Last Monday, Gdańsk University of Technology launched a new supercomputer worth 30 million zlotys. The machine named Tryton is capable of performing 1.2 trillion operations per second. It will be available for use not only to students and researchers from Pomeranian universities, but also to business.
Dr. Jerzy Proficz from the IT Centre of Tri-city Academic Computer Network of the University of Gdańsk told PAP that the new university supercomputer is actually a cluster, which a group of interconnected computers. In this case, 2616 CPUs form the cluster. The whole is housed in more than 30 cabinets and weighs approx. 15 tons.
Tryton - this is the name given to the machine – was officially launched last Monday.
He added that Tryton was capable of performing 1.2 trillion calculations per second and it is ten times faster than its predecessor. Proficz also announced that Tryton\'s performance would certainly allow him to be included in the list of the world’s fastest computers, the so-called TOP 500 list, and perhaps Tryton would even make it to the first hundred. At this time, Tryton is the fastest Polish computer. However, it will hold this title only for the next few weeks, until AGH University of Science and Technology in Kraków launches its computer named Prometheus, with expected computational power of approx. 1.7 trillion operations per second.
Along with Tryton, Gdańsk University of Technology launched the university Centre of Excellence for Application Manufacturing Research Infrastructure (Centrum Doskonałości Naukowej Infrastruktury Wytwarzania Aplikacji, CD NIWA), through which researchers and students from Pomeranian universities will have access to the equipment. "We anticipate cooperation with local enthusiasts and businesses interested in creating all kinds of applications" - Proficz told PAP..
He added that - also as part of the CD NIWA activity - the equipment will be used in many fields, from physics and chemistry to medicine. He explained that the machine will be used, for example, to perform virtual experiments, which the computer can perform a lot cheaper and faster than in reality. "Virtual experiments do not require chemicals or special equipment, just a mathematical model of the experiments" - said Proficz.
As an example of the use of Tryton, Proficz named simulations carried out by pharmacists, related to testing new drugs, or analysis of images recorded during endoscopy. Tryton’s predecessor had been used, for example, to analyse recordings of gastrointestinal endoscopy. Computer would very quickly find the images that suggested the occurrence of adverse changes in the body. "Of course, in the final analysis would be carried out by the doctor, but - thanks to the initial selection made by the computer, it was a much easier task " - Proficz told PAP.
Supplier of the supercomputer for Gdańsk University of Technology was the consortium of Megatel and Action. The equipment was purchased with a grant awarded from the Innovative Economy Operational Programme 2007-2013 for investments related to the development of the IT infrastructure of science.
The value of the project amounted to 40 million zlotys, of which 30 million was the purchase of the computer, and the remaining 10 million - the work required for the Centre of Excellence, including the creation of platforms for the production of applications and building the team of specialists, who will advise CD NIWA partners.
PAP - Science and Scholarship in Poland
aks/ dym/ mrt/
tr. RL
