Who Cares About High Who Cares About High Performance Computing?Performance Computing?

Jennifer Teig von HoffmanJennifer Teig von Hoffman

Boston UniversityBoston University

OverviewOverview

High Performance and Grid High Performance and Grid ComputingComputing

Access GridAccess Grid Collaboration examplesCollaboration examples What might this mean for you and What might this mean for you and

your work?your work?

Excellent Examples Right HereExcellent Examples Right Here

The Tribal Virtual Network is one of my The Tribal Virtual Network is one of my favorite, exciting examples of Access Grid favorite, exciting examples of Access Grid in actionin action

Think AheadThink Ahead

Some of what I’ll discuss is already Some of what I’ll discuss is already available at Tribal Virtual Networkavailable at Tribal Virtual Network

Thinking Thinking nownow about other future about other future technologies helps you be ready to technologies helps you be ready to take advantage of them when they take advantage of them when they become available to youbecome available to you• Innovative uses of new technologies Innovative uses of new technologies

may be attractive to funding agenciesmay be attractive to funding agencies

What is High Performance What is High Performance Computing?Computing?

A branch of computer science that A branch of computer science that concentrates on developing concentrates on developing supercomputers and software to run on supercomputers and software to run on supercomputers. A main area of this supercomputers. A main area of this discipline is developing parallel processing discipline is developing parallel processing algorithms and software programs that algorithms and software programs that can be divided into little pieces so that can be divided into little pieces so that each piece can be executed each piece can be executed simultaneously by separate processors.simultaneously by separate processors.• Source: WebopediaSource: Webopedia

High Performance ComputingHigh Performance Computing

What makes a What makes a “supercomputer” “supercomputer” changes rapidly as changes rapidly as computers keep computers keep getting more getting more powerfulpowerful

Your personal Your personal computer now is computer now is far more powerful far more powerful than early than early supercomputerssupercomputers

Growth of Computing PowerGrowth of Computing Power

Source: http://www.intel.com/research/silicon/mooreslaw.htm

Science Drives Most Usage . . .Science Drives Most Usage . . .

Top 500 Top 500 Supercomputers Supercomputers ranked online: ranked online: http://www.top500.http://www.top500.orgorg

Many are at Many are at research labs, research labs, government government facilities, etcfacilities, etc

Electrical Defibrillation

Studying Studying placement of placement of implanted implanted defibrillators withdefibrillators with• Computational Computational

modelingmodeling• VisualizationVisualization

Led by Boston U Led by Boston U and Cardiac and Cardiac Pacemakers Inc Pacemakers Inc

Source: http://scv.bu.edu/SCV/vizgal/defribnew/defribnew.html

Space WeatherSpace Weather

Developing a Developing a model for space model for space weather effects weather effects that runs from the that runs from the surface of the Sun surface of the Sun to the Earth's to the Earth's atmosphereatmosphere

Led by Boston U Led by Boston U

Source: http://scv.bu.edu/SCV/vizgal/spaceweather/cism.html

. . . But Others Use HPC Too. . . But Others Use HPC Too

Cultural Heritage PreservationCultural Heritage Preservation

Some organizations using Virtual Some organizations using Virtual Reality and digital imaging to Reality and digital imaging to preserve artifactspreserve artifacts

An example: Cultural Heritage An example: Cultural Heritage Imaging, http://c-h-i.org/Imaging, http://c-h-i.org/• Digital photography and object moviesDigital photography and object movies• PanoramasPanoramas• Polynomial texture mappingPolynomial texture mapping• 3D imaging3D imaging

Seen at SIGGRAPH 2004Seen at SIGGRAPH 2004

A recreation in Virtual Reality of A recreation in Virtual Reality of restored ancient sites, includingrestored ancient sites, including• 3D representations of objects3D representations of objects• Lighting that simulates actual lighting of Lighting that simulates actual lighting of

the times, which affects color perceptionthe times, which affects color perception

Digital Scan of Nara Great BuddhaDigital Scan of Nara Great Buddha

Source: Ikeuchi Lab, University of Tokyo, 2002;http://www.cvl.iis.u-tokyo.ac.jp/gallery_e/nara-hp/nara.html

HiPArt at Boston UHiPArt at Boston U

High Performance Computing in the Arts, a High Performance Computing in the Arts, a collaboration between software developers collaboration between software developers and artistsand artists

HiPArt’s Spirited RuinsHiPArt’s Spirited Ruins

Showcase of visual Showcase of visual and auditory works and auditory works created by invited created by invited artists in 1999artists in 1999

Relationships Relationships among virtual and among virtual and physical objectsphysical objects

Multi-person, multi-Multi-person, multi-site shared site shared environmentenvironment

And Interest Keeps GrowingAnd Interest Keeps Growing

Seedbed Initiative at University of Seedbed Initiative at University of IllinoisIllinois• http://www.uiuc.edu/initiatives/http://www.uiuc.edu/initiatives/

artsintech.htmlartsintech.html HASTACHASTAC

• http://shl.stanford.edu/HASTAC/http://shl.stanford.edu/HASTAC/ MARCEL NetworkMARCEL Network

• http://www.mmmarcel.org/http://www.mmmarcel.org/

Grid Computing DefinitionGrid Computing Definition

An ambitious and exciting global effort to An ambitious and exciting global effort to develop an environment in which develop an environment in which individual users can access computers, individual users can access computers, databases and experimental facilities databases and experimental facilities simply and transparently, without having simply and transparently, without having to consider where those facilities are to consider where those facilities are located.located.• Source: Source:

http://www.realitygrid.org/information.html http://www.realitygrid.org/information.html

Huh?Huh?

Internet: Sharing dataInternet: Sharing data• Files move by email, web sites, FTP Files move by email, web sites, FTP

sites, etcsites, etc Grid: Sharing resourcesGrid: Sharing resources

• Computing power is shared across the Computing power is shared across the networks, allowing many computers to networks, allowing many computers to work on a single problem collaborativelywork on a single problem collaboratively

PC-based Example: SETI@HomePC-based Example: SETI@Home

You download a screensaverYou download a screensaver When your screensaver is active, your When your screensaver is active, your

otherwise-unused computer power is used otherwise-unused computer power is used to download and analyze radio telescope to download and analyze radio telescope datadata

FOR MORE INFO...

http://setiathome.ssl.berkeley.edu/http://setiathome.ssl.berkeley.edu/

NEES GridNEES Grid

Sharing computer Sharing computer resources and resources and instrumentation instrumentation over the network to over the network to improve improve earthquake earthquake simulation and simulation and related engineeringrelated engineering

Source: http://www.nees.org/

Access GridAccess Grid

What is the Access Grid?What is the Access Grid?

An ensemble of An ensemble of resources includingresources including• multimedia large-multimedia large-

format displaysformat displays• presentation and presentation and

interactive interactive environmentsenvironments

• interfaces to Grid interfaces to Grid middleware and to middleware and to visualization visualization environmentsenvironmentsFOR MORE INFO...

http://www.accessgrid.org/http://www.accessgrid.org/

The Access Grid is a trademark of University of ChicagoThe Access Grid is a trademark of University of Chicago

Many, Many Groups of UsersMany, Many Groups of Users

Tribal Virtual NetworkTribal Virtual Network Minority Serving Institutions Minority Serving Institutions

ConsortiumConsortium National Science FoundationNational Science Foundation Art on the GridArt on the Grid United Kingdom eScience CentersUnited Kingdom eScience Centers . . . The list goes on and on!. . . The list goes on and on!

Social and Cultural EventsSocial and Cultural Events

Seminar onSeminar on“beer-ology”“beer-ology”

Drumming master Drumming master classclass

Wedding (yes, for Wedding (yes, for real!)real!)

Friday “desktop Friday “desktop buddy sharing”buddy sharing”

AG is Grid “Middleware”AG is Grid “Middleware”

Designed for Designed for integration of grid integration of grid applications into applications into Virtual VenuesVirtual Venues

Programmers can Programmers can develop develop applications that applications that plug inplug in

APPS

PARTICIPANTS

Basic ImageBasic Image

By Dave Semeraro By Dave Semeraro of NCSAof NCSA

For sharing images For sharing images of many formatsof many formats

Shared RasmolShared Rasmol

Adapted by Bob Adapted by Bob Olson and Tom Olson and Tom Uram of Argonne Uram of Argonne National Lab, National Lab, based on RasMolbased on RasMol

A tool for sharing A tool for sharing simulations of simulations of protein moleculesprotein molecules

SC Global 03: Application SteeringSC Global 03: Application Steeringby HLRS, University of Stuttgartby HLRS, University of Stuttgart

A Virtual Reality A Virtual Reality representation of a representation of a building design, building design, shared alongside shared alongside the Access Gridthe Access Grid

Image courtesy of Internet2 Commonsmms://winmedia.internet2.edu/VB-on-Demand/AppSteering.asf

SC Global 03: Karaoke GridSC Global 03: Karaoke Gridby AIST, XING, Inc, and Waseda Uby AIST, XING, Inc, and Waseda U

Karaoke over the Karaoke over the Access Grid, from Access Grid, from JapanJapan

Technical issues Technical issues only added to the only added to the humorhumor

Image courtesy of Internet2 Commonsmms://winmedia.internet2.edu/VB-on-Demand/KaraokeGrid.asf

Collaboration Example:Collaboration Example:Student Interviews, 2001-ongoingStudent Interviews, 2001-ongoing

The ProblemThe Problem

Graduate student Graduate student applicants from applicants from China need to be China need to be evaluated for evaluated for spoken English spoken English competency – but competency – but travel to/from travel to/from China is expensive China is expensive and often and often impossibleimpossible

The SolutionThe Solution

Arrange series of interviews over Arrange series of interviews over Access GridAccess Grid

Students travel to the closest Students travel to the closest participating siteparticipating site• Beijing University of Aeronautics and Beijing University of Aeronautics and

AstronauticsAstronautics• Shanghai Jiaotong UniversityShanghai Jiaotong University• University of Science and Technology of University of Science and Technology of

China (Heifei)China (Heifei)

Collaboration Requires EffortCollaboration Requires Effort

Relationships were established, Relationships were established, developed, and maintained at sites in developed, and maintained at sites in China which were asked to host China which were asked to host student intervieweesstudent interviewees• Organizational and financial issuesOrganizational and financial issues

Language, cultural, time zone, Language, cultural, time zone, vacation schedule barriers were vacation schedule barriers were overcome with effort on both sidesovercome with effort on both sides

Technology is Easy, NowTechnology is Easy, Now

Technical test sessions were held in Technical test sessions were held in preparation for each year’s series of preparation for each year’s series of interviewsinterviews• Problems were easily identified and Problems were easily identified and

(mostly) addressed before interviews(mostly) addressed before interviews Far more testing was necessary in Far more testing was necessary in

2001 than in 20032001 than in 2003

Nobody Likes Time ZonesNobody Likes Time Zones

Interviews and test Interviews and test sessions were held sessions were held at 7:00 AM EST, at 7:00 AM EST, 8:00 PM in China8:00 PM in China

Technical staff Technical staff needed to be there needed to be there 30-60 minutes 30-60 minutes earlierearlier

Change? Not So HardChange? Not So Hard

Interviewers and interviewees were Interviewers and interviewees were generally enthusiastic about the generally enthusiastic about the opportunity to conduct interviews this wayopportunity to conduct interviews this way• This despite the fact that students often had to This despite the fact that students often had to

travel many hours to get to AG nodestravel many hours to get to AG nodes Small technical and logistical glitches were Small technical and logistical glitches were

generally well-acceptedgenerally well-accepted• Perhaps in large part because everyone knew Perhaps in large part because everyone knew

the interviews were otherwise impossiblethe interviews were otherwise impossible

Lessons LearnedLessons Learned

Non-tech staff can develop Non-tech staff can develop collaborations highly reliant on techcollaborations highly reliant on tech

But to make this possible, technical But to make this possible, technical and non-technical staff need to and non-technical staff need to communicate clearlycommunicate clearly• ““They’re on the network” may mean They’re on the network” may mean

they have an AG node, or it may mean they have an AG node, or it may mean they have high bandwidth network – a they have high bandwidth network – a big difference to tech staff!big difference to tech staff!

So . . . What Does ThisSo . . . What Does ThisMean for YOU?Mean for YOU?

You know your You know your work and needs work and needs bestbest

I can bring my I can bring my experience and experience and enthusiasmenthusiasm

Let’s see if we can Let’s see if we can find the answer find the answer together over timetogether over time

Questions to PonderQuestions to Ponder

Have these examples made you Have these examples made you think of parallels in your work?think of parallels in your work?

How would you hope to use Access How would you hope to use Access Grid to enhance or develop Grid to enhance or develop collaborations at a distance?collaborations at a distance?

How might you use other technology How might you use other technology already at your disposal to support already at your disposal to support your work? Your personal life?your work? Your personal life?

More Questions to PonderMore Questions to Ponder

What technologies did you see today What technologies did you see today which you’d like to start thinking which you’d like to start thinking about how to use?about how to use?

Are there connections you’d like to Are there connections you’d like to make with others in the HPC user make with others in the HPC user and cyberspace community?and cyberspace community?

Events for Info and NetworkingEvents for Info and Networking

SC Global 2004, on the Access Grid SC Global 2004, on the Access Grid and Windows Media Playerand Windows Media Player• http://www.sc-conference.org/sc2004/http://www.sc-conference.org/sc2004/

scglobal.htmlscglobal.html Supercomputing ConferenceSupercomputing Conference

• http://www.sc-conference.org/sc2004/http://www.sc-conference.org/sc2004/ SIGGRAPH 2005 and beyondSIGGRAPH 2005 and beyond

• http://www.siggraph.org/conferences/http://www.siggraph.org/conferences/ Access Grid RetreatAccess Grid Retreat

Please Contact MePlease Contact Me

Jennifer Teig von HoffmanJennifer Teig von Hoffmanjtvh@bu.edujtvh@bu.edu617-358-0033617-358-0033

Boston UniversityBoston University111 Cummington Street111 Cummington StreetBoston, MA 02215Boston, MA 02215