www.cpu-24-7.com

Edition 2013 #01

DATA CENTRES AT THE TIPPING POINTServers and data centres are among the fastest growing sectors in worldwide energy consumption.

FASTER, HIGHER, FURTHER –THE OPPORTUNITY FOR HPC ON DEMAND„The stones that lie in one’s path can also be used to build something splendid.“

GREEN-IT – OUR CONTRIBUTION TO SUSTAINABILITYImproved performance, reduced energy consumption – that is the credo of many IT companies in the 21st century.

A MAGAZINE FROM

„There is a theory which states that if anyone discovers exactly what

the Universe is for and why it is here, it will instantly disappear and be

replaced by something even more bizarre and inexplicable.

— There is another theory which states that this has already happened.“— Douglas Adams

What a wonderful day this is ... and now you also hold in your hands the very first issue of “42”*, a magazine from CPU 24/7 GmbH

& Co. KG, which seeks to do no less than explain about the world, the universe and everything else. Just that – which is why it is called “42“. When we set up our small high tech company just over seven years ago everyone in the know in the industry had been aware for some time that numerical simulations, CFD and ”HPC remote and on-demand“ were destined to become fast-growing sunrise industries and key technologies, and not just for the aerospace sector or for automotive or maritime systems. The scope for potential applications in architecture, design or medical technology is as broad as it is in our social, scientific or economic life. Today, and tomorrow, HPC will without doubt be at the heart of all kinds of developments and innovations in the engineering field.

But try to explain that to your friends, neighbours, parents ... no chance. It is simply too complex, too abstract and too remote. Which also explains the choice of ”42“. You are cordially invited to read and study our brand new “HPC-and all the things that can be done with it” magazine with enjoyment, questions and the occasional raised eyebrow. Then it will be your turn, and we look forward to receiving lively, critical, objective, emotional, positive, euphoric and constructive feedback. Preferably in person. And it is always welcome.

Yours sincerely,

Dr.-Ing. Matthias Reyer and Heiko HaenlerChief Executives of CPU 24/7 GmbH & Co. KG

* The answer 42 is the briefest and best-known quote from the novel and subsequent radio series and film ”The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy” by Douglas Adams. It is the answer to the author’s vaguely defined question about “life, the universe and everything”. In the story the largest computer in existence anywhere in the universe is asked this question, to which it supplies the correct answer. However, this answer is of little use to the protagonists because nobody knows what the actual question is.

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CONTENTS06 DATA CENTRES AT THE TIPPING POINT

12 AMAZING FACTS 14 FASTER, HIGHER, FURTHER

THE OPPORTUNITY FOR HPC ON DEMAND!

20 GREEN-IT MORE THAN JUST EMPTY WORDS?

28 HPC ON DEMANDTHE MODEL FOR THE FUTURE?

32 HARD FACTS 34 OUR BUSINESS

WHY WE DO, WHAT WE DO

36 OUR CUSTOMERSWHO WE DO IT FOR, WHAT WE DO

38 THE MAIN COMPETENCE TEAMWHO WE ARE

40 DATES AND EVENT GUIDEWHERE YOU CAN FIND US

42 42 – THE ANSWER TO EVERY QUESTION

HPC ON DEMAND THE MODEL FOR THE FUTURE?

FASTER, HIGHER, FURTHER THE OPPORTUNITY FOR HPC ON DEMAND!

DATA CENTRES AT THE TIPPING POINT

06

GREEN-IT MORE THAN JUST

EMPTY WORDS?

HARD FACTS

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DATA CENTRES ATTHE TIPPING POINTData centres and their associated IT hardware represent one of the largest, constantly expanding areas of worldwide energy consumption, but an enormous potential still exists for improving their energy efficiency and their sustainability.

It is accepted that the efficiency of HPC systems is improving all the time, accompanied by a steady fall in power consumption, in contrast to continually

rising electricity prices and a growing environmental awareness. New ways of increasing the available capacity are becoming an even more significant factor in the use of data centres, a fact that has to be considered not only by companies.As a result, in the age of big data, cloud computing and virtual desktop environments, a number of new challenges have to be faced. It is no longer a matter of simply making computing capacity available:

security, energy efficiency, power supplies, cooling, systems management, spatial requirements and the management of storage and data systems are all destined to become of major significance for the operators of data centres, if they are not already. As the IT business continues to expand, the changes taking place on the data centre market are another matter of particular concern to the industry. The interdisciplinary aspects of the core business represent just one of the challenges facing suppliers, dealers and manufacturers alike, with everyone talking about the subject of outsourcing.

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The tipping point and a paradigm changeOne particular trend is leading to the transfer of capacities to outside suppliers. The benefits are obvious: companies can concentrate fully once more on their core competences, with outsourcing enabling them to profit from the latest technology, security, availability and scalability, while they themselves retain overall control. Another advantage is that outside suppliers can react more flexibly to a constantly changing environment, responding to new requirements and regulations with great agility. In-house investment and operating costs are also lower. Extreme fluctuations in the workload often make it difficult for companies to select the appropriate capacities. Investments have to be made in new hardware or redundant areas have to be kept available in order to be able to respond to sudden increases in demand. If computing capacity can be selectively outsourced then the only costs incurred are those for the actual use of the facilities. Here is one example of outsourcing: e-shelter, which plans, constructs and operates highly available data centres, is one of many companies that have encountered this changing situation involving the outsourcing of server systems, and it attaches particular importance to a sustainable, energy-efficient approach.

Data centres, their requirements and possibilitiesBy 2009 the Federal Ministry of the Environment (BMU) had already imposed a variety of requirements and demands on the operators of data centres. In particular these have included the implementation of solutions in accordance with the best-practice principle, and this is still applicable today. The government remains committed to continued improvements in energy efficiency figures, and to their standardisation. The development and implementation of various benchmarking programs continues to be one of the central issues. Data centre operations must be CO2-neutral and adhere to the green business principle in all their actions, and must also obtain the relevant certification, such as eco-labels.

All aspects of energy efficiencyA number of steps have already been taken. The BMU reports that electricity consumption fell by 4% between 2008 and 2011 to 9.7 tWh, despite an increase in the number of servers. This confirms the effectiveness of the efforts that have been made to counter the general rise in electricity consumption. One significant factor in this respect has been the widespread improvements in efficiency in the information technology field, and above the substantially enhanced efficiency of air conditioning and uninterrupted power supplies (UPS).

DIPL.-ING. PETER LAMPE IS CUSTOMER PROJECTS MANAGER FOR E-SHELTER FACILITY SERVICES GMBH. E-SHELTER – DEVELOPED AND MANAGED IN-HOUSE. THESE HIGH AVAILABILITY DATA CENTRES HAVE AN INFRASTRUCTURE THAT GUARANTEES THE HIGHEST POSSIBLE STANDARDS OF PHYSICAL SECURITY AND OPERATIONAL RELIABILITY.

What are currently the biggest challenges facing the operators of data centres?Electricity prices in Germany present one major challenge. For this reason we always apply the latest technology in our data centres, with the aim of keeping power consumption to a minimum. Frankfurt 3 in Rüsselsheim is our newest data centre, and here, for example, we have collaborated with refrigeration specialists to produce indirect, hybrid cooling using outside air, with an adiabatic system that reduces cooling energy costs by as much as 30%. Our data centre in Berlin, however, is powered entirely by renewable energy, augmented by high performance refrigeration units fitted with special compressors. The use of controlled pumps also reduces power consumption. The heat that is absorbed by the servers is also utilised to provide heating for offices and emergency workplaces and also for stand-by purposes, as well as for the ventilation and air conditioning units.

What aspects are of particular importance to customers when “renting” data processing sites?In addition to high availability and security, connectivity is often a primary factor when choosing a data centre. Our data centre in Berlin is accessed by almost 20 carriers via three redundant routes. Flexibility is another important aspect for our customers. The need today is for flexible usage models and short adaptation times to enable the company’s IT to respond rapidly to changing circumstances. Our deployment models are completely flexible and we can always meet requests for sites which are ready for immediate occupation. Furthermore the short adaptation times ensure high availability, even at peak load times. Basically what we provide are customised data centres.

How is the demand for this type of data centre site growing at present?Trends such as cloud computing, big data and outsourcing are giving a significant boost to the demand for data centre services. A study by the Borderstep Institute predicts a decline in smaller locations but an

increase in the number of medium-sized and large data centres hosting more than 500 physical servers.On the one hand this reveals a growing centralisation of expertise, but one additional effect is that customers benefit from the economies of scale offered by large data centres. In our data centres every company, be they tradesmen or small/medium-sized enterprises, can attain the same levels of security as a DAX-listed business.

What specific efforts are made by e-shelter to ensure the security of data centres?We make a distinction between the operational security, which is the responsibility of colleagues in the technical operations field, and physical security, as it applies to data centres and installations. Our Berlin data centre is monitored by e-shelter’s own, VDS-certified control centres, staffed by security personnel from the subsidiary e-shelter security GmbH. All critical functions are backed up by redundant monitoring and all the critical and security-relevant processes are safeguarded in accordance with the principle that four eyes are better than two.

How does e-shelter guarantee its customers the maximum physical security and technical availability?Technical operations ensure the maximum reliability through the implementation of standardised operating procedures and the redundancy of the technical systems. Of course preventative risk assessments are regularly carried out in accordance with ISO 9001 and the ISMS process. Operational personnel from e-shelter regularly attend special training and advanced training courses in order to keep abreast of the latest technical developments. Our rented sites and all technical operations are safeguarded by the application of standardised security processes and multi-stage security systems. Our own security personnel are on site around the clock, guarding the building and surrounding grounds. The access road to our data centre is provided with a security gate and barriers, and the boundary is guarded by an electronically monitored fence with added precautions to prevent anyone from climbing over or tunneling under it. All doors and other accesses are comprehensively monitored by video cameras, and documentation of the entry management system is equally thorough. We use a contactless chip card system to ensure that no one can access the campus or the data centres unobserved.

„The need today is for models of fl exible usage and

short adaptation times.“— Dipl.-Ing. Peter Lampe

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As far as partial loads are concerned there is scope for significant reductions in electricity consumption, and bearing in mind the growing number of servers, storage systems and networking methods, the potential savings available with Green-IT have by no means been exhausted.

The effectiveness of a data centreIn view of a continually increasing catalogue of requirements, the cooling of the systems and the energy supply in particular represent important criteria and the need for connection to efficient energy systems. Whereas 45% of the total electricity consumption by a data centre in 2010 was accounted for by its IT systems, compared with 35% for cooling and air conditioning, by 2015 cooling will use only 15% of the power requirements, while the proportion used by systems will rise to 73%. This development is being driven above all by new, more energy-efficient cooling technology and the increased demand for IT systems. As energy prices continue their inexorable rise an economical solution has to be found for meeting the cost of cooling systems.

New and more energy-efficient cooling systemsUntil a few years ago there were some major shortcomings in the method of cooling the systems, but a number of solutions have been introduced to boost energy efficiency. The introduction of more energy-efficient cooling technology has resulted in a steady reduction in the PUE (Power Usage Effectiveness) value. The PUE value is defined as follows:

PUE = Energy used by all equipment [kW] /Energy used by IT systems [kW]

The nearer the PUE value approaches to the figure 1, the more energy-efficient the data centre becomes. Currently the figure for the most energy-efficient data centre is 1.06. However, the PUE value has been seriously criticised, and the crux of the problem lies in the formula itself. Despite its complexity the PUE value is not all-encompassing and furthermore it does not indicate how possible improvements might be achieved. The computational power of the systems is also not taken into account. As a result data centres can be classified as energy efficient even if, for example, they still include a number of older computers. Therefore new approaches and new metrics are needed.

Improved load distributionAlong with the need to improve the efficiency of data centres,improvements must also be made to the processes of jobdistribution and in the creation of more efficient distributionalgorithms. This is a vitally important aspect, particularly forcompanies such as CPU 24/7, whose core competence lies inproviding the required computing performance. Effective jobdistribution conserves resources, as well as saving time and money. Throughput can be improved, processing speeded up and the deployment of resources reduced to a minimum. In the future, assuming that the customer’s workload can be effectively planned, a dynamic model is conceivable that would not be dependent on the allocated power capacities. The

introduction of a day and night tariff is just one possibility. In this way the energy providers’ peak loads could be absorbed and passed on to the data centres with a considerable saving on costs. The challenge is now to create a corresponding network infrastructure or to provide an appropriate location.

An emergency power supply to ensure data securitySecurity and availability are absolutely essential in order to safeguard reliable operations, and various studies have shown that 80% of all server rooms in self-hosting areas do not provide normative physical security. Data mishaps could result in long term damage to customer

confidence. CPU 24/7 is an expert in the data security field. Consistent and rigorous data

management not only denies access and prevents attacks by unauthorised third parties but also constantly safeguards the consistency of the data.

About e-shelter:e-shelter was established in 2000. The company currently has more than 300 employees and the data centres that it operates cover a total area of some 90,000 m2, 60,000 m2 of which is at its main site in Frankfurt am Main, making this Europe’s largest single data centre location. Other e-shelter locations are Berlin, Hamburg, Munich and Zurich. Among the customers of e-shelter are financial services and telecommunications companies, as well as providers of IT and cloud services.

80% OF ALL SERVER ROOMS LACK A PHYSICAL SECURITY SYSTEM

Quick Info:

|||| CPU 24/7 guarantees the highest standards ofphysical security and availability.

|||| CPU 24/7 maintains a pool of high availability, scalable and modern clusters at various data centre locations.

|||| CPU 24/7 is currently engaged in obtaining ISO-27001 certification.

|||| Most of the CPU 24/7 servers are already located in data centres that have been granted ISO- 27001 certification.

|||| CPU 24/7 handles risk management, including analyses and evaluation, as well as monitoring and eliminating risks.

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70

45

1000

1%130,000

laptopsThe computational capability of the world’s largest supercomputers is equivalent to that of more than 130,000 laptops.

trillion bytesAccording to the internet portal HPCwire, this summer saw the development by Iowa State University of a supercomputer dubbed “Cyence“, which can make some 183,043 trillion calculations per second and has a 38.4 trillion byte memory. To put this into perspective: it would take one human being five to six million years to carry out the calculations that are now possible in one second with “Cyence“, and it would take the entire population of the world 12 hours.

of your brain outputcan be achieved by a supercomputer equipped with 83,000 processors.A supercomputer with 83,000 processors can only achieve the equivalent of 1% of the output of your brain. This fact was revealed by the Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine in Germany. We need to know why a computer cannot match the computational capabilities of the human brain. A clue to this lies in their respective volumes. The human brain consists of more than 200 billion nerve cells, which themselves are linked by trillions of synapses. It is hard to imagine how often the switching operations of these synapses have to take place in order to relay information. In total the human brain can accommodate hundreds of trillions of neural reaction chains which, if joined together, would stretch from here to Jupiter. We can assume that more than 250,000 normal PCs would be needed in order to achieve this concentrated computing performance, but this only represents 1% of the calculating abilities of the human brain.

m² According to details supplied by the EU, one of the world’s largest supercomputers has a footprint of up to 1,000 m², which is equivalent to 1/7 of the area of a football pitch. By contrast, the world’s fastest HPC system occupies an area of some 10,500 m², and its cooling units require an additional 2,100 m².

tonnesThe first commercially available supercomputer was launched in 1976 and was operated by the Los Alamos National Laboratory. The Cray-1 was used for making nuclear weapon testing calculations. It is worth comparing the size of this supercomputer with that of current installations. At 5.5 tonnes the Cray-1 was still relatively light. By way of comparison: the Australian Centre for Weather and Climate Research currently has a supercomputer weighing some 70 tonnes. In its day the Cray-1 could calculate 200,000 logic units, had a pulse frequency of 80 MHz, an 8 MB memory and a computing power of 80 MFlop/s. The computing power of the supercomputer that has recently been developed by the Chinese University of Defense Technology, designated the Tianhe-2, is 33.86 PFlop/s.

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years ago developers were already thinking about creating supercomputers 45 years ago developers were already thinking about creating supercomputers. The movie “2001, A Space Odyssey“, which was released in 1968, featured the supercomputer HAL 9000, which had been programmed with its own individual personality and was used to control the spaceship Discovery One. The first actual supercomputer came on the scene just eight years later, although it was not used to operate spaceships.

1,000,000,000, 000,000,000 calculating operations per secondThe latest report by www.eubusiness.com concerns the most recent plans by the EU in the area of high performance computing and it reveals that the aim is to lead the field in the HPC sector by 2020. The objective of the decision approved in 2012 is to double investment in the HPC sector to 1.2 million euros and to achieve a computing capability of 1,000,000,000,000,000,000 (i.e. 10^18) calculations per second. Half of this investment will be in the areas of development and training, as well as in the creation of quality centres and employment.

Only

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FASTER, HIGHER, FURTHER THE OPPORTUNITY FOR HPC ON DEMAND!

It all began with an idea, as the basis for all progress. New technologies, new methods, new products – there can be no innovation without ideas. Their implementation is a different matter. From the idea to actual production is a long and stony road, but ...“

„The stones that lie in one’s path can also be used to build something splendid.“ — Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

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FOR MORE THAN 15 YEARS DR. THOMAS HILDEBRANDT HAS BEEN THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE OF NUMECA INGENIEURBÜRO, THE GERMAN PARTNER OF NUMECA INTERNATIONAL S.A. AS AN ENGINEERING GRADUATE, HE IS AN EXPERT IN THE FIELD OF NUMERICAL FLOW SIMULATION.

How has demand for CFD software programs expanded?In recent years the market for CFD programs has increased by an average of around 20% annually. However, this expansion has differed widely among the individual providers. Growth among the various application fields and sectors for CFD programs has also been very disparate.

How would you assess the levels of acceptance of these constantly improving methods as development and design tools?Like many other simulation tools, CFD has become absolutely vital for development purposes.

In which sectors is NUMECA primarily active?NUMECA‘s strength is in user-specific CFD programs. Here our main emphasis is on turbo and marine engineering, and in the networking of highly complex CAD geometries. New and vigorously expanding markets exist in combustion simulation and in aero acoustics.

What are the main requirements that have to be met by CFD software today?Apart from the need for software that has been designed for specific applications, the other important factors are high speed and good scalability on the HPC clusters, as well as user-friendliness.

How does NUMECA satisfy these requirements?NUMECA uses modern numerical algorithms that permit rapid and robust convergence. Compared with our competitors this has been demonstrated to give us rates that are faster by a factor of 20. Furthermore NUMECA software is fully parallelised and scaled almost linearly, even on thousands of cores.

How does this relate to Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD)? And how can High Performance Computing (HPC) on demand help in this respect? Increasingly

challenging models and the need for precision, optimisation and efficiency make the use of HPC in the field of CFD essential. According to a report published by TechNavio in April 2013, the worldwide fluid mechanics market will expand by 13.33% between 2012 and 2016, due above all to rising demand from newly emerging countries and particularly from APAC countries such as China. Open Source CFD software tools are also increasing in popularity. This growth is also being fed by the need for on-demand CFD software programs.

CFD helps to reduce development costsSo what makes CFD so attractive for end users, especially in the automotive industry, electrical and mechanical engineering, the aircraft industry and defence? Not only does it enable

experiments to be conducted virtually, using computers, but various different designs can also be produced simultaneously through the selective manipulation of individual parameters. The results of simulations

can then be used to plan and carry out actual, cost-intensive experiments more effectively. This is the

case particularly when large pilot plants are being constructed. The use of CFD as an instrument

for planning, carrying out and evaluating experiments results in genuine cost

savings.

CFD and its limitationsNevertheless numerical flow simulation soon reaches the limits of technical feasibility. If grids are too broadly defined, with excessively large gaps between the interpolation points, the ensuing results can be imprecise, or even false, while grids that are too fine increase the computing costs but without improving the results. The aim should therefore be to arrive at a suitable number of interpolation points or grid points.

HPC as an enabler: high performance despite models of greater complexityOne solution involves the deployment of HPC resources. For certain calculations the number of cells in the grid soon increases many times over. This is the case whenever complex geometries with an extremely high density of grid points have to be displayed. In such cases the number of grid points becomes so large that a simulation cannot be started in the conventional way. This is where normal computers reach the limit of their capabilities. It either becomes totally impossible to make the necessary calculations, or the process takes several days. Nowadays almost all industrial products are designed, tested and evaluated using the power of HPC computing. The EU reports that 97% of the companies using HPC consider it to be an indispensable factor in their efforts to remain innovative and competitive.

Getting away from simplification – more precision, productivity and efficiencyAccording to the engineering federation VDI (Verein Deutscher Ingenieure e.V.) simulation represents a selective experimentation carried out using a model, a simplified representation of reality, in order to obtain findings suitable for solving actual problems. However, the objective of today’s numerical simulation is to reduce such simplification as a means of achieving greater precision and more accurate detail. The times have changed, and engineering has become more productive and more economical. One of the main contributory factors has been HPC On Demand, making the power of high performance computers available when and where it is needed. HPC resources are being outsourced to highly capable external providers which can provide engineers with a ready-made work station with remote access, as well as supplying the relevant CFD software, licensing management and the necessary support services. The main benefit: a shorter time-to-market period.

„High speeds, good scalability and user- friendliness – these are the decisive factors.“— Dr. Thomas Hildebrandt

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Quick Info: CPU 24/7 …

|||| ... has been cooperating successfully for many years with NUMECA and other licensors.

|||| ... provides HPC On Demand resources in combination with NUMECA On-demand licenses.

|||| ... offers you a choice of customised software.

|||| ... promptly obtains the required license on request.

|||| ... integrates customers’ individual software, existing licenses and in-house codes within the system.

|||| ... takes over full management of licenses.

|||| ... carries out software upgrades / updates.

|||| ... ensures fully effective functioning of the software.

|||| ... supports the licensor in the work of harmonising the software and hardware.

Time is money – performance and parallelisation speed up the calculation processesOnly a few years ago some calculations could take as long as 14 days, but most present day project planning barely allows 12 hours for the calculations to be made and the results to be evaluated. This is because time is money! The introduction of new technologies such as the deployment of “massively parallel” architectures, the use of GPUs or new generations of CPUs has substantially speeded up the calculation processes. At the same time steadily increasing computing power in the HPC field clears the way for parallel simulations. This enables an increasing range of different models to be created, with ever more details and greater precision, and the parallel use of processors results in a greater attention to detail as well as vastly improving the quality of the results. Now for the first time it is possible to carry out comprehensive simulations of components or of entire manufactured products. Consequently CPU 24/7 and its cooperation partners are now able to simulate flow processes around a ship in their entirety, including all external structures, in the shortest possible time, both in the water and in the atmosphere. This is certainly a major step forward.

Essential for engineers?With HPC On Demand the focus is gradually shifting from internal provision to an evaluation of results and an interpretation of the physical connections as well as to gaining additional knowledge. The deployment of external HPC resources means that engineers can once again concentrate all their attention on their core tasks. Numerical simulations are thus not only a tool for providing evidence of the properties of various products but to a greater extent, through different variants, for creating an understanding of causalities.

Pay-per-use instead of an annual licenseSoftware licenses for the efficient use of hardware are being issued increasingly on the pay-per-use principle. This has the advantage of eliminating licensing fees, the only costs incurred being those for the actual period of use.

CFD software over the course of timeRecent years have seen a significant improvement in the range of functions. Relations between thermal conditions and the interaction between physical and chemical reactions at various phases can be described using these programs. In particular it is now possible to calculate more physical variables such as acoustics, magnetism and electrical fields, and to consider their correlations.

NUMECA SoftwareNUMECA is a software specialist in the field of numerical fluid mechanics and is currently engaged in cooperation with CPU 24/7, making it the ideal partner for intensive tests in the IT sector and for a mutual exchange of experiences. The orders received for NUMECA software and its deployment cover a wide range, from the supply of CFD software for aviation and the space industry to marine engineering and the automotive industry, to mention only a few examples. A diversity of programs in various combinations enables a wide spectrum of tasks to be addressed.

HPC – speeds up processes! – provides analyses! – avoids errors!To sum up, HPC supports the planning, implementation and evaluation of ideas, and it does this with great rapidity and precision, as well as helping to conserve resources. Improved models provide greater accuracy and more attention to detail, and furthermore errors and risks are reduced. HPC technology enables simultaneous calculations to be made, thereby speeding up these processes. Significant time and cost savings can be achieved as a result of the faster calculations and the ability to produce a number of different designs. In the words of Walter Alteiby:

“Even the best idea is of no use if it is not exploited or capable of exploitation”. But HPC makes this possible.

What role does CPU 24/7 play in the implementation process?CPU 24/7 enables us to carry out our simulation projects in the shortest possible time on an almost unlimited number of processors. For test phases or “fire fighting projects” CPU 24/7 provides us with constant computing power, making it available rapidly and without any bureaucratic obstacles. The excellent support that we receive from CPU 24/7 helps us to continue tackling complicated tasks in a very competent manner.

What contribution can CPU 24/7 make to the successful establishment and effective use of the software?The innovative Resource Area available with CPU 24/7 provides our customers with an easily accessible platform with any number of processors and NUMECA licenses. Every detail of cost accounting is clearly understandable and a new account can be set up in just a few minutes. It is ideal for responding to a “fire alarm” or for testing new NUMECA software modules.

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GREEN-IT

OUR CONTRIBUTION TO SUSTAINABILITY

Climb the highest mountain – sail the greatest ocean – wander the greenest land – ascend into the skies. The earth has a surface area of

more than 510 million km². It is currently inhabited by some 7.1 billion people. The earth offers us almost limitless possibilities, but its resources are finite. Green-IT can make its own contribution to sustainable energy supplies, because every company

shares some responsibility for humankind and the environment. In our economic planning we should all be striving to conserve resources. We have an obligation to consider carefully before we act and to encourage sustainability. In the distant future our planet should once again be the green planet that it used to be. CPU 24/7 is also committed to this objective.

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The increasing demand for energy efficiency has barely been able to keep pace with the worldwide competition to achieve exascales. Supercomputers with steadily

improving performance are being use to solve ever more challenging problems in research and development. At the same time technological advances are being driven by a range of increasingly complex tasks, and for many companies Green-IT has become a byword. Operating HPC server clusters consumes a great deal of cooling energy. According to the German Ministry of Economics, between 2007 and 2020 there will be a 20% increase in demand for energy by information and communication technology in Germany, from 55.4 tWh to 66.7 tWh. One of the main problems in this respect is that HPC server clusters are not continually in use. In future this will necessitate even greater energy efficiency, for two particular reasons: cluster systems with improved energy efficiency reduce the amount of surplus heat, thereby cutting the energy consumption. This in turn results in lower operating costs and a constant improvement in reliability.2

The operation of servers is the largest single factor in energy consumptionThe issue of Green-IT is of increasing importance for CPU 24/7 too.

“The operation of servers and the accompanying cooling are the largest single factor in energy consumption for CPU 24/7. In order to make best possible use of the available computing resources, in both an economic and an ecological sense, it is essential to optimise the way in which the energy and resources of the HPC cluster are utilised“, according to Green-IT project manager Christian Unger.

Background:CPU 24/7 has been using its Resource Area since mid-2012. This is an innovative new product with an online portal that enables high performance computing resources of different magnitudes and in various performance categories to be reserved over a period of one’s choice and to be subsequently utilised. Because of the varying scope of the required calculations, these and other resources are not always used to their full extent. Consequently they

may sometimes be in an idle state, when they can be switched off under controlled

conditions. However, this requires paying particular attention to a number of aspects. CPU 24/7 has therefore recently launched an internal research project, which will include the mentoring of two bachelor theses.

“Apart from providing some technical solutions, this offers an additional benefi t. We provide our students with active support by mentoring their Bachelor theses in the fi eld of resource-conservation in information and communication technology. In this way newcomers to the industry are made more aware of the subject of Green-IT and can acquire innovative expertise that will stand them in good stead in the future“, explains Unger.

CHRISTIAN UNGER (M.SC.), GREEN-IT PROJECT MANAGER FOR CPU 24/7, HAS BEEN SUPERVISING THE GREEN-IT PROJECT SINCE JUNE 2013.

Why is sustainability or Green-IT becoming increasingly important for companies?To a growing extent companies have to learn to assume responsibility to humankind and the environment, and to act accordingly. Consequently environmental protection is becoming an ever more vital issue for society and also for us and our customers. This makes it even more important for companies to be able to clearly position themselves in order to remain competitive. And it is also worth pointing out that an approach that conserves resources helps to reduce expenditure, for example by cutting operating costs. In this respect even a small capital outlay enables significant, long term changes to be achieved.

What does the subject of sustainability mean for CPU 24/7?CPU 24/7 is committed to make a lasting, long term contribution to environmental protection and to providing our customers with more environmentally compatible solutions. We have already taken the first step with the deployment of renewable energy. Moreover, we at CPU 24/7 are aware of the value of using office systems and materials that help to conserve resources. The next step is to achieve enhanced energy efficiency through the use of innovative technologies in the HPC field. And that is where our Green-IT plays its part.

What are the central features of the project? What solutions are being sought and which ones do you intend to apply?We are seeking a combination of existing and newly developed methods. However, we are not considering the use of software-based DVFS (dynamic voltage and frequency scaling). In order to achieve energy savings this inevitably has a negative impact of the running time of applications. We always strive to offer our customers the best possible performance so, in its place, efforts are being made to develop an IT-Management system based on load-balancing. To meet the specific needs of our Resource Area, equipment that is idling will be switched off in a

„Green-IT ensures a competitive edge

and provides for more effi cient use of energy

and resources.“— Christian Unger

THE OPERATION OF SERVERS IS THE LARGEST SINGLE FACTOR IN ENERGY CONSUMPTION

1, 2 - Valentini, G.L. et al. (2011): An overview of energy efficiency techniques in clustercomputing systems. In: Cluster Compute, 2011, p. 2

GREEN-IT MORE THAN JUST EMPTY WORDS?Improved performance, reduced energy consumption – that is the creed to which many IT companies subscribe in the 21st century. Green-IT is also a matter of major concern to CPU 24/7.

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Reducing energy consumption and/or minimizing the running time of applicationsApproaches and solutions specifically for the HPC sector are already the subject of extensive discussions in the relevant literature. There are two ways of improving energy efficiency: either by reducing energy consumption or by cutting the running time of applications. Performance can be improved through the more effective deployment of hardware and technical equipment.

“For example, innovative highly parallelised hardware components such as GPUs or co-processors can be used. During HPC operation the deployment of InfiniBand , for example, is one way of avoiding network bottlenecks. Improved mapping or scheduling of applications on cluster elements also boosts performance.“

Static and dynamic power managementStatic power management (SPM) and dynamic power management (DPM) are two available approaches. SPM involves the use of more energy-efficient hardware, although the investment costs are often very high. DPM is a method of controlling a cluster in accordance with the resources that it requires. Other approaches include DVFS (dynamic voltage and frequency scaling) and load balancing. DVFS is used as a dynamic method for regulating energy consumption while user applications are running. Here the concentration is primarily on components that have a very high power take up, in particular CPUs and memory elements. One downside of DVFS is that reductions in energy consumption often come at the expense of performance. As a consequence the running time for applications is extended. Load balancing is used as a way of regulating the distribution of workloads and jobs on the cluster nodes, thereby improving the utilisation of resources in the cluster.

“Efforts continue to be made to avoid overloading individual elements when other elements are only being used to a minimal extent or not at all. With a reduced workload individual nodes can be put in stand-by mode or switched off completely“, Unger explains.

Other benefits of improved energy efficiencyIncreased energy efficiency in IT companies has yet another positive side effect: an improvement in the reliability of system components, with enhanced energy efficiency preventing excessive heat from being generated in clusters. One certain fact is that calculations made at high temperatures are more susceptible to errors. A rise in temperature by 10 degrees Celsius leads to a doubling in the susceptibility to errors. For this reason calculations should always be made at lower temperatures. The slight heating occurring in clusters can also be used to reduce the energy required to cool the components. System fans can be run at lower rotational speeds, thereby using less electricity, and it may be possible to regulate air conditioning units to operate at a reduced rate.

controlled process as a way of conserving energy. It is important to ensure that the computing performance and customers’ processes are not impaired. On the hardware side we are testing various components and combinations of them to determine the ratio of energy efficiency to performance. The next step is to install new, more efficient hardware components, accompanied by improved cluster performance through the deployment of innovative hardware such as Intel® Xeon Phi™ co-processors. This will enable calculations to be made faster, along with a reduction in peak load times, an approach that is bound to meet with the approval of our customers. The efficiency of these new methods is monitored by conducting regular energy readings in combination with performance benchmarks such as HPCC or NPB.

Can all this be achieved in the near future?The theoretical basis for Green-IT in the HPC sector already exists and can be implemented with practical solutions, and it may also be possible to improve and develop them further. We can therefore begin with the implementation process straightaway.

What will be the future trends? In what direction can we expect Green-IT to develop?The established DPM solutions will continue to be developed and refined. This will be accompanied by the development of additional energy-efficient hardware components, for example for Intel®. Cluster performance will be further enhanced through the use of techniques and architectures such as GPGPU or Intel® Xeon Phi™. Another trend involves the use of the waste heat from clusters to provide energy for heating and for hot water in offices and similar premises.

„One of the guiding principles within the computing

community is that the present is a programming error that will be

corrected in the next edition.“— Clifford Stoll

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The aim of the projectLet us return to the CPU 24/7 Green-IT project: The aim of the project is to use innovative technology in order to improve energy efficiency and to make more effective use of resources. By combining existing tools and components an innovative, reliable and more powerful system of IT-Management can be created, which can then be used to deactivate or apply physical computing resources as required, without depriving the customer of any contractually agreed services. The project also involves developing a robust system that initially determines whether equipment is required at a specific time in order to conduct complex calculations or whether it is idle and can therefore be switched off as part of a controlled process. Because the Resource Area is an on-demand service with which customers can reserve fixed time units on cluster nodes, the relevant non-reserved times can be declared as stand-by times and nodes can be switched off or started up before an initiated reservation.

“However, if the equipment is brought to an uncontrolled halt this may produce phase shifts with a resulting increase in the load imposed on the power network. This may cause the relevant fuses to be tripped, thereby cutting out all the equipment, and not just the intended units. This would restrict the availability of all nodes, and is definitely to be avoided.“, explains Unger.

To ensure that switching individual items of equipment off does not impact on existing processes and applications, or on adjacent customer systems, at the moment the physical equipment is switched off it has to be replaced by virtual equipment. This then serves as a kind of substitute until the physical resources are required again and are activated. In this way the processes described above can be allowed to proceed without adversely affecting the work of the customers. But how can nodes which have been switched off be dynamically restarted? This is achieved by using interfaces such as IPMI, which are independent of the operating system, as a means of restarting equipment via the network without actually being present in the cluster. The objective, however, is to allow restarts to take place automatically. This means that access via interfaces that are independent of the operating system must be permanently integrated in the IT-Management system and should be controlled through an automated process. The required IT-Management system is adapted specifically to services offered by CPU 24/7, in the field of HPC computing for engineering applications and represents an entirely new product. Such a product also offers a decisive competitive advantage:

“Because it meets new and specific requirements the expertise acquired through this project does not represent a standard and consequently it contributes towards improving the company’s efficient use of its resources, thereby making it more competitive“, comments Unger.

As well as reducing energy costs by cutting the power consumption and cooling requirements, an effective contribution is thereby made to environmental protection, and active support is provided for newcomers to the industry in the field of Green-IT.

Quick Info: Green-IT Project

|||| Duration: 2 years

|||| Objective: Making more efficient use of resources and energy

|||| Core aspects: The development of a cluster management systems, measurement of energy efficiency and benchmarking, assisting newcomers to the industry

|||| Contact: Christian Unger M.Sc.Project Manager Green-ITTelephone: +49 (0)331 279 784 48Email: c.unger@cpu-24-7.com

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HPC ON DEMANDTHE MODEL FOR THE FUTURE?We are familiar with on-demand concepts in the software field in particular, and in the form of video-on-demand platforms, but less so in the case of on-demand computing services in the context of HPC.

In recent years the High Performance Computing (HPC) market has grown substantially. According to the latest International Data Corporation Report (2013) this market

expanded by 7.4% between 2011 and 2012. In 2012 the HPC market generated earnings totalling 29.15 million dollars. In the past this “limited” market was largely dominated by large supercomputing centres and academic institutions, the latter receiving significant funding from the EU. Business and cost planning tended to be of lesser importance. The situation was very different in the corporate sector, where the cost of acquiring, operating and maintaining an HPC system can soon run into the millions.

HPC On Demand has a promising futureHPC On Demand has become primarily of interest to those companies struggling to cope with restricted financial capabilities and a fluctuating demand for computing capacity. These mainly comprise small and medium-sized companies in the engineering sector. Investing in their own HPC clusters is very cost-intensive, tying up capital and expertise as well as requiring the services of staff whose skills and capabilities are not central to a department’s actual business activities. For such investments to remain profitable it is essential that all available capacity is constantly being utilised. So why not “rent” access to High Performance Computing capacity instead of tying up one’s own capital in a complex IT infrastructure? It is this temporary, dynamic aspect that makes HPC On Demand so attractive to small and medium-sized businesses. One advantage of acquiring access to HPC resources for a specified period, for example for a particular project, is that this only involves paying for the capacity and for the duration of the computing services that one actually requires.

Small and medium-sized businesses: access to HPC must be made as simple as possibleWhile the world discusses exaflops and petaflops, HPC On Demand has become an affordable alternative for small and medium-sized companies, whose requirements are, however, different, not to say simpler.

“In order to carry out their calculation, small and medium-sized engineering consultancies need robust hardware at reasonable and predictable rates. They cannot, and do not want to have to firstly deal with various hardware and software configurations. Everything should, and in fact must function straightaway in a simple and ready-to-use form. That is why intensive user support is becoming increasingly important, and helps to keep customers satisfied”, explains Dipl.-Inform. Alexander Heine, COO of CPU 24/7.

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More than a cloudIn contrast to the cloud concept, the suppliers of HPC On Demand provide their customers with a ready-made work station. Users gain access to HPC resources through remote access, individually configured applications and open source as well as in-house codes. Such a system is ideally suited for complex models and simulations, requirements that cannot be met with standard cloud resources. HPC On Demand enables users to select everything for themselves, from the operating system to the network, data storage capacity and the visualisation software. The suppliers of on-demand services provide ready-to-use solutions, allowing end users to concentrate on their own core tasks.

The demand for larger and more precise modelsWhat explains the increased demand by small and medium-sized companies for HPC resources? Engineering consultancies in the medium-sized sector also require ever larger models. Precise, rapid calculations are only available using HPC, and as Dipl.-Inform. Alexander Heine explains: “It is only by using HPC On Demand that small and medium-sized companies can also successfully participate in bidding and tendering processes.” Moreover, with numerical simulations there is an increasing demand for both commercial and open source tools. As a consequence support has become immensely important. As systems become more differentiated they require increasingly competent back-up. During a research project that was conducted jointly with the Technische Universität Berlin, CPU 24/7 asked a number of small and medium-sized businesses what they considered to be the key elements of remote services. Above all the most important aspects for end users were data security, pricing models, user-friendliness and support. The reasons given for switching

HPC suppliers were primarily the price, the availability of new and more efficient generations of hardware and software, and the superior remote connection offered by competitors, as well as previous dissatisfaction with inadequate support.

Accelerated production processesOne of the main advantages of HPC is that it reduces the time between the identification of the problems and the awareness of how this problem can be solved. The design process is more concentrated and entry onto the market is accelerated, thereby saving time and money. For many companies HPC is a means of bringing their innovations forward at a faster pace and with greater efficiency. The results are more precise and more predictable, with significant improvements in quality.

Simplicity is the watchwordAbove all, using HPC means no longer having to worry about one’s own computing capacities. Are IT resources at full stretch? Is my profitability at risk? HPC On Demand makes everything simpler: log on to the web, log in and initiate the calculations or simulations. The supplier of HPC On Demand provides a ready-to-use work station with remote access, takes care of the license management and the support, and does so in the most user-friendly and simple way possible, thereby confirming once again that the name of the game is: keep it simple! Why make it complicated when it can all be done so easily. In contrast to other HPC On Demand suppliers, CPU 24/7 provides a ready-made HPC work station, which includes HPC authorisation, remote access, data storage, traffic and support – in an all-inclusive package, in accordance with the slogan: from engineers for engineers.

On-demand with CPU 24/7!

Prompt availability of HPC On Demand resources|||| Resource Area | in the form of computing time

that can be reserved online and is immediately available

|||| Tailored configurations | in the form of constantly available, individually planned and adapted HPCclusters

Ready-to-use work station environment|||| Selection, procurement and integration of the

individually required software|||| Remote access

Highest standards of security and availability|||| ISO-27001-certified data centres|||| SSPs, NDAs and SLAs (individually adapted if required)

Platinum Support|||| Updating / Upgrading of software and hardware|||| Troubleshooting, recovery and much more besides

All-inclusive package|||| No additional costs for traffic, data storage and

support

CPU 24/7 HPC On Demand

…

Ready-to-use work station

+

+

+ +

+

Other HPC On Demand suppliers

Many additional costs All-inclusive package

HPC authorisation Traffic in & out Data storage

Data storage

HPC authorisation

Remote access

Traffic in & out Support

Remote access Support

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CPU 24/7 at a glance …

|||| Established: 2006

|||| Management: Heiko Haenler and Dr. Matthias Reyer

|||| Locations | Data centres: Potsdam, Berlin, Hamburg

|||| Employees: 25

|||| Contact details: CPU 24/7 GmbH & Co. KGc/o Potsdamer Centrum für TechnologieDennis-Gabor-Strasse 2DE 14469 PotsdamTelephone: +49 (0) 331 505 700 90 Telefax: +49 (0) 331 505 700 92Email: info@cpu-24-7.com

CPU 24/7 specialises in the on-demand provision of High Performance Computing (HPC) systems and computing capacity for industry and universities as well

as for applications in science, research and development. Supplied with a ready-made work station environment, the HPC resources can be utilised either as continuously usable, Tailored Configurations or as flexibly bookable computing capacity via the CPU 24/7 Resource Area.

From engineers for engineers.CPU 24/7 GmbH & Co. KG was established in 2006 in Potsdam. The leading lights of CPU 24/7 come from industry, science, research and teaching. Consequently, from its many years of experience, CPU 24/7 is well aware of the exacting demands imposed by the numerical simulation of engineering processes.

Between continuity and dynamismIt’s the combination that makes all the difference: at CPU 24/7 there has always been a simultaneous emphasis on consistency and dynamism. Our continuity is reflected in the strength of our relationships, in trusted structures and in cooperation in a spirit of partnership. Major customers who have been with us from the beginning continue to rely on the solutions and services provided by CPU 24/7. From its earliest days the company has enjoyed steady and vigorous growth. The CPU 24/7 portfolio now includes three data

centres, partially with ISO-27001 certification, and with continuously increasing IT capacities. These are located in Potsdam, Berlin and Hamburg. The expanding order book and an increasing number of staff and partners confirm that we are on the right track. With more than 20 years of experience and expertise we are able to react to changes on the market with flexibility and energy. We are thirsting for new ideas and are constantly searching for new ways of offering you innovative and individual solutions. The introduction of our Resource Area in 2012 was a response to the changing requirements of the market. It involves the use of a web interface to provide our customers with rapid, user-friendly and secure access to HPC resources, and is an ideal way of making short term use of HPC computing capacity. Clearly defined processes always ensure that our customers benefit from imaginative decision-making and the rapid provision of services, with innovative HPC On Demand solutions and the guarantee of complete reliability in both the implementation and the support processes. That is our promise and we will continue to maintain these high standards in the future. CPU 24/7 is currently engaged in various scientific and industrial joint ventures and research projects aimed at augmenting our expertise and knowledge. We at CPU 24/7 are consistent and focussed in our work, so that you, our customers, can obtain the maximum benefit from the deployment and application of the tried and tested results of our research.

HARDFACTS

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Think for a moment about what we do and how we do it. What images come to mind? Our business is not one of those traditional fields that one imagines

as being stylish and colourful, right? It is hard to form a visual image of computer-assisted methods as a standard tool in science and industry. But that is what fires up our enthusiasm: the use of complex methods that employ modern hardware, and specific software solutions. Tested, qualified and concentrated expertise is invested, extending beyond the core competences of one’s own area of business activity, in the hope of achieving real changes. The intention is to provide a framework for such hard-to-describe images as investment and capital, knowledge and personnel, because a consistent pressure of time and costs in companies, a constantly changing technological environment and workloads that are difficult to calculate all demand an approach that is both flexible and uncomplicated: approaches and trends in the provision of HPC computing capacities. Innovation aimed at reducing the work outlay for companies and engineers to a minimum is just one of the objectives. And another is to eliminate any inefficient concepts dealing with practicality and feasibility. Instead the sole focus is on core tasks – the calculation and evaluation of the findings of simulations, producing an image from diffuse fragments. One image showing why we do what we do.

HPC On DemandCPU 24/7 provides you with HPC On Demand resources in several versions, promptly, at a reasonable cost and with the aid of innovative methods – in the form of a time-limited, online computing time (Resource Area) or in the form of exclusive, individually planned and adapted HPC systems (Tailored Configurations). Both of them remotely and on-demand.

Ready-to-useWe provide engineers with a ready-to-use work station environment. Our customers can remotely access HPC authorisation and the relevant visualisation and calculation software, where they simply log in and start their calculations. In this context CPU 24/7 takes over the selection, procurement and integration of the individually required software and ensures correct functioning at all times.

24/7 reliabilityOur customers appreciate our Platinum Support, which is rapid, reliable and does not wait until a problem occurs before it is activated. Our administrators are hard at work every day to ensure that your system operates uninterruptedly. They plan and test updates in consultation with you and introduce them in a way that minimises the risk of any disruption, the aim being not only to get your system operating “again”, but to make it operate “better”.

Focus on securityCPU 24/7 is committed to giving the computer that you are planning to buy, or that you are already operating, a new, secure and cool home. The emphasis is constantly on the integrity, confidentiality and availability of your data. If necessary appropriate agreements can be made and adapted to meet individual requirements. To achieve this CPU 24/7 collaborates with data centres offering high availability environments, satisfying the most exacting security demands and, in some cases, with ISO 27001 certification.

All-inclusive packageCPU 24/7 takes transparent pricing very seriously, which is why we always offer our products as all-inclusive packages. This means: 10 TB of memory for every 100 cores, with traffic and support already included. Unlike our competitors, CPU 24/7 does not charge extra for these features.

In addition to providing ready-to-use HPC work environments, CPU 24/7 also offers a wide range of services.

Hosting/Housing

|||| Hosting: Provision and operation of a suitable IT infrastructure and environment for your HPCclusters

|||| Housing: Housing and connection to the network of the HPC clusters in the data centre

Service/Support

|||| Updating and upgrading of software and hardware

|||| Retrieval and replacement of software and hardware

|||| Warranty processing

|||| Disposal and deletion of dataand much more besides

Consulting/Customising

|||| Analysis, conceptualisation, design and continued development of your HPC clusters, along with hardware and software, security, support, license management, infrastructure etc.

|||| Individualised HPC clusters to meet customers’ wishes and requirements

Analysing/Documentation

|||| Use-of-potential analysis (reporting, optimisation)

|||| Analysis of hardware and software(system checks and pre-testing)

|||| Analysis of requirements

CPU 24/7 HPC ON DEMAND

HPC ON DEMANDRESOURCES

STORAGE,TRAFFIC & SUPPORT

INCLUSIVE

HIGHEST SECURITY

STANDARDS

PLATINUM SUPPORT

READYTO WORK

WORK STATION

3534

OUR CUSTOMERSWHO WE DO IT FOR,

WHAT WE DO

Aviation and space flightComputational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) are used in the aerospace sector as a means of creating, testing and improving a number of different design versions in order to address issues concerning aerodynamics. Using HPC, entire aircraft or components can be modelled within the required flight parameters, enabling valuable aerodynamic data to be produced faster and more economically. In turn this data speeds up the entire design and evaluation cycle.

Marine engineeringCFD is used in marine engineering to analyse and optimise flow and combustion processes in boats, ships and port installations, and to address other hydrodynamic problems. Investigations can be carried out on vessels, for example, to identify flow problems such as turbulence and eddy formation. With CFD any potential design problems can be eliminated rapidly and precisely.

Power engineeringThe oil and gas industry relies heavily on HPC resources, which are invaluable given the high investment costs of oil production. HPC is used in geophysical mapping, seismic imaging and reservoir

simulation as a means of identifying and investigating potential oil reserves and wells.1

HPC also has a vital role to play in onshore and offshore exploration and extraction. Extensive numerical simulations of wind farms are an important aspect of wind farm design and management. These simulations can include factors such as the topography, the character and condition of the site or the direction of the prevailing wind at specific wind farm locations, along with many other aspects.2

These variables can be manipulated in order to produce various different design possibilities. HPC also enables stress tests to be carried out on individual subassemblies or even single components.

Power enginThe oil and invaluable gis used in

s

exploration farms are aThese simucharacter anat specific wThese variabdesign possindividual su

Automobile industryNowadays HPC resources are almost always deployed in the conceptualisation, design and monitoring of automobiles, whether for the purposes of simulating the power unit and the aerodynamics, or in an extensive range of calculations for specific subassemblies or components. As part of these processes, Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) enables any geometry to be rigorously tested to identify faults and ensure efficiency. CFD can also be used to reduce fuel consumption and vehicle emissions.

FD) or and nt design ssues concerning rcraft or components can ht parameters, enabling valuable ster and more economically. In turn this d evaluation cycle.

s,

Medical technologyMedical research has always been driven by the need to know and understand the various factors that influence human health and cause disease. The interaction between medical science and the power of HPC enables the best possible use to be made of innovative techniques for early diagnosis of diseases, the simulation of the progress of a disease and the possibilities for personalised treatment. Patient analyses can then be carried out in real time, and can then be used to plan and carry out an individualised sequence of treatment.3 Other applications can be found in the simulation of cardiac function, in haemodynamics and in biomechanics and neuromechanics. 3-D rendering

The film industry is also making increasing use of HPC resources for 3-D rendering, especially for animated and fantasy movies. Rendering companies are also included in the HPC cluster category. To an increasing extent rendering also has an important part to play in the simulation of products or variants. However, 3-D rendering is a very complicated and time-consuming process for producing images based on the three-dimensional unprocessed data held on a computer. It involves the inclusion in the calculations of various masking aspects, the shading, light

distribution and the viewer’s position and line of vision as well as other material properties.6 The best known software in the field of 3-D modelling, computer animation and rendering is Maya, which is used in the movie industry, in industrial manufacturing, architectural visualisation and in research and development.71 http://www.hcpwire.com/2012-03-14/oil_and_gas_hpc_workshop_highlights_industry_challenges.html Access on 06.09.2013 at 11.19

2 http://www.cliv2ing.unlp.edu.ar/public/actas%20congreso/29.Avila.CLIV2.pdf, Access on 06.08.2013 at 14.293 http://ercim_news.ercim.eu/en74/special/towards_personalized_medicine_high_performance_computing_in _the_life_sciences, Access on 21.06.2013 at 11.054 http://www.vika.de/cms.php?id=1254, Access on 24.06.2013 at 15.375 http://www.3drender.com/glossary/3drendering.htm, Access on 24.06.20136 http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bildsynthese, Access on 05.08.2013 at 09.337 http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maya_%28software%29, Access on 06.08.2013 at 09.04

Building simulationBuilding simulations make a significant contribution to planning reliability in the design and construction of buildings. Architects make use of HPC to produce thermal and lighting simulations and to simulate air flows. For example, the air flow or exchange of air within a building can be recreated. The ability to calculate heating and cooling loads is also essential. The resulting data can be used to achieve time and cost savings and to improve the structure of the building, the materials used in its construction and the systems engineering. This enables a faster response to any required changes or suggested improvements. 4

We are committed to contributing to our customers’ success, and sustainability forms the basis of all our work.

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Dr.-Ing. Matthias ReyerMember of the Board of Management | CEOm.reyer@cpu-24-7.com

With his scientific background in the aerospace sector, and especially in aerodynamics and thermodynamics, he is the man with all the facts at CPU 24/7. Responsible for technical and specialist matters, always enquiring and highly experienced, he applies all his energy and enthusiasm in encouraging his CPU colleagues, and others, in their search for even more technical refinements.

Walter SmithIT Systems Engineer w.smith@cpu-24-7.com

Coffee-Marketeer Walter Smith has been responsible for the support | maintenance of cluster systems since June 2011. For him the customer is king, and the latest technical developments all have to satisfy his check & go system if they are to be granted the royal CPU 24/7 seal of innovativeness.

Dipl.-Ing. (FH) Thomas GroppIT Systems Engineer t.gropp@cpu-24-7.com

Thomas Gropp, who joined CPU 24/7 in February 2013, is a systems engineer whose remit covers the administration of cluster systems | internal systems. Although engaged in the evolution of new technologies, in his hobby of orienteering he still relies on the old-fashioned compass and maps.

Jenny Dawon M.A.Project Manager | CISOj.dawon@cpu-24-7.com

Since the end of 2011 processes and operating plans have been the primary concern of Jenny Dawon – from IT Secure to Accountancy and Health Management for CPU 24/7 – and with her hands-on mentality she holds everything together.

Christian Unger M. Sc.Project Manager Green-ITc.unger@cpu-24-7.com

Since May 2013 Christian Unger has been calmly pedalling his way through computer visions and parallelisations at CPU 24/7. With his heightened ecological awareness he personifies the “green idea“. Green-IT and the research project Intel® Xeon Phi™ co-processors are not the final stage in his journey.

Dipl.-Ing. Sven WerweinSenior IT Systems Engineer s.werwein@cpu-24-7.com

Since May 2008 our sporting and musical cluster systems expert has been responsible for planning | support | development of these systems. No risk – no Dipl.-Ing. Werwein. Always prepared to think out of the box, he is our expert looking after the security of your data.

Antje Müller M. Sc.Marketing and Salesa.mueller@cpu-24-7.com

It’s the mix that makes the difference – since April 2013, Antje Müller, a keen amateur boxer, has been our international expert for marketing & sales. With her technical and tactical skills she is involved both actively and interactively in planning | coordination | organisation for stakeholders and for us at CPU 24/7.

Heiko HaenlerMember of the Board of Management | CEOh.haenler@cpu-24-7.com

He is the Head of Numbers, capable of juggling with figures no matter how large, and regardless of how far off the sales target may be. Steering clear of technical jargon, he is more likely to rely on the philosophy of “A smile a day keeps the doctor away” than on his slide rule. Consequently CPU staff know him as a genuine motivator

The Reflexionist

Dipl.-Inform. Alexander HeineProject Manager | COOa.heine@cpu-24-7.com

The Chief Operating Officer, with responsibility for administration | organisation | supervision of the operating processes and HPC systems, has been with CPU 24/7 since August 2009. He is the negotiating support wizard with an inquiring eye, who also likes to work on innovative solutions for the home in his spare time.

The Research Supervisor

The Monitoring Professional

The Technology Scout

The Process Specialist

The Green-IT Hotshot

The Security Expert

The Marketer

The Number Cruncher

THE MAIN COMPETENCE TEAMWHO WE ARE

3938

Almost 60 years –

The ASME Turbo Expo is now in its 59th

year. From June 17th to 20th June, 2014

CPU 24/7 will be exhibitor in Düsseldorf.

983 km is the distance

that CPU 24/7 covered on 21 and 22 October

2013 when it acted as Silver Sponsor at the

International CAE Conference in Pacengo del Garda.

48 hours at ASWC.

ANSYS Automotive World Congress (ASWC) took

place on 29 and 30 October 2013. We were there

for you as Silber-Sponsors in

Frankfurt/Main. The pace was exhilarating. We

participated in the exhibitors’ rally, with prizes

donated by all the exhibitors.

Brussels

is not only renowned for its waffles and

chocolate and as the EU headquarters

but also, last year, as the venue for

the Numeca Users’ Meeting, which took place on 20 and 21

November 2013 at the Thon Hotel EU.

CPU 24/7 was there too, of course.

CPU 24/7 goes Austria. At the ACUM Austria – ANSYS

Conference and 9. CADFEM AUSTRIA

USERS’ MEETING 2014 – we will

present our range of services in

the wonderful venue of Vienna’s

Schönbrunn Palace on April 24th,

2014. The motto will be “Convergence

– the future of simulations”.

NAFEMS deutschsprachige Konferenz –

Bamberg’s postal address is

96047in Bavaria.

Almost 100 presentations will be held within 2 days from

May, 20th to 21st, 2014. Keynote speakers from industry,

research and university will be expected. CPU 24/7 will

also take part and looks forward to meeting you.

Between June, 23rd and 25th, 2014a total of round about 2,400 PARTICIPANTS

from 47 nations will be expected to

attend this year’s INTERNATIONAL

SUPERCOMPUTING CONFERENCE in

Leipzig. CPU 24/7 will also be there.

DATES AND EVENT GUIDEWHERE YOU CAN FIND US

We celebrated the

10thanniversary

with our associates at the FRIENDSHIP Users’ Meeting

on October 15th and 16th, 2013.

The venue for the Open Source CFD International Conference

was Hamburg, on 24 and 25 October 2013: CPU 24/7 was attending as a

STANDARD-SPONSOR and met with international attendees who included leading decision-makers

and users of open source software.

7th AS FROM MARCH 2014:

HPC remote resources available in combination with NUMECA On

Demand licenses! As registered NUMECA user you may now book

your HPC resources online via the CPU 24/7 Resource Area and benefit

from a wide range of NUMECA On Demand licenses.

From

June 4th to 6th, 2014 the spotlight will turn to

CPU 24/7 at the ANSYS Conference

& 32nd CADFEM Users’ Meeting 2014

(ACUM) in Nuremberg.

Almost years –

The ASME Turbo Expo is now in its 59th

year. From June 17th to 20th June, 2014

CPU 24/7 will be exhibitor in Düsseldorf.

is the distance

that CPU 24/7 covered on 21 and 22 October

2013 when it acted as Silver Sponsor at the

International CAE Conference in Pacengo del Garda.

at ASWC.

ANSYS Automotive World Congress (ASWC) took

place on 29 and 30 October 2013. We were there

for you as Silber-Sponsors in

Frankfurt/Main. The pace was exhilarating. We

participated in the exhibitors’ rally, with prizes

donated by all the exhibitors.

is not only renowned for its waffles and

chocolate and as the EU headquarters

but also, last year, as the venue for

the Numeca Users’ Meeting,which took place on 20 and 21

November 2013 at the Thon Hotel EU.

CPU 24/7 was there too, of course.

CPU 24/7 goes

At the ACUM Austria – ANSYS

Conference and 9. CADFEM AUSTRIA

USERS’ MEETING 2014 – we will

present our range of services in

the wonderful venue of Vienna’s

Schönbrunn Palace on April 24th,

2014. The motto will be “Convergence

– the future of simulations”.

NAFEMS deutschsprachige Konferenz –

Bamberg’s postal address is

in Bavaria.

Almost 100 presentations will be held within 2 days from

May, 20th to 21st, 2014. Keynote speakers from industry,

research and university will be expected. CPU 24/7 will

also take part and looks forward to meeting you.

Between June, 23rd and 25th, 2014a total of round about 2,400 PARTICIPANTS

from 47 nations will be expected to

attend this year’s INTERNATIONAL

SUPERCOMPUTING CONFERENCE in

Leipzig. CPU 24/7 will also be there.

celebrated the

h our associates at the FRIENDSHIP Users’ Meeting

October 15th and 16th, 2013.

The venue for thee Open Source CFD International Conference

was Hamburg, on 24 and 25 October 2013: CPU 24/7 was attending as a

and met with international attendees who included leading decision-makers

and users of open source software

Op

HPC remote resources available in combination with NUMECA On

Demand licenses! As registered NUMECA user you may now book

your HPC resources online via the CPU 24/7 Resource Area and benefit

from a wide range of NUMECA On Demand licenses

From

June th to th, 2014 the spotlight will turn to

CPU 24/7 at the ANSYS Conference

& 32nd CADFEM Users’ Meeting 2014

(ACUM) in Nuremberg.

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Unlike the cult novel “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy“, by Douglas Adams, you will not need 7.5 million years to leaf through this magazine and find

the answers to all your questions about HPC. Now we at CPU 24/7 would not be so presumptuous as to claim that we have found the answers to the question about “Life, the Universe and Everything“, but we are justly proud to be able to provide you, to the best of our knowledge and in 42 pages, with almost all answers on the subject of HPC. If someone asks you “What is HPC On Demand?”, you can reply ”42”! If you are asked “Where can I reserve or rent HPC On Demand resources promptly and economically?“ – your response is “42”. If the questioner wants to know “Where can I obtain a ready-to-use HPC work station, enabling me to can begin my calculations and simulations as soon as I have logged in?“ It’s easy! ”42”!

PUBLISHING INFORMATION

CPU 24/7 GmbH & Co. KGc/o Potsdamer Centrum für TechnologieDennis-Gabor-Strasse 2DE 14469 Potsdam Telephone: +49 (0) 331 505 700 90 Telefax: +49 (0) 331 505 700 92Email: info@cpu-24-7.comWeb: www.cpu-24-7.com

General Managers: Dr.-Ing. Matthias Reyer, Heiko Haenler

Company headquarters: Potsdam | District Court Potsdam, HRA 4292 P | USt.-IdNr.: DE253259444

Personally responsible partner:CPU 24/7 Verwaltungs GmbH, District Court Potsdam, HRB 20034 P

CPU 24/7 is a registered trade name of CPU 24/7 GmbH & Co. KG. All rights reserved.

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