University installs new supercomputers

A yearlong effort to broaden the University's research infrastructure recently culminated in the implementation of three new supercomputers, placing the University at the forefront of computing research.

Last fall, the Office of Information Technology (OIT), the Princeton Institute for Computational Science and Engineering, the engineering school and the genomics institute collaborated in a movement to sustain the research already taking place at Princeton and to encourage younger scholars to explore new scientific and computational frontiers. The affiliated faculty spent six months obtaining the resources to buy the machines, which can be used for research on topics such as molecular dynamics, genomics, fusion and models of the universe.

"The use of computational modeling in all areas of science and engineering (and the broader whole of academia) is growing rapidly," Curt Hillegas, the manager of computational science and engineering support at OIT, said in an email.

Since the implementation of the supercomputers — named Della, Hecate and Orangena — the University "compares favorably to just about any Ivy League institution," OIT Academic Services Director Serge Goldstein said. Two of the acquisitions, he added, are among the 100 most advanced supercomputers in the nation.

Though the computers can function independently, they are also meant to work as one unit. Because each computer is adapted to work on slightly different kinds of tasks, the machines are able to specialize in different parts of the same problem that suit them best.

With 2,048 processors, Orangena is fit for fast processing, whereas Hecate is better matched to solving problems that require a lot of memory since it has 256 gigabytes of memory. Della, on the other hand, has both a substantial processing capability and a sufficient amount of memory for intensive processing. Goldstein said that the supercomputers run about 500 to 1,000 times faster than a regular laptop or household computer.

The supercomputers are also very large — Della takes up about 20 door-sized cabinets called racks, while Orangena and Hecate are housed in two racks each.

Della earned its name for being a cluster of smaller Dell computers connected together, and Hecate was named after the Greek goddess of witchcraft and the underworld. The "gena" part of Orangena was named for this computer's use in genetic research, while the "orange" piece of its name is meant to bring Princeton spirit to the facilities.

Campus computing experts spent the past six months working to install the machines in their new home, the basement of 87 Prospect Ave.

Currently, access to the computers has been granted to departments and organizations that funded the purchase of the machinery. Hillegas, however, said that all university departments and faculty are "eligible to apply for accounts on the systems utilizing the centrally funded portions."

"That application process will provide priority to projects with scientific or academic merit that can best utilize the specialized strengths of the facilities," he said. "These resources not only prepare Princeton to participate in the exciting growth, but they also put us near the forefront of academic computational research where we can help to lead the change."