HPE and NASA Increasingly Transform HPC and Space Exploration with Spaceborne Computer

Space exploration is one of the most exciting and multifaceted fields of research. From promoting scientific education and creating jobs, to expanding environmental studies and unraveling the mysteries of the universe, investigating the reaches of space holds the key to advancing human knowledge and human lives. NASA is spearheading the effort “to pioneer the future in space exploration, scientific discovery, and aeronautics research.” To achieve this, NASA utilizes leading-edge technologies to collect, analyze, and transmit vast quantities of data and rapidly derive intelligent insights. High performance computing ( #HPC ) capabilities are essential to executing these critical workloads, and last year, @NASA teamed up with leading developer @Hewlett Packard Enterprise ( #HPE ) to launch the first HPC system into space. HPE is working closely with NASA in a year-long experiment to deploy and operate a fully-functional HPC machine aboard the International Space Station ( #ISS ). The mission—known as #SpaceborneComputer—is designed to revolutionize space exploration, drive scientific and technological advancements, and accelerate innovation for the benefit of mankind. Spaceborne Computer was launched to the ISS on August 14th, 2017 and powered up one month later on September 14th. As of April 9th, the first supercomputer in space has been operating successfully for 207 days and orbiting for a total of 238 days—that’s 3,460 revolutions around the Earth. And the achievements don’t stop there. Reaching new frontiers of innovation Since becoming operational, Spaceborne Computer has consistently delivered one trillion calculations per second (or one teraflop of performance). This groundbreaking accomplishment earned HPE two esteemed awards at SuperComputing 2017, including the Hyperion Research “HPC Innovation Excellence Award” as well as the HPCwire Editors’ Choice Award for “Top Supercomputing Achievement.” Since then, HPE and NASA have shared their progress at a number of HPC and academic events, kindling a growing intrigue in Spaceborne Computer. These activities range from talks with inquisitive fourth-grade classrooms and university aeronautical engineering clubs, to Dr. Eng Lim Goh’s session at HPE Discover Madrid, and the 2018 Mobile World Congress. Spaceborne Computer is fueling a new and undeniable passion for space research. In fact, one enthusiast shared his tattoo of the ISS with experts at the Spaceborne Computer area of an HPE event booth—and they photographed him and his ISS tattoo alongside the Spaceborne Computer system dashboard. The mission is even embracing the holiday spirit (as seen below), transforming the ISS emblem into Santa Claus with Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer on Christmas Eve.

https://www.hpcwire.com/solution_content/hpe/government-academia/hpe-and-nasa-increasingly-transform-hpc-and-space-exploration-with-spaceborne-computer/

NASA Selects Supermicro to Expand Advanced Computing and Data Analytics Used to Study the Earth, Solar System and Universe

SAN JOSE, Calif., Nov. 6, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- @SuperMicro Computer, Inc. (NASDAQ: #SMCI), a global leader in #enterprisecomputing, #storage, and #networking solutions and #greencomputing technology, today announced that the company has partnered with the @NASA Center for #ClimateSimulation ( #NCCS) to expand advanced computing and data analytics used to study the Earth, solar system and universe. Based on the combination of density, system performance and optimized cost, the Supermicro FatTwin-based solution brings an additional 1.56 PetaFlops to NASA researchers. The Rack Scale solution is factory integrated at Supermicro's Silicon Valley headquarters to deliver optimal reliability and efficiency. NASA selects Supermicro complete Rack Scale Solution to boost Compute Performance The NCCS is part of the Computational and Information Sciences and Technology Office (CISTO) of Goddard Space Flight Center's (GSFC) Sciences and Exploration Directorate. Its mission is to enable scientists to increase their understanding of the Earth, the solar system, and the universe by supplying a range of advanced computing and data analytics solutions. As a significant part of accomplishing this mission, the NCCS provides high-performance computing (HPC) engines, mass storage, and network solutions to meet the specialized needs of NASA's Earth and space science user communities. "Empowering scientists, like those at NASA, with the latest in advanced computing and data analytics solutions is a key component of Supermicro's mission to make the world a better place not only for us but also for future generations," said Charles Liang, President and CEO of Supermicro. "With Supermicro 3.0 we are very excited to see our investments in innovative technology advancement, expanded infrastructure and global delivery being leveraged by NASA, and we will continue to work closely with NASA, Intel and other partners like CSRA and Motivair to provide complete turn-key Rack Scale Solutions to one of the world's most respected research agencies." "This is the next step in evolving NCCS supercomputing systems for hosting ultra-high-resolution weather and climate simulations in support of NASA's mission," said Daniel Duffy, NCCS High-Performance Computing Lead. "Such simulations work in concert with NASA satellite, airborne, and surface observations to help scientists and policymakers better understand extreme weather events, seasonal climate impacts, and long-term change." Within the NCCS, the Discover system is the primary HPC cluster and is comprised of individual compute units, referred to as Scalable Compute Units (SCUs). The most recent augmentation to the Discover cluster is SCU14 provided by Supermicro. The procurement for this system expansion was awarded to Edge Solutions & Consulting, Inc., headquartered in Westlake Village, California. Edge is a certified, woman-owned small business systems integrator that provides enterprise-class solutions for complex enterprise-class customers. From a performance standpoint, this deployment brings an additional 1.56 PetaFlops to NASA on top of the existing 3.5 PetaFlops for nearly 45% improvement. Compared to the previous SCU13 augmentation, SCU14 more than doubles the performance (216%) with a smaller footprint and lower TCO. The SCU14 solution provided by Supermicro and CSRA consists of three types of nodes: compute nodes, service nodes, and I/O nodes. The compute nodes will be used to run large parallel jobs that will communicate between all compute nodes in a given phase involving several SCUs. The service nodes will be used for a variety of purposes, including but not limited to: user logins, editing, compiling, batch submission, cron jobs, subnet managers, management nodes, etc. I/O nodes provide the conduit for moving data between a Fibre Channel SAN and the compute nodes through the high-speed interconnect fabric. Compute nodes are stateful nodes with SSDs as persistent storage.  The Supermicro turn-key Rack Scale Solution for SCU14 is based on Supermicro FatTwin™ server nodes each equipped with dual 20-core Intel® Xeon® Gold processors and Intel® SSDs for persistent storage. The FatTwin™ SuperServer® is an 8-node 4U system with each node supporting 12 DIMM slots and six front hot-swap SSDs. To provide high-speed interconnect, the cluster employs Intel® Omni-Path (OPA) 100G 48-port top-of-rack managed network switches. The Supermicro 42U racks for this fully integrated HPC cluster solution are equipped with Motivair's ChilledDoor® Rack Cooling System to maximize the cooling efficiency for improved PUE. "CSRA is excited to enter this new phase of supercomputing and help NASA engineer the technologies of tomorrow," said Executive Vice President Paul Nedzbala, head of CSRA's Health and Civil Group. "Through this procurement, NASA will have enhanced capabilities for expanding its HPC capabilities and we look forward to working with them to excel in this effort." "Global research leaders, like those at NASA, drive new discoveries that enrich our understanding of the universe and improve the lives of everyone," said Trish Damkroger, Vice President of Technical Computing at Intel. "Intel's balanced technology portfolio and close collaboration with leading system vendors like Supermicro helps put the most powerful computational tools in the hands of scientists to tackle the most difficult challenges facing society." "As a true pioneer of exploration and new technology, NASA continues to lead the way with the recent addition of its Discover system. Utilizing the latest technology, NASA recognized the need for a computer cooling system that would allow Discover to reach its full potential," states Rich Whitmore, President & CEO, Motivair Corporation. "We are honored that NASA has selected Motivair's ChilledDoor® Rack Cooling System to play such a significant role in its pursuit of technological advancements and proud to be partnered with one of our nations most revered agencies."

https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/nasa-selects-supermicro-to-expand-advanced-computing-and-data-analytics-used-to-study-the-earth-solar-system-and-universe-300549707.html

HPE, NASA to launch a supercomputer into space

#HewlettPackardEnterprise is teaming up with #NASA to launch a #supercomputer into space on Monday, with the ultimate aim of building computing resources that could serve on board a mission to Mars. The supercomputer, called the #SpaceborneComputer, will launch from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on board the #SpaceX #CRS12 rocket, developed by @ElonMusk 's SpaceX. The rocket will send the SpaceX Dragon Spacecraft -- and the supercomputer along with it -- to the International Space Station ( #ISS ) National Lab. The goal of the joint experiment is to have the Spaceborne Computer operate smoothly in space for on year, which is roughly how long it would take to travel to Mars.
http://www.zdnet.com/article/hpe-nasa-to-launch-a-supercomputer-into-space/

Google, NASA Upgrade To The New D-Wave 2000Q Quantum Annealing Computer

#DWave announced that #Google, #NASA, and the Universities Space Research Association (USRA) have upgraded their 1,000- #qubit D-Wave 2X #quantumannealing computer to the latest 2,000-qubit D-Wave 2000Q. The new computer is supposed to be up to 1,000 times faster than the last generation for certain optimization problems. Google And NASA Collaboration Back in 2013, Google, NASA, and USRA announced a joint research lab called the #QuantumArtificialIntelligence Laboratory (QuAIL). The three organizations would use D-Wave’s latest quantum annealing computer at the time (the 512-qubit D-Wave Two) to “assess the potential of quantum computers to perform calculations that are difficult or impossible using conventional #supercomputers .”

http://www.tomshardware.com/news/google-nasa-upgrade-d-wave-2000q,33882.html

D-Wave's 2,000-Qubit Quantum Annealing Computer Now 1,000x Faster Than Previous Generation

#D-Wave, a Canadian company developing the first commercial “ #quantumcomputer ,” announced its next-generation quantum annealing computer with 2,000 #qubits, which is twice as many as its previous generation had. History Of D-Wave D-Wave was created more than a decade ago, when it first developed a 16-qubit prototype. The company unveiled its 28-qubit version publicly for the first time in 2007. Since then, its increased its number of qubits at a steady pace, more than doubling every two years or so. In 2013, the company announced its 512-qubit computer and a collaboration between #Google and #NASA, who were going to test various algorithms on it and see how fast it could get compared to conventional computers. Last year, D-Wave announced a 1,000-qubit generation, and now the company is previewing its 2,000-qubit computer, which will likely go on sale next year.

http://www.tomshardware.com/news/d-wave-2000-qubit-1000x-faster,32768.html

The quantum era has begun, With D-wave, IBM this CEO says

#Quantumcomputing 's full potential may still be years away, but there are plenty of benefits to be realized right now.

So argues Vern Brownell, president and CEO of #D-Wave Systems, whose namesake quantum system is already in its second generation.

Launched 17 years ago by a team with roots at Canada's University of British Columbia, D-Wave introduced what it called "the world's first commercially available quantum computer" back in 2010. Since then the company has doubled the number of qubits, or quantum bits, in its machines roughly every year. Today, its D-Wave 2X system boasts more than 1,000.

The company doesn't disclose its full customer list, but #Google, #NASA and #Lockheed-Martin are all on it, D-Wave says. In a recent experiment, Google reported that D-Wave's technology outperformed a conventional machine by 100 million times.

"We're at the dawn of this quantum computing age," Brownell said. "We believe we're right on the cusp of providing capabilities you can't get with classical computing."

While the bits used by traditional computers represent data as 0s or 1s, qubits can simultaneously be 0 and 1 through a state known as superposition, enabling new levels of performance and efficiency. Equipped with that power, researchers can solve problems they couldn't solve before -- or so the thinking goes.

"In almost every discipline you'll see these types of computers make this kind of impact," Brownell said, citing examples like drug discovery and climate modeling. "It opens up a completely new tool chest for scientists and developers."

Companies can already add quantum capabilities into their existing workloads, and customers can access D-Wave's machines in British Columbia remotely.

#IBM recently announced its own quantum capabilities that are available via the cloud.

Increasingly, cloud access will be the primary deployment model for such technologies. Quantum computing will typically be used alongside conventional systems, Brownell said. "Whether you're using an iPhone, a desktop or something else, you can access quantum technology just like any other resource," he explained.

That's not to say there aren't challenges.

"We manufacture the most complicated superconducting chips in the world as a side effect of trying to build these machines," Brownell said.

http://www.pcworld.com/article/3079086/cios-need-to-start-planning-for-quantum-computing-this-ceo-says.html

Google’s new quantum computer is '100 million times faster than your PC'

#Google and #Nasa have been working on a lightning-fast #quantumcomputer that is 3,600 times faster than a #supercomputer at solving complex problems

Has Google won the race to build the world’s first commercial quantum computer?

Google and Nasa announced they were collaborating on the #D-Wave X2 quantum computer, which they say is 100 million times faster than a conventional computer chip, in 2013. It can answer certain algorithms in seconds rather than years.

Google director of engineering, Hartmut Neven, said: “For a specific, carefully crafted proof-of-concept problem we achieve a 100-million-fold speed-up.”

The technology company’s artificial intelligence lab believe they may finally have proof that their opinion-dividing quantum computer actually works.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/news/12042781/Google-D-Wave-quantum-computer-is-100-million-times-faster-than-your-PC.html

D-Wave Systems pitches quantum computers at StableView TECH 15 Conference

Burnaby-based @DWaveSystems, who are building “#quantumcomputers" , delivered a presentation at #StableView Asset Management’s #TECH15 conference in Toronto today.

http://www.cantechletter.com/2015/10/d-wave-systems-pitches-quantum-computers-at-tech-15-conference/