SYSTEMS
Fujitsu Wins Order for Next-Generation Supercomputer from Kyoto University
- Massively Parallel Computation Server: Each HX600 HPC server is loaded with four quad-core AMD Opteron processors. With 416 nodes, the system is capable of massively parallel computations, enabling it to handle the computational demands required by new applications. In addition, Fujitsu's Parallelnavi parallel-processing software, which provides the development and execution environments for parallel programs, will enable integrated monitoring and control over the entire system with a unified interface, thereby reducing the customer's administrative overhead and providing fine-grained control over unused resources—not merely at the server level but at the CPU/CPU core level—making it possible to put these resources into standby mode to conserve power.
- Large-scale Symmetric Multiprocessing Server Cluster: The system will also include a large-scale symmetric multiprocessing server cluster consisting of seven SPARC Enterprise Unix servers, each of which includes SPARC64 processors (128 CPU cores) and 1 TB of memory, giving a massive memory space for large-scale computing requirements.
- Large Storage: The disk array consists of 32 Fujitsu ETERNUS2000 model 200s, providing a total storage capacity of 800 TB. A PRIMEQUEST 580 IA server is used for the file I/O controller, and it can handle rapid transfers with high reliability.
- High Speed Data Network: The computation servers and the large storage are connected using high speed InfiniBand interconnects. Multi-linked connections result in a redundant data network with fast connections.
Comment from Hiroshi Nakashima, Professor at Kyoto University's Academic Center for Computing and Media Studies: "This new supercomputer system upgrade represents a significant departure from our past procurement practices. This time we laid out the basic concept of the new supercomputer along with general specifications based on the T2K Open Supercomputer Specification jointly created with the University of Tokyo and University of Tsukuba, and we asked vendors to develop systems and submit proposals to meet our requirements. In this sense, I think it was more difficult this time to develop systems proposals that met our requirements, but this HX600 cluster exceeds our baseline requirements for performance and functionality, so we're very pleased with the outcome. The SPARC Enterprise M9000 sub-system will be able to directly utilize our existing software assets, and the high-capacity storage system can also be configured to exceed our base requirements. The next step, of course, is to get the system installed and running smoothly, and then to leverage our supercomputer to generate outstanding research results and give us new educational insights. We look forward to the ongoing support of Fujitsu."