Running numbers takes powerful machine
By Amy Geiszler-Jones
 David Alexander, left, and John Matrow stand next to WSU’s supercomputer used by more than 80 people on campus for large-scale numerical computing. Alexander, a physics professor and director of the High Performance Computing Center, has nicknamed the multi-processor computer "Hydra," after the mythological multi-headed serpent. |
WSU’s most powerful computer is about to be super-sized.
Later this month, the 16-processor computer will increase 50 percent when eight more processors are added.
That’s good news for researchers who do large-scale numerical computing.
"Lots of individual faculty as investigators have powerful work stations that can solve complex problems, but in most cases they can only solve one problem at a time," says David Alexander, a physics professor who also is director of WSU’s High Performance Computing Center. "A lot of problems people are trying to solve are so big that it takes this machine many hours, sometimes days to compute just one solution."
The research being run on WSU’s supercomputer – nicknamed "Hydra" by Alexander after mythology’s multi-headed serpent – ranges from looking into the development of next-generation computers based on the human brain’s processes to interior noise levels in business jet cabins.
When WSU acquired the sleek navy blue and gray computer, which is about the size of a refrigerator, in spring 1999, it meant researchers could step up to another level of research. Supercomputers such as Hydra are expensive – the model WSU purchased was listed two years ago at $1 million – but they are becoming a necessity for many researchers.
"I like to think of the High Performance Computing Center in the same vein as the library," Alexander says. "Investigators can’t afford to buy all the books and journals needed to do their research, but because we all use similar and related resources it makes sense to have a central library where all those things are collected and where experts manage and maintain them. The HiPeCC provides that same resource for numerical computation."
It didn’t take long for WSU researchers to use the computer. Within five days of receiving the computer, it went operational and almost immediately users were logged on. Within six months users reached 70 percent capacity, which is considered full usage, Alexander says.
Making a supercomputer available to WSU researchers will help stimulate more research, Alexander says.
"When you open up a resource like this, they start thinking about problems that they would not have even dreamed of attacking before. Now their imagination is awakened."
More than 80 faculty members, research associates, graduate students and postdoctoral fellows use the computer. Most are in the sciences, math and engineering disciplines. Once set up with an account, a user can access the supercomputer from the Internet.
John Matrow, HiPeCC’s system administrator/trainer, offers workshops for users, helps write programs and does other sorts of troubleshooting with users.
WSU purchased the Silicon Graphics Origin 2000 computer with a $181,000 National Science Foundation EPSCoR grant and matching funds from the Office of Research Administration and the colleges of engineering and of liberal arts and sciences. Alexander notes that the company greatly reduces the sticker price of the computer for educational institutions. HiPeCC also received an operating budget from the academic affairs and research division.
Alexander is in the process of writing another grant proposal to be submitted this spring for another 16-24 processors.
