PROCESSORS

Stuttgart University has chosen Bull NovaScale(TM) to allow academic users and industrial partners to test their HPC (High Performance Computing) applications in a Windows Server 2003 environment. Beyond its traditional missions, Stuttgart University hosts the High Performance Computing Center (HLRS) for Research and Industry, with particular emphasis on the automobile and aeronautic sectors. Among its customers are DaimlerChrysler and Porsche. The choice of Bull NovaScale(TM) Server NovaScale server was selected for its 64-bit SMP architecture, based on Intel(R) Itanium(R) 2 processors and its capacity to run both the Windows Server 2003 platform as well as other operating systems. This NovaScale's multi-environment capability will enable the University and its partners to experiment with the same HPC applications running under multiple operating systems to measure their respective performance. These applications primarily include fluids mechanics applications (aerodynamic, acoustics) and analysis of structure. "Only a powerful SMP architecture could guarantee the performances we were expecting. We have been convinced by the superiority of Bull's NovaScale servers which enabled us to test the 64-bit Windows Server 2003 platform and Linux for high performance computing" said Michael Resch, Director of HLRS, High Performance Computing Centre, Stuttgart University. "The 64-bit editions of the Windows Server 2003 platform deliver extraordinary levels of performance and scalability for HPC in educational environments, together with the kind of availability and reliability necessary in situations with multiple users in highly demanding computing", said Dennis Oldroyd, Director, Windows Server Product Management Group, Microsoft Corp. "We are extremely pleased to see Windows Server 2003, Datacenter Edition along with Bull's NovaScale server as the platform for German researchers at Stuttgart to test their HPC applications and to provide the HLRS for Research and Industry an important new tool for advanced product development." "The choice of Bull's NovaScale(TM) servers based on Intel(R) Itanium(R) 2 processors in this demanding task makes perfect sense. The cutting-edge high performance and the flexibility they offer provide a reliable platform for the most demanding HPC applications", declared Tom Garrison, Director of Enterprise Marketing, Intel EMEA. "The co-operation between the HLRS, Intel, Microsoft and Bull teams was exemplary. This project shows Bull's rapid ability to execute its strategy in the world of HPC with its NovaScale(TM) offer", said Gerard Roucairol, Chief Scientist of Bull The solution adopted by Stuttgart University -- Bull NovaScale 5160, the new generation of Bull's SMP server. Based on its FAME architecture (Flexible Architecture for Multiple Environments), the configuration includes 16 standard Intel(R) Itanium(R) 2 processors and 32 GB memory. -- Microsoft Windows Server 2003, Datacenter Edition for Itanium-based Systems -- Bull's technical support on the NovaScale architecture and its operation in a HPC environment. Announced at the end of March 2003, NovaScale was ordered by the Stuttgart University's HLRS center in July and installed in August.