The HPCwire article “Petascale Computer Architecture: HEC Interviews Sterling by the High-End Crusader” [M377690)] could be the initiator of a community discussion regarding the future direction of government involvement in HPC.
With soaring federal budget deficits, a substantial increase in federal HPC funding is not likely. Some other business model will be required to sustain HPC. The commercial sector has already made it clear that their HPC efforts are not fully financed by those few government contracts that accept the risk of R&D but rather by the vast majority of commercial business at lesser computational levels. The HPC community is left with choices between poorly funded HPC specialists or well-funded computer manufacturers whose core business is not HPC. This business model shortchanges everyone involved in HPC.
Perhaps the HPC community should consider much closer cooperation between the public and private sectors. Federal agencies would need Office of Management and Budget support for HPC projects that share risk between the government and the contractor, provide multi-year funding and result with commercialization of the technology developed. If the government is called upon to modify its plans (perhaps delay performance upgrades) to finance these ventures, the private sector will have to demonstrate how they plan to share risk with the Government.
Whatever mechanisms are chosen, funding agencies have to find new ways to support a sustainable HPC commercial industry. In the end, it's the private sector that will supply the performance our scientists and engineers require.
Gary Wohl
New Technology Coordinator, National Weather Service,
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)