The Week in Review

By John E. West

October 9, 2008

Here’s a collection of highlights, selected totally subjectively, from this week’s HPC news stream as reported at insideHPC.com and HPCwire.

>>10 words and a link

IBM puts 14 TFLOPS BlueGene in Africa;
http://insidehpc.com/2008/10/09/ibm-continues-investment-in-african-technology-with-14-tflops-bg/

MPI.NET 1.0 release;
http://insidehpc.com/2008/10/09/mpinet-10-release-brings-mpi-to-the-net-framework/

UMass Unveils Microway Cluster;
http://insidehpc.com/2008/10/07/umass-unveils-microway-cluster/

JRT announces line of Tesla-based scientific workstations;
http://insidehpc.com/2008/10/08/jrt-announces-line-of-tesla-based-scientific-workstations/

IBM doubles cores in Power line;
http://insidehpc.com/2008/10/08/ibm-doubles-down-on-power/

Balmer: Windows cloud OS release in “four weeks”;
http://insidehpc.com/2008/10/03/ballmer-leaks-news-of-cloud-computing-os/

SC08 advance registration ends Wednesday October 15;
http://www.hpcwire.com/offthewire/SC08_Offers_Advance_Registration_Discounts_.html

Voltaire’s financial performance falls in response to troubled Wall Street;
http://insidehpc.com/2008/10/09/voltaire-faces-unexpected-quarterly-loss-blames-wall-streets-woes/

Marc Hamilton tapped for global HPC sales job at Sun;
http://insidehpc.com/2008/10/06/insidetrack-hamilton-to-head-global-hpc-sales-at-sun/

Platform and Fermat partner on risk management;
http://insidehpc.com/2008/10/07/platform-partners-with-fermat-on-optimizing-risk-management/

Evergrid’s evolving value proposition;
http://insidehpc.com/2008/10/08/the-register-on-the-librato-name-change-and-an-evolving-value-proposition/

>>The InsideTrack: Graybill’s hosted HPC services company gearing up for 2009

John Leidel recently spoke with Robert Graybill about his new venture, Nimbis Services. Those of you closely following the HPC news know that Nimbis recently announced a partnership with the Ohio Supercomputing Center (OSC) to broker computational cycles and services. Before you immediately discount Nimbis as just another cycle house, I suggest you read on.

Nimbis was founded by Robert Graybill and Brian Schott. Those in HPC management might remember Robert from his days at DARPA and the US Council on Competitivenes. He spent the previous few years doing studies on the efficacy and utilization of computational resources around the US. He quickly learned that there is a significant gap in what Nimbis terms Digital Analysis Computing (DAC). DAC is essentially a broader term for high performance computing. Any problem requiring computational and storage resources larger than a desktop is DAC.

Enter Nimbis, stage right. Nimbis has a created an environment and infrastructure in order to provide access to all aspects of Digital Access Computing resources. They’re essentially a clearing house for compute, storage, software (licensing) and consulting resources. Nimbis will provide access to anything from cycles on a cluster, to ad-hoc access to commercial software, to warm-body consulting resources in the form of domain experts. They’re targeting users that don’t typically require access to resources 365 days a year. One may need cycles for a specific project, customer or academic study. In these instances, the initial purchase and maintenance of HPC resources is simply not cost effective.

Business ventures such as this would typically require a huge capital investment for compute, storage and software. Not at Nimbis. Rather than hosting everything locally, Nimbis has ascertained partnerships with the likes of IBM, Amazon Web Services, R-Systems, OSC and Wolfram Research (and the list is growing). This allows Nimbis to remain agile and agnostic to the compute architecture and software payload for which they provide access.

So, how exactly does one get access to these resources? Nimbis has architected a mixture of custom developed software and currently available software packages in order to provide a more fluid user experience. According to Graybill, they will “rely heavily on virtual machine technology.” Nimbis is currently soliciting beta customers in anticipation of a production release in early 2009. For those who would like to see more, Nimbis will be holding demos at SC08 in Austin.

If you would like to read more about Nimbis Services or signup as a beta customer, head over to their Web site.

>>Bull acquires science + computing ag in bid to dominate Euro HPC

Bull has announced that it has acquired German high performance computing company science + computing ag. science + computing has been especially strong with the automotive and aeronautical customers. They’ve previously done business with the likes of Audi, BMW, Bosch, Daimler and Porsche. The move marks another important investment by Bull to further its push into high performance computing. With the help of this acquisition, Bull hopes to become one of the HPC leaders in Europe. From the press release:

Didier Lamouche, Chairman and CEO of Bull declared: “The acquisition of s+c is one of the most important investments the company has made since 2005 supporting its strategic repositioning. The combination of Bull and s+c will create a powerhouse in the European HPC landscape. s+c will bring its experience in HPC solutions and services for customers in the manufacturing sector, and will contribute to expand Bull’s offering towards infrastructure services. Together with the divestment we are announcing today, this acquisition demonstrates our determination to accelerate further the transformation of the Group.”

The acquisition includes 270 employees, which created a revenue of 26 million euros last year. On the other end of the spectrum, Bull is selling its Medicaid solutions business to Ingenix. The niche business is a bit outside the current company focus. Ingenix is a large, US enterprise, so it will be better positioned to utilize the assets.

>>AMD Splits Company Into Two Operations

Big news on the microprocessor front. AMD has announced that it will split into two separate companies of operation. What!? You heard it. The first of the two companies will remain Advanced Micro Devices and will focus solely on microprocessor design operations. This would include its x86_64 processors, GPUs (via ATI), embedded processors and chipsets. The second company, temporarily known as “The Foundry Company,” will focus its operations on manufacturing and fabrication of silicon devices.

Plot thickens! The new organization is not wholly funded by AMD. AMD will only retain a 44.4 percent share of the new entity while the Advanced Technology Investment Company (ATIC) will own the remainder. For those wondering, ATIC is an investment group formed by the government of Abu Dhabi. For their majority share, they will pony up $2.1 billion immediately and will contribute anywhere from $3.6 billion and $6 billion more to upgrade AMD’s current chip fabs.

“We generally believe this deal is a game changer for the industry,” said Khaldoon Al Mubarak, chief executive of Mubadala. “It’s bold, and I think it’s smart.”

This was a must-do deal for the folks at AMD. As of June, AMD has a recorded debt of $5.3 billion and just $1.6 billion in cash. The new cash infusion will push progress on building an AMD fab plant in upstate New York. AMD must make a play for expanding their fabrication capabilities in order to remain competitive with Intel.

“This is the biggest announcement in our history,” said AMD’s chief executive, Dirk Meyer. “This will make us a financially stronger company, both in the near term and in the long term, as a result of being out from the capital expense burden we have had to bear.”

This is *huge* news in the microprocessor world. If the AMD/ATIC fab merger doesn’t pan out, the computer industry could see deeper shortages in upcoming AMD silicon. Watch this one closely.

For more info on the announcement, read the New York Times coverage.

—–

John West is part of the team that summarizes the headlines in HPC news every day at insideHPC.com. You can contact him at [email protected].

 

Subscribe to HPCwire's Weekly Update!

Be the most informed person in the room! Stay ahead of the tech trends with industry updates delivered to you every week!

Q&A with Nvidia’s Chief of DGX Systems on the DGX-GB200 Rack-scale System

March 27, 2024

Pictures of Nvidia's new flagship mega-server, the DGX GB200, on the GTC show floor got favorable reactions on social media for the sheer amount of computing power it brings to artificial intelligence.  Nvidia's DGX Read more…

Call for Participation in Workshop on Potential NSF CISE Quantum Initiative

March 26, 2024

Editor’s Note: Next month there will be a workshop to discuss what a quantum initiative led by NSF’s Computer, Information Science and Engineering (CISE) directorate could entail. The details are posted below in a Ca Read more…

Waseda U. Researchers Reports New Quantum Algorithm for Speeding Optimization

March 25, 2024

Optimization problems cover a wide range of applications and are often cited as good candidates for quantum computing. However, the execution time for constrained combinatorial optimization applications on quantum device Read more…

NVLink: Faster Interconnects and Switches to Help Relieve Data Bottlenecks

March 25, 2024

Nvidia’s new Blackwell architecture may have stolen the show this week at the GPU Technology Conference in San Jose, California. But an emerging bottleneck at the network layer threatens to make bigger and brawnier pro Read more…

Who is David Blackwell?

March 22, 2024

During GTC24, co-founder and president of NVIDIA Jensen Huang unveiled the Blackwell GPU. This GPU itself is heavily optimized for AI work, boasting 192GB of HBM3E memory as well as the the ability to train 1 trillion pa Read more…

Nvidia Appoints Andy Grant as EMEA Director of Supercomputing, Higher Education, and AI

March 22, 2024

Nvidia recently appointed Andy Grant as Director, Supercomputing, Higher Education, and AI for Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA). With over 25 years of high-performance computing (HPC) experience, Grant brings a Read more…

Q&A with Nvidia’s Chief of DGX Systems on the DGX-GB200 Rack-scale System

March 27, 2024

Pictures of Nvidia's new flagship mega-server, the DGX GB200, on the GTC show floor got favorable reactions on social media for the sheer amount of computing po Read more…

NVLink: Faster Interconnects and Switches to Help Relieve Data Bottlenecks

March 25, 2024

Nvidia’s new Blackwell architecture may have stolen the show this week at the GPU Technology Conference in San Jose, California. But an emerging bottleneck at Read more…

Who is David Blackwell?

March 22, 2024

During GTC24, co-founder and president of NVIDIA Jensen Huang unveiled the Blackwell GPU. This GPU itself is heavily optimized for AI work, boasting 192GB of HB Read more…

Nvidia Looks to Accelerate GenAI Adoption with NIM

March 19, 2024

Today at the GPU Technology Conference, Nvidia launched a new offering aimed at helping customers quickly deploy their generative AI applications in a secure, s Read more…

The Generative AI Future Is Now, Nvidia’s Huang Says

March 19, 2024

We are in the early days of a transformative shift in how business gets done thanks to the advent of generative AI, according to Nvidia CEO and cofounder Jensen Read more…

Nvidia’s New Blackwell GPU Can Train AI Models with Trillions of Parameters

March 18, 2024

Nvidia's latest and fastest GPU, codenamed Blackwell, is here and will underpin the company's AI plans this year. The chip offers performance improvements from Read more…

Nvidia Showcases Quantum Cloud, Expanding Quantum Portfolio at GTC24

March 18, 2024

Nvidia’s barrage of quantum news at GTC24 this week includes new products, signature collaborations, and a new Nvidia Quantum Cloud for quantum developers. Wh Read more…

Houston We Have a Solution: Addressing the HPC and Tech Talent Gap

March 15, 2024

Generations of Houstonian teachers, counselors, and parents have either worked in the aerospace industry or know people who do - the prospect of entering the fi Read more…

Alibaba Shuts Down its Quantum Computing Effort

November 30, 2023

In case you missed it, China’s e-commerce giant Alibaba has shut down its quantum computing research effort. It’s not entirely clear what drove the change. Read more…

Nvidia H100: Are 550,000 GPUs Enough for This Year?

August 17, 2023

The GPU Squeeze continues to place a premium on Nvidia H100 GPUs. In a recent Financial Times article, Nvidia reports that it expects to ship 550,000 of its lat Read more…

Shutterstock 1285747942

AMD’s Horsepower-packed MI300X GPU Beats Nvidia’s Upcoming H200

December 7, 2023

AMD and Nvidia are locked in an AI performance battle – much like the gaming GPU performance clash the companies have waged for decades. AMD has claimed it Read more…

DoD Takes a Long View of Quantum Computing

December 19, 2023

Given the large sums tied to expensive weapon systems – think $100-million-plus per F-35 fighter – it’s easy to forget the U.S. Department of Defense is a Read more…

Synopsys Eats Ansys: Does HPC Get Indigestion?

February 8, 2024

Recently, it was announced that Synopsys is buying HPC tool developer Ansys. Started in Pittsburgh, Pa., in 1970 as Swanson Analysis Systems, Inc. (SASI) by John Swanson (and eventually renamed), Ansys serves the CAE (Computer Aided Engineering)/multiphysics engineering simulation market. Read more…

Choosing the Right GPU for LLM Inference and Training

December 11, 2023

Accelerating the training and inference processes of deep learning models is crucial for unleashing their true potential and NVIDIA GPUs have emerged as a game- Read more…

Intel’s Server and PC Chip Development Will Blur After 2025

January 15, 2024

Intel's dealing with much more than chip rivals breathing down its neck; it is simultaneously integrating a bevy of new technologies such as chiplets, artificia Read more…

Baidu Exits Quantum, Closely Following Alibaba’s Earlier Move

January 5, 2024

Reuters reported this week that Baidu, China’s giant e-commerce and services provider, is exiting the quantum computing development arena. Reuters reported � Read more…

Leading Solution Providers

Contributors

Comparing NVIDIA A100 and NVIDIA L40S: Which GPU is Ideal for AI and Graphics-Intensive Workloads?

October 30, 2023

With long lead times for the NVIDIA H100 and A100 GPUs, many organizations are looking at the new NVIDIA L40S GPU, which it’s a new GPU optimized for AI and g Read more…

Shutterstock 1179408610

Google Addresses the Mysteries of Its Hypercomputer 

December 28, 2023

When Google launched its Hypercomputer earlier this month (December 2023), the first reaction was, "Say what?" It turns out that the Hypercomputer is Google's t Read more…

AMD MI3000A

How AMD May Get Across the CUDA Moat

October 5, 2023

When discussing GenAI, the term "GPU" almost always enters the conversation and the topic often moves toward performance and access. Interestingly, the word "GPU" is assumed to mean "Nvidia" products. (As an aside, the popular Nvidia hardware used in GenAI are not technically... Read more…

Shutterstock 1606064203

Meta’s Zuckerberg Puts Its AI Future in the Hands of 600,000 GPUs

January 25, 2024

In under two minutes, Meta's CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, laid out the company's AI plans, which included a plan to build an artificial intelligence system with the eq Read more…

Google Introduces ‘Hypercomputer’ to Its AI Infrastructure

December 11, 2023

Google ran out of monikers to describe its new AI system released on December 7. Supercomputer perhaps wasn't an apt description, so it settled on Hypercomputer Read more…

China Is All In on a RISC-V Future

January 8, 2024

The state of RISC-V in China was discussed in a recent report released by the Jamestown Foundation, a Washington, D.C.-based think tank. The report, entitled "E Read more…

Intel Won’t Have a Xeon Max Chip with New Emerald Rapids CPU

December 14, 2023

As expected, Intel officially announced its 5th generation Xeon server chips codenamed Emerald Rapids at an event in New York City, where the focus was really o Read more…

IBM Quantum Summit: Two New QPUs, Upgraded Qiskit, 10-year Roadmap and More

December 4, 2023

IBM kicks off its annual Quantum Summit today and will announce a broad range of advances including its much-anticipated 1121-qubit Condor QPU, a smaller 133-qu Read more…

  • arrow
  • Click Here for More Headlines
  • arrow
HPCwire