NASA is installing a new IBM supercomputer to simulate climate and solar activity

The IBM computer will play a central role in developing methods for analyzing the rapidly increasing amounts of data accumulating at the space agency, as it is measured and collected both on Earth and in space missions and via satellites

IBM unveiled a new supercomputer, which will serve the scientists of the US space agency to conduct simulations that are expected to lead to a better understanding of climatic processes and changes in the weather, to the study of the relationship between the earth and the sun, and to the analysis of cosmic phenomena.

The IBM computer will play a central role in developing methods for analyzing the rapidly increasing amounts of data accumulating at the space agency, as it is measured and collected both on Earth and in space missions and via satellites.

The NASA Computation Center chose an IBM iDataPlex supercomputer in a cluster configuration, capable of performing 42 trillion calculation operations per second (42 teraflops). The computer combines 1,024 Intel Cassion processors, with four processing cores in each processor, together with a completely new architecture of IBM for the design of the system at the computer level, which enables a dramatic improvement in the utilization of energy and the reduction of cooling requirements.

Computational projects already running on NASA's older computer include analyzing climate change throughout the 21st century, re-analyzing weather observations received from satellites since 1979, building models of solar activity and its effects on weather and wireless communications, and complex simulations of Merger processes of black holes, and the creation of star systems.

The iDataPlex systems that were first revealed by IBM in April of this year are based on a completely new architecture that enables the construction of extremely high-performance computing clusters and the efficient and simple integration of a large number of processors and additional processing capabilities into existing computing centers. iDataPlex was specially designed in order to optimize the activity of data processing centers while saving energy and cooling requirements on the one hand - and ensuring ease of management and operational efficiency on the other. The systems are suitable for huge organizations and companies that need tens of thousands of servers.

As part of IBM's "big green" project, iDataPlex allows to maximize the processing power produced from each watt of electricity directed to the system. A unique heat exchanger that is integrated into the other door of the computer and uses a coolant that offers extremely high efficiency in heat dissipation, prevents the need for intensive cooling of the computer room - and allows the supercomputer to be operated even at normal room temperature. A single iDataPlex server in a 1U case in a regular base cabinet, offers five times more processing power than a regular server - and consumes 40% less electrical power.