Huawei cluster based on ARM architecture created at Siberian Supercomputer Center SB RAS

2021: Using an ARM-based Huawei cluster

On April 16, 2021 Huawei Russia , it announced that Institute of Computational Mathematics and Mathematical Geophysics, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences (IVMiMG) in the Collective Use Center Siberian Supercomputer Center SB RAS "(SSKC) "as a result of a joint project, a cluster of servers Taishan 2280 based on the architecture ARM from 920 was deployed. Kunpeng processors Scientists of IVMiMG together with the company Huawei took another step towards building a collective computing infrastructure of scientific organizations Novosibirsk of Akademgorodok - one of the scientific and centers. educational Russia

Demonstration of the cluster during a visit to IVMiMG by a delegation of representatives of Huawei led by Mr. Liu Yu, Director of the Department of Intelligent Computing of Huawei in Russia

Specifically for this project, the Huawei high-performance computing laboratory was created - CO RAS at IVMiMG. For four months, employees tested the possibility of using Huawei equipment based on the ARM architecture for use in high-performance computing-related knowledge-intensive software shells. The cluster uses Kunpeng 920 processors with a total performance of 2995.2 Gflops, as well as. operating system OpenEuler

During the project, scientific computing programs were adapted from the x86 architecture to ARMv8.2, such as:

• PARMONC is a library for implementing distributed numerical statistical modeling technology on massively parallel computing systems;
• ELSHOW is a program for numerical statistical modeling of the development of electronic avalanches in gas on massive parallel computing systems.

Testing has shown that in a number of scenarios ARM servers can fully compete with solutions based on the x86 architecture. The implementation of such projects contributes to the introduction and development of innovative technologies in scientific research.

The next step should be to optimize programs taking into account the characteristics of the ARM architecture. To implement typical computing operations, according to Huawei experts, it is advisable to use the Huawei mathematical library, which contains highly efficient (taking into account the platform architecture) mathematical procedures.

Low-power chips based on the ARM architecture are installed in most sold as of April 2021 smartphones and. tablet computers There is growing interest in using this architecture in server solutions, although it was previously believed that its main field of application is mobile chips.

As companies have to wonder about the energy efficiency of their computing, the option of using processors with a large number of cost-effective computing cores is becoming more attractive.

The Huawei project - SB RAS at IVMiMG showed that the ARM architecture, effective in terms of energy consumption, can serve as the basis for building supercomputers necessary for scientific research.

We expect to create a joint laboratory with Huawei, in order to build a connecting chain between the company's solutions and the scientific developments of the institutes of Novosibirsk Academgorodok, said Mikhail Marchenko, director of IVMiMG.

The project showed the high efficiency of scientists on Huawei equipment. We hope for further expansion of cooperation with scientific organizations of Russia, noted Liu Yu, director of Huawei's intelligent computing department in Russia.