The second fastest computer in Sweden
Today the new, supercomputer Ekman and Vagn is to be inaugurated. It is the second fastest computer in Sweden and one of the 30 fastest in the world. The technical operation of the calculation part, Ekman, will be managed through cooperation between PDC (Parallel Computer Centre) at KTH and NSC (National Super Computer Centre) at Linköping University. The storage system, Vagn, will be operated by the National Super Computer Centre at Linköping.
The new super computer Ekman and Vagn calculates and stores information for advanced climate and turbulence research. It will be used by researchers at Stockholm University, the Royal Institute of Technology (KTH) and the Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute (SMHI). Researchers will be able to increase the number of climate simulations and expand their current models of our future climate. New knowledge concerning turbulence is necessary in both climate research and the development of new generations of aeroplanes.
Ekman, the calculation part, consists of 1 268 Dell PowerEdge servers. Calculation problems are divided up between all or some of these computers in order to provide large-scale, accumulated capacity. The type of calculations that Ekman is intended for require extremely extensive exchange of information between the different computers. Consequently a network is used for calculations which is many times faster than a standard Ethernet called Infiniband (16 Gbit/s as compared to 1 and 0.1 Gbit/s speed between any of the computers in the system).
The Ekman and Vagn supercomputer has been financed by a grant from the Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation and the Swedish Research Council through the Swedish National Infrastructure for Computing, SNIC.
Håkan Soold