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Questions Answered - Click to View
Introduction:
1. No doubt, the momentum and discussion of Grid solutions has created both opportunities and confusion throughout HPC. Can you discuss how the Grid computing paradigm competes for mindshare or causes confusion for end-users trying to compare HPC clusters vs. Grids?
2. So, considering the changes in computing models, platforms, architectures and other factors, how is the role of ISVs changing in HPC? And what trends do you see in the HPC application space - what opportunities do you see for new ISVs?
3. I'd like to discuss the role of special purpose processors, such as Cell processors, Floating Point Accelerators, FPGAs, GPUs, etc. - How important are they in HPC and what is the impact on HPC applications?
4. Let's shift gears just a bit to file systems. What opportunities exist for structured storage and databases to play a key role in HPC - as compared to cluster file systems - especially when dealing with data-intensive HPC applications?
5. I know this next question will be of interest to many HPCwire readers. What are the opportunities for business-oriented HPC hosting services - what might they look like - and can you give me some sense of a timeline?
6. From our vantage point at HPCwire, -- there's no question - the HPC landscape is changing. At a big picture view, the HPC ecosystem is morphing and evolving and the use of HPC systems and technology within mainstream computing environments is starting to gain acceptance. But what about the regional or geographic trends? I'd like each of you to share your perspective on geographical or regional trends in HPC - where are those trends reflected - and what are the implications for end users?
Closing:
A Perspective on HPC - 2007 and Beyond
What will it take for us to realize broader, commercial adoption of HPC?
What are some of the barriers to mainstream adoption and what is being done to break down those barriers?
Undoubtedly, the next evolution of HPC will hinge on changes or advancements in the HPC application development environment and the ability for an entire community to work toward interoperable applications while integrating the newest processors, storage technologies, networking schemes, and forward-thinking infrastructures and environments.
HPC is no longer relegated to running only scientific and engineering applications, but can be used intuitively to solve complex business problems as well. Bringing HPC to the department or workgroup level significantly increases available market size - a pseudo - holy grail for the HPC evangelists. But bringing HPC to the mid-range commercial computing environment - the heart of the mainstream - is no small task. There are barriers that need to be overcome.
In this exclusive webcast captured live at SC06 in Tampa, Mike Bernhardt, Associate Publisher of HPCwire, leads an esteemed group of panelists through a discussion of several topics sure to be of interest to a large number of HPC stakeholders. The issues discussed in this webcast will shed insight into breaking down some of those barriers and giving us a glimpse of the next wave in mainstream computing.
Join us for this enlightening panel discussion on "A Perspective on HPC - 2007 and Beyond."
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Webcast Participants
Microsoft: Fabrizio Gagliardi
EMEA & LATAM Director
Scientific and Technical Computing
Advanced Strategies and Policy Division
Microsoft Corporation
Fabrizio Gagliardi is the EMEA and LATAM director of scientific and technical computing, Advanced Strategies and Policy Division at Microsoft Corp. He joined Microsoft in November 2005 with a rich and lifelong experience in computing applied to particle physics experiments. Gagliardi joined CERN in 1975 where he held several technical and managerial positions in this field, including leader of the European Union funded project GPMIMD2 (1993-1996). From January 2001 to March 2004, Gagliardi was the leader of the EU DataGrid project, a collaboration of 21 international scientific institutes and industry, which prototyped Grid computing in Europe. This project was followed by an even larger project, EGEE (www.eu-egee.org) which after a first phase from 2004 till 2006 will continue till at least 2008. Fabrizio Gagliardi was Director of this world-wide computing infrastructure till October 31, 2005. As part of his activity in Grid computing, he has been one of the most active proponents of the Global Grid Forum of which he was cofounder and member of its International Advisory Committee. He now continues to serve in the follow-on Open Grid Forum (OGF). He is author and co-author of several publications on the subject of distributed and Grid computing. His most recent activity is well described in an article on IEEE Spectrum Magazine (July, 2006 issue www.spectrum.ieee.org/jul06/4117) under the title "Old World, New Grid".
IBM: Wendy McGee
Director of Cluster Solutions, IBM System X
Wendy McGee, Program Director, Cluster Solutions: Brand & Business Unit, IBM. Wendy was previously Technical Assistant for Susan Whitney, General Manager, System x in 2003-2004. She has previously managed Linux Marketing for System x, PowerPC Marketing, and has 15 years of networking, hardware & software architecture background. Computer Science Engineering BA Degree, NCSU, 1989, Magna Cum Laude, minors in Mathematics, Chemistry and English. Wendy lives with her husband, Rick and 2 twin boys, Zac and Zander (who are 16 months old) and her 11 animals, one of which is a 750 lb Bengal tiger, Romeo.
University of Virginia: Marty Humphrey
Assistant Professor, Department of Computer Science
Marty Humphrey is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Computer Science at the University of Virginia. He received his Ph.D. in Computer Science from the University of Massachusetts in 1996. Humphrey has been active in HPC and Grid Computing research since 1998, when he joined the University of Virginia to focus on the Legion project (directed by Prof. Andrew Grimshaw). In October, 2004, Humphrey completed a term on the Steering Committee of the Open Grid Forum. Humphrey remains active in Open Grid Forum, currently serving as co-chair of the OGSA HPC Profile working group.
Tokyo Institute of Technology: Satoshi Matsuoka
Professor, Department of Computing Sciences
Satoshi Matsuoka became a full professor at the Global Scientific Information and Computing Center of Tokyo Institute of Technology (Titech) in April 2001, leading the Research Infrastructure Division Solving Environment Group. Matsuoka pioneered grid computing research in Japan in the mid-1990s along with his collaborators, and currently serves as sub-leader of the Japanese National Research Grid Initiative (NAREGI), which aims to create middleware for next-generation CyberScience Infrastructure. He was also the technical leader in the construction of the TSUBAME supercomputer, which became the fastest supercomputer in Asia-Pacific in June 2006, and also serves as the core grid resource in the Titech Campus Grid. Matsuoka has been (co-) program and general chairs of several international conferences including ACM OOPSLA'2002, IEEE CCGrid 2003, HPCAsia 2004, Grid 2006, CCGrid 2006/2007, as well as holding countless program committee positions, including serving as the network area chair for SC04.
Webcast Hosted By
Michael Bernhardt
Associate Publisher, HPCwire and GRIDtoday
Mike Bernhardt is a well known HPC industry veteran and the Associate Publisher at Tabor Communications, publisher of HPCwire and GRIDtoday. He is a widely requested speaker, panel moderator and panel participant, and frequently contributes industry analysis, commentary and opinion at a wide range of industry events and corporate meetings. With 30 years of experience in the high end of the computer industry, Bernhardt has applied his unique blend of marketing and business savvy to benefit many organizations facing the deployment and adoption of industry changing trends such as Virtualization, Grid computing, Service-Oriented IT, Seamless Mobility and Communications and Computing Convergence, helping organizations understand these trends and how to best position their companies, products and solutions in terms of the bigger picture. As a former Intel marketing executive, Bernhardt knows the importance of developing take-to-market strategy based on sound positioning and keen market understanding. He has served as a marketing and business development advisor to a number of Fortune 50 organizations as well as dozens of start-up business ventures.