HPE to build advanced AI and supercomputing systems for U.S. department of energy

The U.S. Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) has selected HPE to construct two cutting-edge systems, Discovery and Lux, as part of efforts to elevate American AI and supercomputing capabilities.

Discovery, HPE's second-generation exascale supercomputer, will be the successor to ORNL’s Frontier. Collaboratively built by HPE and AMD, Discovery aims to enhance competencies in AI, HPC, and quantum computing. Using the latest HPE Cray Supercomputing GX5000 architecture, Discovery promises a tenfold increase in application productivity, aiding breakthroughs in precision medicine, nuclear energy, and more.

Lux, on the other hand, represents a state-of-the-art AI cluster designed to facilitate AI advancements and machine learning research with a scalable platform akin to cloud services. Researchers across the nation will gain cloud-like access to resources, enabling significant strides in AI training and inference.

Discovery builds upon the legacy of Frontier and integrates HPE's comprehensive solutions, drawn from over 50 years of Cray supercomputing innovation. The system boasts:

• Compact architecture, maximising performance while minimising space.
• A high-performance interconnect, HPE Slingshot, offering high-bandwidth, low-latency interactions.
• Advanced storage with the industry’s first HPC DAOS performance, offering 300% increased IOPS per storage rack.
• Innovative liquid cooling systems optimising energy use and cost-effectiveness.

The Lux system, which is based on the direct liquid-cooled HPE ProLiant Compute XD685, features AMD’s latest GPUs and CPUs. This configuration is specially crafted to boost adequacy in AI-centric processes, providing researchers with unparalleled resources for training and inferencing.

The construction of these supercomputers strengthens the strategic public-private partnership between HPE, ORNL, and the U.S. Department of Energy, catalysing scientific exploration that enhances national security, makes headway in foundational research, and solidifies U.S. leadership in global technology standards.

HPE’s efforts, alongside AMD's, signify a paradigm shift in merging AI and HPC technologies, underpinning potential advancements across a multitude of scientific realms, thereby fostering significant gains in scientific research and innovation.