Wet String and Sellotape : High Performance Computing

Microsoft and the Environment..do we help or hinder?

Mike P — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 12:27:09 GMT

Nice new site showcasing Microsoft's work around the Environment, lots to look at and the following article caught my eye immediately: High-Performance Computing: Enabling Climate Change Analysis, as did the following:

Energy Efficiency Best Practices in Microsoft Data Center Operations

The article on the polemic facing the IT industry as a whole was really worth a read - not too long but faces up to the challenges ahead and how industry as a whole can deal with it: How Can Technology Sustain the Environment in the 21st Century?

I also liked the business solution area of how real customers are using our technologies to lower their carbon footprints.

Enjoy!

Change your HPC environment to Windows and run 10% faster - Windows HPC debuts in the Top 25 fastest supercomputers in the world!!

Mike P — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 19:02:25 GMT

Working on HPC at Microsoft we have not said that every day, however now it is time to restate the facts on software and what is really the fastest in the world! And don't believe me - check out the customer story below!

Kudos to Ryan Waite and the team:

The NCSA cluster is amazing. 1200 nodes, each with 8 cores, creating a 9600 core cluster. NCSA installed Beta 1 of Windows HPC Server 2008 and ran the benchmark. The results were outstanding: 68.5 teraflops and 77.7% efficiency. Using our beta software NCSA beat their November score by over 10%. This is the fastest Windows cluster to date. Check out the customer video and case study.

Get the full story here.

Microsoft UK HPC User Group

Mike P — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 13:02:30 GMT

I was at the last one and it was fab, you might want to go along this time:

UK HPC User Group

I wanted to let you know about the UK HPC User Group meeting coming up in June 26. Registrations are here.

This meeting is intended for customers, partners and developers to “meet and mingle”, and compare notes. And to provide Microsoft with direct input into our product and offerings.

On the day speakers will hear:

- The latest news on Windows HPC 2008

- New software solutions in Finance, Engineering and Defence

- The latest in MS enabling technology like Microsoft ESP & MS Robotics

- The winners of the UK HPC student competition, and

- Customer stories.

Attendees will also have the opportunity to tour the Imperial War Museum.

Think about registering here. And if you know of someone who might be interested, please forward this on.

The event is being organised by the UK Microsoft HPC User Group, chaired by Professor Simon Cox, School of Engineering Sciences, at the University of Southampton.

Enjoy!

Windows HPC Server 2008 Beta Survey - free bits, free book, thanks from Lord Waite!

Mike P — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 13:10:00 GMT

Some of you will know the great man Lord Waite (they tell me the House of Lords is considering this upgrade to the existing Mr Waite as I type..) who looks after Windows HPC development alongside a team of merry men. He is currently on bended knee asking for your help; be you a customer or partner to help in checking the new and highly exciting Windows HPC Server 2008. Check out what you need to do below:

Windows HPC Server 2008 Beta Survey

Overview

You’ve been invited to provide data to Microsoft about the beta of Windows HPC Server 2008. Your feedback is valuable and will help shape future versions of Windows HPC Server. Thank you thank you thank you.

In exchange for completing this survey we’ll mail you a copy of the brand new Microsoft Press book, “Windows Server® 2008 Inside Out” by William R. Stanek. This 1500 page book provides detailed information about administering Windows Server 2008. For more information on this book please go to: http://www.microsoft.com/MSPress/books/11448.aspx#AboutTheBook.

There are 5 steps to completing this survey: 1) Install our beta, 2) Complete our written survey, 3) Provide HPC Server diagnostics to Microsoft, 4) Provide SQM data to Microsoft, and 5) package up and mail the results to Microsoft.

Here is more information about each of the steps:

1. Install the Beta

The Windows HPC Server 2008 beta is available from Microsoft Connect at http://connect.microsoft.com. To sign up for the beta go to http://connect.microsoft.com, click on “Available Connections” and select “Microsoft Windows HPC Server 2008 Beta” from the list. Follow the instructions for signing up for the beta.
Install the beta on one or more x64 servers.
Support is provided in the newsgroups at http://connect.microsoft.com. We will respond to questions within 48 hours, and often within 24 hours.
2. Complete the Written Survey

Please complete the attached survey (attachment at the base of this post)
3. Provide Diagnostics Results

Windows HPC Server 2008 provides diagnostics tests to help administrators identify problems with their clusters. Please follow these steps to provide diagnostics results.

1. Start the Windows HPC Server 2008 Administration Console
2. Click on “Diagnostics” in the lower left hand corner of the console
3. Run all diagnostics tests against all nodes in your cluster
4. Copy the results of diagnostics tests into Microsoft Word or a text file.

4. Provide SQM Data

SQM (Software Quality Metrics) is a tool that provides information about usage of Microsoft products back to Microsoft. You may have seen SQM in products like MSN Messenger where you’re asked if you want to participate in the “Customer Experience Improvement Program”.
If your server has Internet connectivity then it will automatically provide SQM data to Microsoft during the beta. You can disable SQM. Please note, SQM is not turned on by default in released Microsoft products. In released products users must “opt-in.”
If you do not have Internet connectivity from your cluster collect the .SQM files from:
%ccp_home%\data\logfiles\
5. Mail Results to Microsoft

Please package up the Survey, the Diagnostics results, and the SQM files in a .ZIP file.
If you were invited to participate in this survey by a Microsoft employee please send the .ZIP file to that Microsoft employee.
If you were not invited by a specific Microsoft employee please mail the .ZIP file to me and my colleague Alex Sutton directly. My address is ryanw@microsoft.com and Alex’s address is asutton@microsoft.com.

Thank you again for taking the time to provide this valuable feedback.

Best regards,

Lord Waite

(Nota Bene: I may have changed Ryan's title for the sake of mirth and merriment he is also known as Group Program Manager – Windows HPC)

New Microsoft Action Pack - details here!

Mike P — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 14:44:38 GMT

24,000 of our 34,000 Registered Partners currently subscribe to Action Pack, our quarterly toolkits of software and sales and marketing materials. These are created to help our partners stay competitive, meet their sales goals and grow their business. So what is in the new action pack?

New Rules and how you get it:

To enhance the value of Action Pack, from March 1^st, all of those renewing their subscription must take a course and pass an assessment to renew. Partners must take one specific Microsoft online course from the required Partner Learning Centre course list and complete its associated assessment with a minimum score of 70 per cent. To continue receiving Action Pack, partners must pass an assessment every two years. Courses are all 100% subsidised and take no more than 60 minutes. The assessments will take no more than 30 minutes to complete.

If this might be of interest to your readers, in your blog posting would it be possible to highlight the following:

1. All information regarding the Microsoft Action Pack resides at: www.microsoft.com/uk/partner/actionpack

2. We have made available to partners a enrolment and re-enrolment guide from: www.microsoft.com/uk/partner/actionpack

3. If partners have a query regarding their Action Pack subscription, they should call: 0870 60 70 700 (press option 1)

Enjoy!

Windows HPC 2008 - 1 day Jumpstart Course - March 27th!

Mike P — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 16:54:12 GMT

On March 27, we are holding a 1 day technical introduction for the 2008 version of Windows HPC. The 1-day jumpstart will be held in London, at our Cardinal Place offices. The details are here.

This would be a great opportunity for new or existing HPC partners in the UK to learn about the technical benefits of Windows HPC. This day is for systems administrators, developers and systems integrators to:

Discuss clustered computing solution scenarios with Microsoft HPC technology specialists.
Review the HPC platform technology roadmap for Windows HPC.
Learn about Microsoft Compute Cluster Pack v2 features and capabilities
Experience the significant advancements coming in the area of cluster management, scalability and performance
Explore HPC Development tools and techniques
Identify integrated solution scenarios leveraging Windows platform technologies.

The agenda is here.

If you think it useful for your contacts, please ask them to register! This will be the best way for them to learn about version 2 before the official launch, and similar sessions have filled quickly. It will also be a chance to network with other HPC partners in the UK and is free-of-charge.

Enjoy!

Host of New Year articles on HPC from Microsoft - channel 9 and TechNet!

Mike P — Wed, 09 Jan 2008 15:11:12 GMT

Click on the above image to head straight to the HPC Show!

All great stuff!

SGi and Ansys Webcast on Compute Cluster - momentum building!

Mike P — Thu, 22 Nov 2007 12:41:52 GMT

Your research and engineering designs require more complex engineering simulations than your desktop or deskside system can handle. It's time to move to an integrated engineering solution created by the team of SGI, ANSYS and Microsoft. SGI, the company that invented high-productivity systems for scientists and engineers, brings you the SGI® Altix® XE server. Microsoft provides Windows® Compute Cluster Server 2003, and you know ANSYS engineering tools clear your way to act on your imagination.

Join experts from all three companies as they discuss how you can:

Migrate from your single or dual-core and current memory constraints to a system
Scale with Windows Compute Cluster Server 2003
Build the cluster platform that fits your requirements with powerful SGI Altix XE Servers
Configure initial compute nodes and grow as your ideas grow

SGi ramp up the power on their HPC Offering with WCCS!

Mike P — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 18:01:46 GMT

I love it when months of discussion starts to kick in with some focussed marketing from someone like SGi! Check this out:

Two turnkey configurations available:

Altix® START

Altix® POWER

...........................................................................................................................................................

Altix® START - Euros 2,900*
The low cost configuration with which to start your compute cluster.
Ideal for:

One or more users
A rich set of expansion and I/O option needs, addressing the broadest range of compute requirements
Handling the need for increased memory capacity and bandwidth (associated with larger meshes)
Starting your cluster small and growing compute power according to your application needs

*Pricing and configurations in the offer are subject to SGI standard Terms and Conditions

Altix® POWER - Euros 3,900*
Double the performance for only €1000 more! Ideal for:

A team or workgroup environment
Simultaneous calculations
Increased model sizes
Balancing application workloads according to users’ needs

*Pricing and configurations in the offer are subject to SGI standard Terms and Conditions

Further information

Call +44 (0)8702 432243
Click here to contact us directly

DATASHEET
SGI® Altix® XE Servers and Clusters

MICROSOFT AND SGI
Microsoft ® Windows ®
Compute Cluster

© 2007 SGI. All rights reserved. Specifications subject to change without notice. All trademarks mentioned herein are the property of their
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Microsoft ungeeking HPC for the masses!

Mike P — Wed, 22 Aug 2007 14:25:25 GMT

It's a little rare that Microsoft is seen to be ungeeking technology for people - but thinking about it broadly this is what we do day in and day out. Check out this thoughtful article in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer about our HPC offering with CCS:

SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/opinion/327033_supercomputers.html

Supercomputing not just for geeks
Last updated August 9, 2007 6:29 p.m. PT
By STAN AHALT
Once the exclusive domain of a handful of well-funded companies, supercomputing is increasingly becoming accessible, scalable and affordable to companies of all sizes, budgets and needs. As of last week, the same technological marvel that first enabled a machine to triumph over humanity's greatest chess player can now be had from the same company that has become the dominant name in desktop computing.
At the recent International Supercomputing Conference in Dresden, Germany, Microsoft announced its rollout of high performance computing for an amazing out-of-the-box price of $50,000 -- a fraction of its cost decades ago. Although it is a late-entry player in the market, Microsoft's vision is that an emerging market of smaller companies will soon see the need and benefits of supercomputing, or high-performance computing.
What does supercomputing for the masses mean?
Developments mark a supercomputing milestone that could result in enormous mainstream benefits including revitalization of the ailing manufacturing sector.
Researchers, academics and engineers from smaller organizations will be able to tap into vastly increased computing power to test hypotheses, prototype products, cut production costs and design better processes for anything from assembly lines to document tracking. The consequence will be a full-spectrum surge of innovation and scientific advancement.
Long before Microsoft's announcement, HPC was already moving beyond its traditional functions in meteorology and astrophysics. The Pringles factory takes advantage of supercomputing aerodynamic analysis to improve the way potato chips fly off the assembly line. Supercomputing simulations have reduced the amount of money that Goodyear has spent on physical tire prototypes from 40 percent to 15 percent. Meanwhile, golf club manufacturer Ping is using supercomputing to simulate and test new designs.
The engineers behind these applications know that supercomputers are fast becoming the best way to perform that quintessential American task: Make it better and make it faster. Supercomputers can help create new markets, new opportunities and new jobs in the U.S. Simulation makes choosing between alternative processing methods far easier. Better analysis and documentation of capabilities helps with efficiency. Improved factory and workflow layouts increase productivity. All those factors can dramatically improve a company's bottom line and increase its competitive edge in the global marketplace and will play an increasingly crucial role in maintaining the competitiveness of U.S. industry.
Admittedly, many Rust Belt companies aren't well positioned to dive into the supercomputing revolution on their own. That's why such programs as the Blue Collar Computing Initiative are helping small and medium-size businesses adopt supercomputing tools.
With more computing horsepower for design simulations, engineers can be bolder and more inventive in their ideas, while avoiding the endless repetition of trial-and-error prototypes. The freedom to branch out from proven, safe solutions will be vital for exciting breakthroughs in the next decades.
Congress is now considering legislation that would expand the successful Blue Collar Computing Initiative and help reduce the risk to companies willing to take a leap into the technological future. Ohio's Sen. George Voinovich and Rep. Tim Ryan are leading a bipartisan effort to make high performance computing resources more widely available to small businesses and manufacturers. Anyone concerned about the United States' ever-rising trade deficit and shrinking manufacturing base should give this legislation serious consideration.
This effort would pave the way for new supercomputing centers to be created across the country. These centers would assist small businesses in finding areas where supercomputing could help them stay competitive, as well as develop software specifically designed to meet the needs of small businesses. Sad to say, without a serious push into new technologies such as supercomputing, the U.S. is likely to see continued erosion in our industrial sector. Supercomputing will help us compete through brains, not brawn. It will also help revitalize the nation's leadership in the critical areas of computational science, engineering and product design. Without smart intervention now, we'll be left lagging as other countries leapfrog ahead using affordable, powerful computing to increase their efficiency and maximize the impact of innovative thinking.
Just as the ATM has replaced the bank teller, desktop supercomputing simulations will begin replacing physical testing labs and transforming old-fashioned heavy industry into light, adaptable and efficient businesses for the future.
The democratization of supercomputing is happening, is U.S. enterprise ready?

Stanley Ahalt is executive director of the Ohio Supercomputer Center, a technology initiative of the Ohio Board of Regents.

Nice!

Market Pressures - increased importance of HPC activity for Quants with CCS

Mike P — Sun, 19 Aug 2007 23:31:37 GMT

Sipping a nice glass of red on Sunday this article caught my eye:

Quant funds, where computers decide when to buy and sell shares, are blamed by some for the recent meltdown

Interesting views on the role of the Quant during the current market tumult...no mention of the actual tools use but guess what - they can all involve CCS.

Enjoy!

Investment Analytics Seminar - Excel Services and WCCS

Mike P — Thu, 16 Aug 2007 18:37:12 GMT

Live Webcast: Take Back Your Weekends Investment Analytics Webinar - Capital Markets - September 12, 2007
What: Live customer facing webcast focused on solution components: WCCS and Excel and Excel Services
When: September 12, 2007, 9:00 PDT/12:00pm EST
Where: Live Webcast – through Live Meeting Register Here
Why: Learn how Windows Compute Cluster Server 2003 provides a cost-effective solution that allows analysts to spend more time analyzing complex data sets to make better decisions. Integration with mainstream applications, such as Microsoft Office Excel 2007 and Excel Services, enables firms to prototype on a client computer while enabling production deployment on server
Live Webcast: Investment Analytics: Take Back Your Weekends: --Event ID: 1032346010
Please join us and learn how Microsoft high performance computing tools can help solve some of your time-and energy-consuming computational problems. Also during this session, some of our partners will discuss how they have used the Microsoft tools to create exceptional software solutions for investment analysis.
Presented by: Dr. Mark Horvath, Director, Engineer, Worldwide Financial Services Industry, Microsoft Corporation
Dr. Horvath provides technical expertise on strategy and solutions delivery in the securities industry where he takes particular interest in enterprise payment solutions, high performance computing and algorithmic trading. Mark holds degrees in Physics and Astronomy from the Pennsylvania University and the University of Massachusetts.

Great new case studies from UK HPC Partners!

Mike P — Tue, 07 Aug 2007 10:52:16 GMT

Two great case studies out of the UK showing our progress with HPC in the UK:

ISV bets against open source and doubles revenues
· https://www.microsoft.com/casestudies/casestudy.aspx?casestudyid=4000000382
Integrated HPC platform against climate change
· https://www.microsoft.com/casestudies/casestudy.aspx?casestudyid=4000000122

Looking forward to many more!

Enjoy

New Whitepaper - Dual Boot systems CCS & Linux - great guidance

Mike P — Thu, 02 Aug 2007 19:19:02 GMT

A number of partners want to pursue a dual boot strategy to increase CCS penetration in the market, our academic promotion will make heavy use of the approach to encourage faculty and students to experiment with CCE on existing hardware. This whitepaper is going to be a huge it in the community.

Windows Compute Cluster Server and Linux Dual Boot

Happy Reading!

WWPC Content get all your slide decks from here!

Mike P — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 11:49:45 GMT

So you may have noticed a slight absence from me over the last few weeks whilst I have been at the Worldwide Partner Conference at which we had a significant attendance from UK Partners in HPC and 400 others from the UK. I followed that up with the Microsoft Global Briefing we hold for our staff each year - both great events with lots of content which will find it's way here over the coming weeks as stories become actionable locally.

If you want to get your hands on the slides from the Worldwide Partner Conference then you just have to look here:

http://members.microsoft.com/partner/digitalwpc/

Check out the great slides from Ballmer, Kevin Turner and some of the cool Enterprise Search decks up there from yours truly :-)

Enjoy!