Georgia Tech 'CellBuzz' Cluster in Production Use

Georgia Tech is one of the first universities to deploy the IBM BladeCenter QS20 Server for production use, through Sony-Toshiba-IBM (STI) Center of Competence for the Cell Broadband Engine (http://sti.cc.gatech.edu/) in the College of Computing at Georgia Tech. The QS20 uses the same ground-breaking Cell/B.E. processor appearing in products such as Sony Computer Entertainment’s PlayStation3 computer entertainment system, and Toshiba’s Cell Reference Set, a development tool for Cell/B.E. applications.

The Georgia Tech installation includes a cluster of 28 Cell/B.E. processors (14 blades) and supports the operation of Cell-optimized multi-core applications in areas such as digital content creation, gaming and entertainment, security, scientific and technical computing, biomedicine, and finance. Georgia Tech grants users access on the cluster to test drive the Cell/B.E. processor and support independent software vendors (ISVs) that develop products and tools for the Cell/B.E. processor. The Georgia Tech Cell/B.E. processor installation uses Altair Engineering’s PBS Professional job scheduling software that increases the utilization of the IBM Blade Center QS20.

“The Cell/B.E. processor represents the future of computing using heterogeneous multi-core processors, and we are proud to help drive the continued advancement of computationally-intensive applications that will directly impact the global growth of our industry and evolution of our society,” said David A. Bader, Associate Professor and Executive Director of High-Performance Computing in the College of Computing at Georgia Tech.

Accounts on the Georgia Tech CellBuzz Cluster can be requested by visiting the Georgia Tech – STI Cell/B.E. web page at http://sti.cc.gatech.edu/ and clicking on the “CellBuzz Cluster” link.

About the College of Computing at Georgia Tech

The College of Computing at Georgia Tech is a national leader in the research and creation of real-world computing breakthroughs that drive social and scientific progress. With its graduate program ranked 11th nationally by U.S. News and World Report, the College’s unconventional approach to education is pioneering the new era of computing by expanding the horizons of traditional computer science students through interdisciplinary collaboration and a focus on human centered solutions. For more information about the College of Computing at Georgia Tech, its academic divisions and research centers, please visit www.cc.gatech.edu .