What Is HPC and Why Is It Important?
High-performance computing (HPC) systems can process data and perform complex calculations at high speeds. For example, a desktop computer with a 3 GHz processor can perform around 3 billion calculations per second. HPC systems can perform thousands more calculations per second.
Supercomputers are the most common type of HPC solutions. Supercomputers leverage parallel processing to work together to complete one or more tasks. In this article, you will learn what is HPC, how it works in the cloud, including HPC features, benefits, and use cases.
What Is HPC?
HPC systems are clusters of computers that work in parallel on one distributed workload, rather than in sequence. HPC leverages its aggregated processing power to solve complex issues and perform analyses that traditional computers cannot handle.
HPC systems usually have two or more central processing units (CPUs) per node, compared to only one CPU in traditional computers. HPC systems have between 16 to 64 computing nodes, compared to 18 processing cores in standard computers. Each HPC node has its own storage and memory, which you can use for processing large amounts of data.
Many HPC systems use graphics processing units (GPUs) in combination with CPUs. GPU processors are designed for a single task, instead of being multipurpose. GPUs can accelerate parts of an application and data processing. The combination of CPUs and GPUs is known as hybrid computing.
HPC benefits include:
- Speed—due to a big composition of processing power, it takes less time to run experiments or process data sets.
- Volume—increased memory and storage enables you to process larger amounts of data and run longer analyses.
- Efficiency—you can leverage the full scope of your HPC system by distributing resources across multiple workloads.
- Cost—cloud availability and bulk purchasing can reduce costs. Improved speed and efficiency lead to greater ROI and increased productivity.
HPC systems are designed for companies that do not have the computing power resources of supercomputers. Supercomputers can reach a composition of thousands of processors, and costs can reach tens of millions of dollars. On-prem supercomputing is usually only accessible to large organizations and not small companies. Cloud-based HPC, however, is more affordable.
HPC in the Cloud
You can deploy HPC systems in both private or public cloud environments. All major public cloud providers offer HPC services. Some providers, like Azure cloud, offer services for ready-to-use hybrid HPC implementations. HPC on Azure is also available with third-party solutions, like Azure NetApp Files. Official partners are often featured in the Azure marketplace.
HPC-based systems usually include components like low latency, batch scheduling, high-throughput storage, bare-metal support, userspace communication functionality, high-speed interconnects, and clustered instances or virtual machines.
Benefits of cloud-based HPC include:
- Availability—high-availability reduces the chances of interruptions in cloud workloads. High-availability also provides data protection since it is usually implemented through mirrored data centers.
- Scalability—enables you to increase storage, memory, and processing power by scaling resources up or down when needed. Scalability also minimizes bottlenecks and ensures that you are not charged for unused resources.
- Cost—cloud computing eliminates the need to purchase, maintain, or host machines. Leasing resources instead of purchasing reduces upfront costs and eliminates potential technical debt.
- Distributed workloads—cloud environments enable you to manage distributed workloads with containerized microservices. Containerization can also help migrate existing workloads and tools from your systems.
Why Is HPC Important?
The size and amount of data that organizations have to work with is growing exponentially, as technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things (IoT), and 3D imaging evolve. The ability to process data in real time is crucial for purposes like live sporting event video streaming, monitoring a storm, analyzing stock trends, or testing new products.
HPC systems enable companies to process, store, and analyze massive amounts of data in a fast and reliable way. This includes companies in the scientific, industrial, and healthcare sectors.
Who Uses HPC Solutions?
HPC solutions are needed when you have to turn large amounts of data into useful information. Businesses of all sizes can use HPC systems, but companies with large data warehouses and massive processing can benefit the most. HPC systems span several industries, and disciplinary areas like:
- Science and biotech—HPC is used for research and education purposes.
- Engineering—used for stress and strain analysis, heat thermal examinations, computational fluid dynamics and more.
- Semiconductor materials—used for design and manufacturing processes of semiconductors.
- Oil and gas—used for performance improvements, modeling, and identifying new locations for drill wells.
- Machine learning and artificial intelligence—used in self-driving vehicles, credit card fraud detection apps, AI-based technical support, and medical procedures.
- Financial services—used for stock market trend tracking and automating trading processes.
- Media and entertainment—used in feature film editing, live video streaming and computer-generated imagery.
- Product development—simulations, testing, design, production optimization, and inventory management.
- Climate modeling—used for identifying sources and determining ideal location of renewable energy, and making weather predictions.
How Do HPC Systems Work?
HPC systems consist of many different technologies, including servers, computers, and software. This combination of technologies creates a large network of clusters and compute nodes that can work together on multiple tasks. You can think of it as a high-performing unit of combined servers and computers.
HPC clusters consist of hundreds or thousands of servers. These individual servers, also known as nodes, work together in parallel to improve speed and processing capabilities. Cluster servers use parallel-processing software programs to run processes. Users can modify these software programs based on their needs. For example, your applications and processes should support the appropriate operating system for your business.
The data storage component of an HPC system captures the output of the cluster server. HPC storage can store data while processing occurs, because all system components run at similar paces. HPC infrastructure always operates at the desired levels of performance thanks to the parallel components. HPC systems require high network bandwidth to connect all HPC clusters.
Conclusion
HPC cloud services bring a new set of tools for organizations that want to gain a competitive edge. The cloud offers higher flexibility than you can find with in-house servers. You can also choose a hybrid solution to leverage the benefits of both environments. Whatever HPC deployment you choose, remember to customize it for your organization’s needs.