NSCI Update – Adapting to a Changing Landscape

By Alex R. Larzelere

December 2, 2019

HPCwire Policy Editor Alex Larzelere, a senior fellow at the U.S. Council on Competitiveness, offers his perspective on the November 2019 update to the National Strategic Computing Initiative, launched in 2015.

It was November of 2017 when we last visited the topic of the National Strategic Computing Initiative (NSCI). As you will recall, the NSCI was started with an Executive Order (E.O. No. 13702), that was issued by President Obama in July of 2015 and was followed by a Strategic Plan that was released in July of 2016. The question for November of 2017 was, how well the E.O. would survive the transition to the Trump administration, especially since during the campaign, the new president had promised to cancel all of the Executive Orders from the previous administration. The good news about the update is that it looks like the NSCI will not only survive but will thrive.

National Strategic Computing Initiative Update: Pioneering the Future of Computing (PDF)

On Friday, November 15, 2019, the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) and the National Science and Technology Council Subcommittee on Networking and Information Technology Research and Development (NITRD) issued the update (National Strategic Computing Update: Pioneering the Future of Computing). The update is the result of a multi-agency Fast Track committee that was convened in June of 2019. That group used, among other inputs, responses to an industry-wide Request for Information (RFI) and a Future Computing Community of Interest Meeting. The update made refinements to the NSCI that reflect changes in the computing landscape from 2015 to 2019.

From an outside federal government observer’s perspective, the update is fascinating because it reflects a level of agility not usually seen with large initiatives. Normally, once a government initiative is launched, it will “stay the course” for many years, perhaps decades, regardless of changes to the landscape. The NSCI update is a wonderful example how of initiatives should be adapted to deal with the realities of evolving technologies and programs. Some of the interesting “adjustments” include:

Exascale – In the 2016 NSCI Strategic Plan, the word “exascale” appeared over 40 times. One of the five objectives in the plan specifically talked about the need to accelerate the development and deployment of “capable” exascale computing systems. In the 2019 update, the word “exascale” is used only once, and that is in the context of the range of available computing power. The update clearly reflects the reality that OSTP and its committee consider U.S. exascale computing as “being in the bag.” This seems to be an acknowledgement of the three recent Department of Energy (DOE) contracts that will commission three different architecture exascale systems at three different national laboratories in the early 2020s.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) – The 2015 E.O. and the 2016 Strategic Plan did not directly discuss AL or ML. Rather, they use the term Data Analytic Computing. Both documents indicated that there seemed to be a potential role for Data Analytic Computing that would be used with traditional HPC enabled modeling and simulation. The initial NSCI documents advocated that integration of the technologies be explored. In the 2019 update, the question of “whether” AI and ML would have a role seemed to be settled. The update moves on to advocate research into questions about “how” to deal with the added complexities of making the integration actually happen.

Beyond Moore’s Law Computing – The 2015 NSCI E.O. and the 2016 Strategic Plan spent a considerable amount of space discussing the expected challenges of approaching the limits of CMOS semiconductor technologies and how to continue to develop more powerful computers. The original NSCI documents called for establishing a “viable path forward” for future HPC systems. The 2019 update recognizes that several paths are starting to emerge (including analog, quantum, and neuromorphic computing) and advocates embracing a diversity of hardware and software approaches for the future of computing.

Cybersecurity – In the first NSCI documents, the word “cybersecurity” only appeared a few times. However, in the 2019 update, cybersecurity takes on a much more prominent role. The update provides a lengthy description of the challenges and opportunities for cybersecurity in future computer ecosystems and makes a number of recommendations.

Strategic Computing Ecosystem – The 2015 E.O. first introduced the idea that an NSCI ecosystem must exist and be nurtured to enable the effective use of strategic computing. This was reinforced in the Strategic Plan that used several pages to describe the ecosystem and to provide recommendations for of how it could be maintained and strengthened. The 2019 update discusses the ecosystem in terms of a “Strategic Foundation for Computing.” The update reinforces the importance of the 2015 and 2016 elements of the ecosystem and adds several new items. These include developing quality data used for training AI systems and the need to turn new computing capabilities into practical and usable forms for a skilled workforce.

Partnerships – The entire collection of NSCI documents place an important emphasis on partnerships. The E.O., Strategic Plan, and Update make it clear that the success of the NSCI hinges on the ability of government agencies, industry, and academia to work in a coordinated fashion. This is needed to overcome the very complex hardware, software, applications, and user environment challenges to produce future computing capabilities to address problems of national significance. The basic organization, agency roles, and responsibilities of the NSCI remain largely the same, but with the addition of a new subcommittee to coordinate cross-agency work for the future of computing at the classified level.

Overall, the 2019 NSCI update is a welcomed sign that the Trump administration understands and has adopted the idea that U.S. leadership in high-end computing provides an important strategic advantage. The question is – does that matter? The answer is a bit of “yes and no.” The “no” part is that OSTP and NITRD are not funded agencies and in reality can do very little to implement the recommendations contained in the NSCI. Their role is leadership, coordination and advocacy. The “yes” part is that funded offices and programs in agencies (e.g. the Departments of Energy, Defense, and Commerce) can point to the initiative when they make their funding requests. That is not necessarily a guarantee that they will get the request for NSCI activities, or that they will receive the appropriation from Congress, but it certainly can help. In the end, you will need to “follow the money” to understand the impact of the NSCI and its latest update. In terms of government initiatives, the NSCI is still very young, but its future looks promising.

About the Author

Alex Larzelere is a senior fellow at the U.S. Council on Competitiveness, the president of Larzelere & Associates Consulting and HPCwire’s policy editor. He is currently a technologist, speaker and author on a number of disruptive technologies that include: advanced modeling and simulation; high performance computing; artificial intelligence; the Internet of Things; and additive manufacturing. Alex’s career has included time in federal service (working closely with DOE national labs), private industry, and as founder of a small business. Throughout that time, he led programs that implemented the use of cutting edge advanced computing technologies to enable high resolution, multi-physics simulations of complex physical systems. Alex is the author of “Delivering Insight: The History of the Accelerated Strategic Computing Initiative (ASCI).”

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!

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

March 18, 2024

Nvidia's latest and fastest GPU, code-named Blackwell, is here and will underpin the company's AI plans this year. The chip offers performance improvements from its predecessors, including the red-hot H100 and A100 GPUs. 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. While Nvidia may not spring to mind when thinking of the quant Read more…

2024 Winter Classic: Meet the HPE Mentors

March 18, 2024

The latest installment of the 2024 Winter Classic Studio Update Show features our interview with the HPE mentor team who introduced our student teams to the joys (and potential sorrows) of the HPL (LINPACK) and accompany 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 field was normalized for boys in 1969 when the Apollo 11 missi Read more…

Apple Buys DarwinAI Deepening its AI Push According to Report

March 14, 2024

Apple has purchased Canadian AI startup DarwinAI according to a Bloomberg report today. Apparently the deal was done early this year but still hasn’t been publicly announced according to the report. Apple is preparing Read more…

Survey of Rapid Training Methods for Neural Networks

March 14, 2024

Artificial neural networks are computing systems with interconnected layers that process and learn from data. During training, neural networks utilize optimization algorithms to iteratively refine their parameters until Read more…

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

March 18, 2024

Nvidia's latest and fastest GPU, code-named 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…

Survey of Rapid Training Methods for Neural Networks

March 14, 2024

Artificial neural networks are computing systems with interconnected layers that process and learn from data. During training, neural networks utilize optimizat Read more…

PASQAL Issues Roadmap to 10,000 Qubits in 2026 and Fault Tolerance in 2028

March 13, 2024

Paris-based PASQAL, a developer of neutral atom-based quantum computers, yesterday issued a roadmap for delivering systems with 10,000 physical qubits in 2026 a Read more…

India Is an AI Powerhouse Waiting to Happen, but Challenges Await

March 12, 2024

The Indian government is pushing full speed ahead to make the country an attractive technology base, especially in the hot fields of AI and semiconductors, but Read more…

Charles Tahan Exits National Quantum Coordination Office

March 12, 2024

(March 1, 2024) My first official day at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) was June 15, 2020, during the depths of the COVID-19 loc Read more…

AI Bias In the Spotlight On International Women’s Day

March 11, 2024

What impact does AI bias have on women and girls? What can people do to increase female participation in the AI field? These are some of the questions the tech 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…

Analyst Panel Says Take the Quantum Computing Plunge Now…

November 27, 2023

Should you start exploring quantum computing? Yes, said a panel of analysts convened at Tabor Communications HPC and AI on Wall Street conference earlier this y 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…

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…

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…

Leading Solution Providers

Contributors

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…

Training of 1-Trillion Parameter Scientific AI Begins

November 13, 2023

A US national lab has started training a massive AI brain that could ultimately become the must-have computing resource for scientific researchers. Argonne N 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…

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…

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…

  • arrow
  • Click Here for More Headlines
  • arrow
HPCwire