OPTIMIZED SYSTEMS

University Updates Supercomputer to Support Research Projects

Rebecca Kutzer-Rice | Date: 08-02-11 | Comments

At the University of Louisville in Kentucky, officials have teamed with IBM to update an existing supercomputing system to fuel research in a wide range of scientific fields.

Recently, at Smarter Technology, we wrote about a fast-working supercomputer at the University of California (San Diego), where researchers are taking advantage of the machine to analyze complex scientific data. Now, at the University of Louisville in Kentucky, officials have announced a similar project. As a result, the university has doubled its previous high-performance computing power with careful upgrades to its supercomputing system.

Dubbed the CRC (Cardinal Research Cluster), the supercomputer was first installed in 2009 and, until recently, was working at 100 percent capacity. In July, IBM helped the university improve the CRC�s power with the IBM iDataPlex high-performance computing cluster to better meet researchers� needs.

The University of Louisville is just one of many universities across the country improving their supercomputing infrastructure.
Adding the IBM iDataPlex systems to the original cluster gives the supercomputer a new peak speed of more than 40 teraflops (trillion calculations per second). "Our researchers and staff have been able to greatly expand innovation in critical areas with the help of the Cardinal Research Cluster," said Priscilla Hancock, vice president and chief information officer at the University of Louisville, in a statement. "Collaborating with IBM has given the university access to high-performing systems that optimally manage our research."
While the CRC has helped researchers over the past several years, its updates will enable them to speed up and deepen their work. Scientists from the University of Louisville's James Graham Brown Cancer Center, for instance, have used the CRC since 2009 to work on cancer research. With the updated computer, they will be able to expand their study to work with pediatric cancers.

The Health Resources and Services Administration, a unit of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, awarded the University of Louisville a $1.8 million grant to fund the computing updates. Additionally, the university received a Shared University Research award from IBM, which includes the donation of extra computing systems and the services of IBM engineers.

"The research efforts at the University of Louisville are a prime example of the innovation needed across the United States to advance economic competiveness and improve quality of life for citizens," said Michael Svinte, vice president for Smarter Cities and Healthcare at IBM, in a statement. "It's encouraging to see the progress the teams have made on smarter healthcare and energy projects using high-performance computing technology."