Cross-Connect Blog

Once a Niche, is High Performance Computing Now Becoming the Norm?

March 08, 2012

A few months back, the “K Computer,” located in Japan and built in part by the Fujitsu Corporation, was crowned the world’s fastest supercomputer. Clocking in at 10 quadrillion calculations per second and utilizing over 88,000 chips and 864 server racks, this award-winner inspired us to write an article about a trait that many of these supercomputers have in common: non-traditional cabinet storage designs.

And like many a pioneer ahead of their time, the very nature of a supercomputer seems to grasp at something larger, something beyond the status quo, and something expressed in this recently released video by the same company responsible for the K Computer. Have a look and see how the power of high performance computing (HPC) strives to change our lives for the better.

 
While the sentiment is no doubt ambitious, the method for getting there remains the same: build machines capable of unfathomable processing, speed and computation, then utilize the most innovative ways to optimize, store and secure their structural integrity – something Chatsworth Products, Inc. (CPI) knows plenty about.
 
According to the Information Data Corporation (IDC), a number of emerging trends point to the rise of HPC in everyday IT scenarios, including:
 
  • More real-world applications run at trans-petaflop speeds
  • More emphasis on software
  • Power and cooling becoming an even greater concern

With such familiar talking points, especially those of power and cooling, it’s easy to see how HPC’s impact on the IT industry continues to drive innovation.

Not long ago, some of CPI’s most innovative solutions, such as CPI Passive Cooling® and its use of Vertical Exhaust Ducts to re-route hot air away from high-density equipment, were borne out of these kinds of HPC projects.

Seen in this light, we need not look to HPC as a novelty or niche, but rather a breeding ground for our most inspired ideas. And if those ideas benefit our data centers, there’s a good chance they’ll benefit our lives too. Jeff Cihocki, Global eContent Specialist 

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