is designed to introduce participants to the theory, architecture and future trends of state of the art interconnect networks and network interfaces.” Myrinet, Infiniband, QsNet and other interconnects are designed to meet the challenging low latency and high bandwidth needs of clustered computing and data centers. Key features and capabilities of the different approaches from the perspective of high performance computing will be covered. Practical guidance on how to build and configure a Linux cluster targeted for HPC users will be given. For the first time in an ISC tutorial, participants will get the chance to install, configure and benchmark the interconnects from various vendors in the “hands-on” portion of the tutorial. Results will be presented at the end of the tutorial. Just as the hands-on session represents a new aspect of the ISC tutorial program, so does this year’s location. The Heidelberg Print Media Academy its Website is a stunning 12-story glass and steel structure just across from Heidelberg’s main train station. Ulrich Bruening of the University of Mannheim is chairman of the tutorial. Speakers include Bruening; José Duato, Universidad Politecnica de Valencia, Spain; Ian D. Johnson, Xyratex, UK; Chuck Seitz, Myricom, USA; Michael Kagan, Mellanox, Israel; and Robert John Marsh, Intel, USA. Detailed information about the tutorial can be found at its Website. Advance Registration Ends May 21 – Register Now and Save up to 20 Percent Advance registration is now open for ISC2005. By registering before Sunday, May 22, participants can save up to 210 Euros, compared to on-site registration fees. As in the past, registration fees are structured to these categories: Regular, University, Government and Students. Complete registration information can be found at its Website. While registering for the conference, please to book your hotel room for ISC2005. Heidelberg is always a popular tourist destination, but June is a very popular season for visitors to our picturesque city. Book your room now at to get the best location and rate for the conference. The annual conference is held in Heidelberg, the home of Germany's oldest university as well as a thriving modern research community.