The Scientific Grid Portal provides access to the university's computing resources, scientific applications and research animations. One of the applications that will be available to schoolchildren via the Grid Portal is the University of Maine Ice Sheet Model based on the work of Dr. James Fastook, also of the Computer Science Department. The Grid Portal is scheduled to launch in the summer of 2009, and will give students the opportunity to experiment firsthand with environmental parameters and examine variable climate change scenarios. Additionally, the Grid Portal will connect to the state's expanding optical backbone network, enabling high-speed data transfers using the SiCortex computers.
"The University of Maine strives to bring the latest technology innovations to the state by continually expanding and advancing our [high performance computing] HPC infrastructure," said Dr. Dickens. "In addition to helping us advance our educational mission and vision, the SiCortex computers will help to aid industry and economic development within the state."
The SiCortex SC648 is a complete 910 GFlops (peak) computing system packaged in a single cabinet. With its full suite of open-source Linux software, the SC648 is an ideal platform for running computation-intensive applications such as the University of Maine Ice Sheet Model, the company noted in a press release.
The SiCortex SC072 Personal Development System is a 72-processor machine packaged in a whisper-quiet, low-powered deskside cabinet using about the same amount of electricity as a typical PC.
UMaine selected SiCortex because of the company's ability to deliver HPC power, performance and productivity using minimal space and electricity. Conventional HPC systems require vast amounts of electricity to perform their jobs and often need an equal amount of energy to keep cool, causing electricity costs to outpace the cost of the computers. The compact, energy-efficient design of the SiCortex computers enables the machine to be accessible right in the lab -- in close proximity to where researchers work, versus in a separate data center -- and delivers the computing power the university needs at the lowest purchase and operating costs.
A single processor in a SiCortex computer draws just ½ watt of power versus the 100 watts of power drained by a processor in a standard system, a design feature that enables the company to lay claim to producing the world's most energy-efficient computers. The SiCortex SC648 was recently put to the test of proving how green it really is when it was powered by a team of bicyclists from the UMaine Cycling Club during a live demonstration.
"The fact that a small team of bicyclists could power the system underscores the energy efficiency of the UMaine Supercomputer," James Bailey, marketing director of SiCortex, said.
"Over the past six decades, the speed of computers has continued to increase dramatically, but at the expense of ever-greater power consumption," said Dr. George Markowsky, chair of the Department of Computer Science. "Being environmentally responsible is very important to the University of Maine, and we are doing our part by demonstrating how to do more computations with less energy."
As the first ultra-low-power HPC systems to be implemented in the state of Maine, the SC648 and SC072 create highly advantageous systems for university researchers in need of overall flexibility, capacity and accessibility.
"Through its new Scientific Grid Portal, the University of Maine is putting the power of supercomputing into the hands of students everywhere," said Christopher Stone, president and CEO of SiCortex. "This innovation expands the benefits of its research grant into the larger community, and provides relevant, hands-on experience students need to understand real-world challenges. UMaine is forging an important connection between the lab and the outside world. We at SiCortex believe this kind of accessibility and collaboration will fuel the next generation of research breakthroughs in both the commercial and scientific communities."
