Supermicro, a Seagate Cloud Builder Alliance partner, was recently recognized for the contributions that its server technologies have made to green energy initiatives. Supermicro’s appliances have been noted for their strong performance and uptime, as well as their high energy efficiency and innovative cooling mechanisms.
A Tokyo Institute of Technology supercomputer called TSUBAME-KFC recently topped the Green500 list, which has been published annually since 2005. The machine is built with components from several leading vendors, including NVIDIA, Supermicro and NEC Japan. More specifically, it includes a Supermicro 1U 4x GPU SuperServer for optimal performance per watt and higher density.
“Supermicro is pleased to contribute our energy efficient server designs and technology expertise to green supercomputing projects around the world,” stated Supermicro president and CEO Charles Liang. “The #1 Green500 ranked TSUBAME-KFC highlights the effectiveness of our 1U four GPU SuperServer to maximize compute density and performance per watt, per square foot. Collaborative efforts within the supercomputing industry will have lasting impact for future generations. Recognition by the Green500 gives us incentive to further innovate with higher energy efficiency supercomputing solutions to lower our customers’ TCO and protect our Mother Earth.”
The TSUBAME-KFC can produce a world-record 4.5 gigaflops per watt, being the first supercomputer to have ever crossed the 4-gigaflop barrier. The Supermicro 1U 4x GPU SuperServer’s configuration includes two Intel Xeon E5-2620 v2 processors, four NVIDIA Tesla K20X GPU Accelerators and a 120GB SSD. It also has 64GB of DDR3-1600 SDRAM and 56 Gbps InfiniBand. The supercomputer’s servers are cooled with a special oil-based bath.
A NVIDIA blog post highlighted the stakes of energy-efficient supercomputing. In addition to reducing energy bills and carbon footprints, greener machines will be important to conducting data-intensive research on weather, climate and pharmaceuticals.
