The Supercomputing
Cluster contains a two tower, 64 node Beowulf Cluster with 32
Gbyte of SDRAM, 1 Terabyte of disk storage, a tape backup unit and
an uninterruptible power supply. In addition, a 12 Processor 1.2Ghz
Sun/ /V1280 32GB RAM, 400GB internal RAID, access to 2 TB NAS, a 64
Processor 3.06Ghz Sun Grizzly 72GB RAM per node, access to 2 TB NAS
have just been added. As part of its committment to the development
of an Advanced Visualization Laboratory, a 6 Processor 1.2Ghz
V880Z, Visualization server, 24GB RAM, 151GB internal RAID, assess
to 2 TB NAS is now available. With these additions, the VCU CSBC supercomputing
environment now has the following hardware totals: 206 parallel processors
in Beowolf Clusters, 130 processors of SMP machines, 5.5 TB central
storage(including nodes on the Beowolf, Fibre Channel, etc.) and 5.2
TB CSBC storage (includes nodes on the Beowolf and servers). Genomics
and proteomics software and databases are mounted on and maintained
on the server for access across VCU. Additional processors are being
added. The Cluster is networked to the University Backbone with GigaBit
Ethernet.
The Instructional/Videoconferencing
Lab contains teaching, distance learning, and video conferencing
capabilities. It has 12 student and one instructor stations, projection
capabilities and plasma screen displays, distance learning and videoconferencing
equipment, and other equipment required for instruction.
The Research
Core Lab contains 8 high-end Intel double boot (Windows/Linux)
workstations for research applications. These workstations will be
available for use by CSBC Fellows and Associates for short or long
term applications. This Research Core also serves as a smaller scale
instructional facility, with projection and teaching capabilities.
These rooms are all linked to the University backbone through a dedicated
Gigabit Ethernet link.
The SuperComputing
Systems Group. Headed by J. Michael Davis, the Supercomputing
Systems Group consists of a strike team of highly trained operating
systems analysts with extensive experience in highly parallel Unix/Linux
operating systems. This team is located in approximately 1100 square
feet of offices in the Trani Center for Life Sciences and provides
24/7 coverage for the CSBC and the BCCL.
