In an intriguing juxtaposition, just 1.4 kilometers from the bustling Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona, a church stands as an unexpected hub for high-performance computing. This extraordinary fusion is none other than the renowned Barcelona Supercomputing Center (BSC), often hailed as the “World’s Most Aesthetically Pleasing High-Performance Computing Center,” making it a must-visit landmark for tech enthusiasts and a testament to Lenovo’s prowess in the industry.
Why place a high-performance computing center within a church? This decision, seemingly romantic, is rooted in pragmatic reasons. During the initial phase of cluster setup, there was only a tight window of 4 months for preparation, necessitating a spacious and suitable building for swift deployment. The Chapel Torre Girona church fit the criteria perfectly, with its lofty ceilings facilitating natural heat dissipation and its proximity to the project overseer, Catalonia’s Polytechnic University (UPC).
In 2004, through the collaborative efforts of the Spanish Ministry of Education, the local Catalan government, and UPC, this location was formally established as Spain’s National High-Performance Computing Center. BSC primarily focuses on solving applied scientific problems, spanning computer science, life sciences, earth sciences, air quality forecasting, and practical smart city applications.
A remarkable element of this church-based high-performance computing cluster is the meticulous selection of cable colors, employing traditional hues from Catalonia. Further adding to the intrigue is the significant contribution of Chinese technology, starting with Lenovo’s partnership with IBM in delivering the formidable MareNostrum 4 high-performance computer, boasting a peak performance of 11.15 petaflops.
In 2022, BSC and Lenovo inked a collaborative research agreement, planning to invest $7 million over three years in advancing high-performance computing across Spain and the European Union. Their joint endeavors encompass a wide range of areas, from precision medicine applications to chip design, sustainable high-performance computing, and data center development. The latest endeavor involves the installation of the cutting-edge MareNostrum 5 high-performance computer, with Lenovo playing a significant role in the process.
MareNostrum 5′s projected performance is set to place it among the top 20 on the current TOP500 list. Notably, MareNostrum 4 stands as one of the world’s most energy-efficient high-performance computing systems, benefiting significantly from Lenovo’s eco-friendly computing solutions.
This remarkable blend of ancient architecture and advanced technology underscores the innovative nature of high-performance computing. Lenovo’s commitment to pushing the boundaries of computing capabilities, both in China and internationally, is evident in the diverse collaborations and contributions they make. This convergence of technology, infrastructure, and energy efficiency is poised to shape the digital landscape’s future, and Lenovo’s role in this transformative journey is noteworthy, reflecting the company’s significant impact on the global computing arena.
Post time: Aug-04-2023
