HPCN

A Tool for European and Chinese Users

Willy Weisz

Technische Universit‰t Wien, Computer Centre, and
VCPC, European Centre for Parallel Computing at Vienna

weisz@edvz.tuwien.ac.at

European Workshops on 

EU-China Industrial Co-operation Initiatives 
in 
High-Performance Computing and Networking

Pisa, June 16th, 1997
and
Abingdon, June 18th, 1997

A few questions:

HPCN?
Why HPCN?
Why HPCN in China?
Why European HPCN?
Why Sino-European HPCN?
•	Why for China?
•	Why for Europe?

HPCN?

HPC - High-Performance Computing

Traditional (rather expensive)
•	Single-processor computers
•	Vector computers
•	Multi-processor computers
•	Shared-memory computers
•	Distributed-memory computers
•	Individual processor nodes
•	Scalar (generally superscalar)
•	Vector
•	Scalar and vector
Distributed Computing
•	Networked servers (also expensive ones)
•	Networked workstations
•	Networked Pcs
•	Networked "all of them"
•	All working
•	on a single program run
•	in a co-ordinated way

New software
•	parallel and distributed applications
•	tools for parallelization and distribution

HPN - High-Performance Networking

Need for fast data transfer
•	for distributed computing
(communication is the bottleneck)
Need for high data-volume transfer
•	Web applications
•	commercial applications
•	less important in distributed computing
New technologies
•	fiber optics
•	ATM
•	SCI
Why HPCN?

•	Relatively cheap tool for technological development
•	Simulation 
•	gives faster results than physical (chemical, etc...) experiments
•	allows more playing with parameters
•	allows more thorough investigation
•	High performance multi-media applications
•	High data volumes transported over very long distances

Why HPCN in China?

•	Fast growing economy
•	High need to improve productivity
•	Exploding telecommunication demand
•	High investments in high-tech infrastructure
•	Need for information spreading in a huge country
•	Video on Demand
•	Education far away from teaching centres
•	High-performance Web Server
•	High demand for most advanced networking technologies
•	High demand for numerical modelling
•	environment and weather forecast
•	seismic and oil reservoir simulation
•	aviation and automotive design

Why European HPCN?

European HPCN =
European application user
+ European hardware provider
+ European software provider
+ European know-how provider 

•	Long-time HPCN users in Europe
•	automotive industry
•	national aviation industry
•	transnational aviation industry
•	oil reservoir simulation
•	environment and weather
•	chemical and pharmaceutical industry
•	mobile communication simulation
•	banking

•	Well-known HPCN software and know-how providers in Europe
•	Finite-element codes
•	Chemical modelling
•	Tools for parallelizing and distributing codes
•	Environment and weather modelling
•	HPCN hardware providers present, but less widely known than US or Japanese
•	Parallel computers
•	Networking for distributed processing
•	Generally more flexibility because smaller businesses
•	More easy discussions than with Japanese (cultural difference)
•	Experience in transnational co-operations thanks to EU programs

Why Sino-European HPCN?
•	New challenges due to
•	co-operation
•	new, sometimes unthought of problems
•	different approaches to problem solving
•	differences in applying technologies
•	different technological starting points
•	Applying existing technologies to new environments
•	Applying existing know-how to new technologies
•	Creating totally new HPCN approaches

Why for China?
•	Getting new technologies
•	Learning the European approach
•	US and Japanese HPCN culture already present
•	Developping HPCN usage in the industry
•	Tool for developping the industry inside the country (off the east coast region)
•	New possibilities to reach and teach people in rural areas and small towns 
•	Create a comprehensive HPCN industry in China

Why for Europe?
•	China is a huge market of the future
•	Population: 1.212 billion
•	GDP per capita	(1995): US $ 573
	(2000): US $ 1,300
•	GDP growth rate (1995): 12 to 13%
•	Fast growing middle class
•	more individuals with 
income > US $ 100 000 / year
than in any European country
•	New partners for product development
•	Operation within bigger dimensions
•	New approaches 
•	New applications
•	New products

What are the advantages for both?
•	Developping HPCN skills
•	Developping new intelligent products
•	Therefore more competitiveness in 
•	the booming Chinese market
•	the more crowded European market
•	other markets