Experts at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) are at the forefront of tackling major data challenges in the field of high-performance computing (HPC). With a focus on complex simulations and supercomputers, LANL scientists analyze critical issues like climate change and nuclear reactions. Gary Grider, leader of the HPC division at Los Alamos, explained that they are designing computing systems to solve unsolved problems and enable groundbreaking solutions.
The data management requirements at LANL are driven by the immense computational challenges they face. Consequently, the lab’s primary datasets are limited to purpose-built supercomputers, with limited use of cloud for specific workloads. Nonetheless, LANL draws inspiration from cloud technology to drive innovation within their own projects. For example, they have developed the Charliecloud project, which empowers researchers to build Linux software containers independently, enhancing flexibility and security.
LANL also takes advantage of Kubernetes, an open-source system for automating deployment and management of containerized applications, to streamline their operations. By leveraging modified cloud-based erasure technology, LANL efficiently manages its complex datasets. Additionally, the lab utilizes the cloud to access external technologies such as quantum computing systems.
Working with various customer agencies, including the Department of Defense and the National Institutes of Health, LANL sometimes employs the cloud to work with data already hosted there. This ranges from open clouds to secure clouds for sensitive projects.
As LANL looks to the future, they are exploring computational storage technologies. This novel approach would enable data crunching tasks to be performed at the storage device itself, minimizing the time and energy required to transfer large amounts of data to a supercomputer. For LANL, this is crucial as the gravity of their data necessitates avoiding unnecessary data transfers. By reducing movement from an exabyte to just three orders of magnitude less, scientists can save significant time, with calculations that previously took months now taking just an hour.
With their cutting-edge work in tackling complex challenges and their strategic approach to data management, LANL is making significant contributions in the field of HPC. Their dedication to solving unsolved problems through advanced computing systems positions them as leaders in the scientific community. As they continue to push the boundaries of what is possible, their innovations have the potential to revolutionize scientific research and drive new discoveries.
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