HPCC Infrastructure
HPCC comprises a diverse mix of computing and data resources. Two Linux clusters constitute the principal computing resource. In addition, HPCC has a central facility that provides more than 400 terabytes of combined disk storage and potential access to nearly a petabyte of tape storage, as well as a Condor cluster that uses spare cycles on UNIX workstations in USC's general-access computing rooms.
Housed in USC's state-of-the-art data center, HPCC allows faculty members to maximize their individual research
resources by contributing to HPCC's condominium-style compute environment. Under this arrangement, researchers
may use their grant awards to acquire HPCC nodes, which are accessed through the same interface as the standard HPCC nodes. HPCC staff members monitor and maintain the equipment on a round-the-clock basis, enabling researchers to focus on their primary research. Researchers have sole access to their condo nodes except for twice a year when HPCC runs the LINPACK benchmarks.
Linux Clusters
HPCC has two Linux clusters: a 512 Dell Quad-Core Intel® Xeon® dual-processor node on a 10-gigabit Myrinet backbone and a 1,824 dual-processor node.of which nearly half are dual-core AMD Opteron. processors.on a 2-gigabit Myrinet network. For each cluster, the bidirectional, low-latency Myrinet fiber network interconnects the nodes, allowing for the development of massive production jobs that require high-speed communications among computational elements.
The 1,824 dual-processor node Linux cluster also includes 5 large-memory nodes with 64 gigabytes of RAM and 8 dualcore AMD Opterons. Using the same Myrinet network as the dual-processor nodes, researchers can run large models that do not necessarily scale well to parallel machines within the same operating environment as the main cluster. The combined main memory of the two Linux clusters is more than 13 terabytes; its combined temporary disk storage is more than 400 terabytes. The compute power of HPCC enables USC researchers to tackle grand-challenge class problems in a broad range of scientific disciplines.
Networks
HPCC has multiple-gigabit interfaces to the USC campus network. These interfaces facilitate massive data transfers
and interactive access to the computing facilities at 10 gigabits per second, creating a campus grid environment through USC's multiple-gigabit-per-second campus network. HPCC is home to the headquarters of Los Nettos, the regional computer network that provides redundant and reliable network bandwidth to the Los Nettos Consortium, comprising USC, Caltech, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Loyola Marymount University, and the Claremont Colleges. Now in its 20th year of operation, Los Nettos has built a fiber infrastructure, comprising dark fiber and leased circuits, which uses leading-edge optical technologies to enhance the network's flexibility and provide services such as private virtual local area networks (VLANs), dynamic interconnects, and partitioned wavelengths between member sites. Through its affiliations with the Corporation for Education Network Initiatives in California (CENIC), Internet2's Abilene Network, National LambdaRail, and exchanges such as Pacific Wave, Los Nettos offers high-capacity access to many national and international research and education networks.
Pacific Wave
Pacific Wave is a peering service that enables data to pass directly between major national and international networks, increasing the efficiency and speed of data transfer while eliminating the costs associated with routing data through multiple circuits. It is a joint venture of Corporation for Education Network Initiatives in California (CENIC), Pacific Northwest Gigapop (PNWGP), the University of Washington, and USC. Key project partners include the Australian Advanced Research Network (AARNET), PNWGP, CENIC, and University of Hawaii. Pacific Wave is part of the National Science Foundation's International Research Network Connections program.
