{"id":1576,"date":"2013-04-01T13:40:06","date_gmt":"2013-04-01T17:40:06","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.nccomputertech.com\/?p=1576"},"modified":"2013-04-01T13:40:06","modified_gmt":"2013-04-01T17:40:06","slug":"worlds-top-supercomputer-from-09-is-now-obsolete-will-be-dismantled","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/2013\/04\/01\/worlds-top-supercomputer-from-09-is-now-obsolete-will-be-dismantled\/","title":{"rendered":"World\u2019s top supercomputer from \u201809 is now obsolete, will be dismantled"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Five years ago, an IBM-built supercomputer designed to model the decay of the US nuclear weapons arsenal was clocked at speeds no computer in the history of Earth had ever reached. At more than one quadrillion floating point operations per second (that’s a million billion, or a “petaflop”), the aptly-named Roadrunner was so far ahead of the competition that it earned the #1 slot on the Top 500 supercomputer list in June 2008, November 2008, and one last time in June 2009.
\nToday, that computer has been declared obsolete and it’s being taken offline. Based at the US Department of Energy’s Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico, Roadrunner will be studied for a while and then ultimately dismantled. While the computer is still one of the 22 fastest in the world, it isn’t energy-efficient enough to make the power bill worth it.
\n“During its five operational years, Roadrunner, part of the National Nuclear Security Administration\u2019s Advanced Simulation and Computing (ASC) program to provide key computer simulations for the Stockpile Stewardship Program, was a workhorse system providing computing power for stewardship of the US nuclear deterrent, and in its early shakedown phase, a wide variety of unclassified science,” Los Alamos lab said in an announcement Friday.
\nCosting more than $120 million, Roadrunner’s 296 server racks covering 6,000 square feet were connected with InfiniBand and contained 122,400 processor cores. The hybrid architecture used IBM PowerXCell 8i CPUs (an enhanced version of the Sony PlayStation 3 processor) and AMD Opteron dual-core processors. The AMD processors handled basic tasks, with the Cell CPUs “taking on the most computationally intense parts of a calculation\u2014thus acting as a computational accelerator,” Los Alamos wrote.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Los Alamos National Laboratory
\n“Although other hybrid computers existed, none were at the supercomputing scale,” Los Alamos said. “Many doubted that a hybrid supercomputer could work, so for Los Alamos and IBM, Roadrunner was a leap of faith\u2026 As part of its Stockpile Stewardship work, Roadrunner took on a difficult, long-standing gap in understanding of energy flow in a weapon and its relation to weapon yield.”
\nRoadrunner lost its world’s-fastest title in November 2009 to Jaguar, another Department of Energy supercomputer combining AMD Opterons with Cray processors. Jaguar hit 1.76 petaflops to take the title, and it still exists as part of an even newer cluster called Titan. Titan took the top spot in the November 2012 supercomputers list with a speed of 17.6 petaflops.
\nSupercomputing researchers are now looking toward exascale speeds\u20141,000 times faster than a petaflop\u2014but major advances in energy efficiency and price-performance are necessary.
\nPetaflop machines aren’t automatically obsolete\u2014a petaflop is still speedy enough to crack the top 25 fastest supercomputers. Roadrunner is thus still capable of performing scientific work at mind-boggling speeds, but has been surpassed by competitors in terms of energy efficiency. For example, in the November 2012 ratings Roadrunner required 2,345 kilowatts to hit 1.042 petaflops and a world ranking of #22. The supercomputer at #21 required only 1,177 kilowatts, and #23 (clocked at 1.035 petaflops) required just 493 kilowatts.
\n“Future supercomputers will need to improve on Roadrunner\u2019s energy efficiency to make the power bill affordable,” Los Alamos wrote. “Future supercomputers will also need new solutions for handling and storing the vast amounts of data involved in such massive calculations.”
\nAfter Roadrunner is shut off today, researchers will spend a month doing experiments on “operating system memory compression techniques for an ASC relevant application, and optimized data routing to help guide the design of future capacity cluster computers.” After that, the cluster will finally be dismantled, the end of the world’s first petaflop supercomputer.
\nvia World\u2019s top supercomputer from \u201809 is now obsolete, will be dismantled | Ars Technica<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Five years ago, an IBM-built supercomputer designed to model the decay of the US nuclear weapons arsenal was clocked at […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[3,10],"tags":[498,909,1050],"class_list":["post-1576","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-hardware","category-technology","tag-ibm","tag-roadrunner","tag-supercomputer"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/papNkV-pq","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":9428,"url":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/2018\/10\/28\/all-the-presidents-phones-this-week-in-tech-690\/","url_meta":{"origin":1576,"position":0},"title":"All the President’s Phones – This Week in Tech 690","author":"NCCT","date":"October 28, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"https:\/\/youtu.be\/pmfcU05twvo IBM buys Red Hat, worst Windows 10 ever, Right to Repair wins, and more. -- What's in store for Apple's big event this Tuesday? -- Tim Cook vs the \"data industrial complex\" -- Amazon's government controversies -- IBM buys Red Hat for $34 billion - the largest software purchase\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Apple"","block_context":{"text":"Apple","link":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/category\/apple\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/img.youtube.com\/vi\/pmfcU05twvo\/0.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":9366,"url":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/2018\/06\/10\/this-week-in-tech-670-go-theranos-or-go-home\/","url_meta":{"origin":1576,"position":1},"title":"This Week in Tech 670: Go Theranos or Go Home","author":"NCCT","date":"June 10, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"https:\/\/youtu.be\/jCxygSzkfL4 --A New Tech Manifesto by Baratunde: how to reinvent social media to improve all our lives. --Apple's WWDC announcements: Screen Time restores balance to your life, memojis avoid the uncanny valley, ARKit 2 might (might) actually have usefull apps, Siri Shortcuts might (might) make Siri useful, macOS Mojave makes\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Apple"","block_context":{"text":"Apple","link":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/category\/apple\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/img.youtube.com\/vi\/jCxygSzkfL4\/0.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":9655,"url":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/2021\/03\/09\/fuquay-varina-and-holly-springs-computer-repair\/","url_meta":{"origin":1576,"position":2},"title":"Fuquay Varina and Holly Springs Computer Repair","author":"NCCT","date":"March 9, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Welcome to our blog. NC Computer Tech services Fuquay Varina, Holly Springs, and surrounding NC areas. We offer prompt, professional, courteous service with over twenty years of experience dealing with residential and small business clients offering them solutions and fixing their computer and network issues at reasonable rates. Our services\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Technology"","block_context":{"text":"Technology","link":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/category\/technology\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":9393,"url":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/2018\/08\/19\/this-week-in-tech-680-hacky-hack-hack\/","url_meta":{"origin":1576,"position":3},"title":"This Week in Tech 680: Hacky Hack Hack","author":"NCCT","date":"August 19, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"https:\/\/youtu.be\/7ClMz3MkTJk This Week in Tech Elon's Twitter addiction, $1200 iPhone XS+, Movie Pass Fail, Pai's lie, and more. --Leave Elon alone! Tesla tumbles after Musk laments his \"most difficult and painful year.\" --Google employees revolt over China rumors; town hall meeting shut down due to \"kerfuffle\" tweets. --Apple thinks that\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Technology"","block_context":{"text":"Technology","link":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/category\/technology\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/img.youtube.com\/vi\/7ClMz3MkTJk\/0.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":9812,"url":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/2024\/11\/08\/slow-and-steady-m4-macbook-pro-apple-q424-pixelmator\/","url_meta":{"origin":1576,"position":4},"title":"Slow and Steady – M4 MacBook Pro, Apple Q424, Pixelmator","author":"NCCT","date":"November 8, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"https:\/\/youtu.be\/etW5-oInyGA As expected following the end of last week's MacBreak Weekly, Apple announced the new M4, M4 Pro, and M4 Max MacBook Pros. Jason recaps the results of Apple's Q424. And Apple acquires Pixelmator. \u2022 Early Apple M4 Pro and M4 Max benchmarks hint at a massive performance boost. \u2022\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Apple"","block_context":{"text":"Apple","link":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/category\/apple\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/img.youtube.com\/vi\/etW5-oInyGA\/0.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":9434,"url":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/2018\/11\/19\/big-boy-easy-bake-oven-this-week-in-tech-693\/","url_meta":{"origin":1576,"position":5},"title":"Big Boy Easy Bake Oven – This Week in Tech 693","author":"NCCT","date":"November 19, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"https:\/\/youtu.be\/UZTkCVjGjWQ - Facebook's latest crisis is... its reaction to its last crisis. - Waymo plans a driverless car service. - Amazon announces its new headquarters in Queens and North Virginia. - Google's \"smart city\" in Toronto gets some pushback. - Julian Assange has been charged with... something? - SpaceX gets\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Technology"","block_context":{"text":"Technology","link":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/category\/technology\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/img.youtube.com\/vi\/UZTkCVjGjWQ\/0.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1576","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1576"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1576\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1576"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1576"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1576"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}