Nicole, TACC Executive Director Dan Stanzione, and VAST Data's Don Schulte discuss the evolution of the Texas Advanced Computing Center and its role in high-performance computing (HPC). Dan highlights TACC's history, including the transition from Stampede to Stampede 2 and the impact of AI on power consumption and cost. They discuss the upcoming Horizon system, which will replace Frontera, featuring 4,000 Nvidia GPUs, 900,000 CPU cores, and 0.5 exabytes of solid-state storage. The conversation also touches on the importance of data management, the shift from batch-oriented workflows to real-time data assimilation, and the potential of emerging technologies like photonics and quantum computing.
00:00–02:07
Introduction by Nicole; guests Dan Stanzione (Executive Director, TACC) and Don Schulte (VAST Data).
02:08–03:51
Reflections on TACC’s history, reputation for innovation, and pioneering adoption of new technologies.
03:52–05:57
Discussing dramatic shifts in HPC due to increased emphasis on power consumption, driven by the end of Dennard scaling.
05:58–08:37
Recent explosion of AI workload demands; increased costs and shortages (GPUs, skilled personnel, power infrastructure).
08:38–12:53
Speculation on future HPC developments: potential impacts of photonics, quantum computing, carbon-free energy sources, and changes in AI scaling strategies.
12:54–18:20
Dan emphasizes the importance of foundational HPC research historically done at national labs and universities, highlighting that current AI and infrastructure innovations rely heavily on these early HPC breakthroughs.
18:21–21:49
Introduction of Horizon, TACC’s upcoming NSF-funded supercomputer, replacing the Frontera system, focusing on scientific throughput, GPU optimization, and extensive solid-state storage.
21:50–27:57
Detailed discussion on the NSF’s Leadership Class Computing Facility (LCCF) award that supports Horizon, emphasizing scientific outcomes over raw computing power.
Horizon system designed specifically for real-time data assimilation, persistent interactive services, and complex scientific workflows, enabling significant improvements in science productivity.
27:58–30:36
Shift from batch-oriented computing to interactive, real-time workflows and persistent data management.
Importance of new data platforms (like VAST) providing consistent, high-performance data access across diverse computing tasks.
30:37–34:47
Stanzione emphasizes new data access patterns: smaller, random, constant I/O operations, challenging traditional HPC storage assumptions. Highlights VAST’s platform role in addressing these new storage needs effectively.
34:48–36:33
Closing remarks on the dramatic evolution in HPC data management over the past decade, noting fundamental shifts that were not anticipated even ten years ago.