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Jan Blommaart, IBM Netherlands. June 2006

The LOFAR Experience and its relevance to future radio astronomy projects Next Generation Correlators for Radio Astronomy and Geodesy . Jan Blommaart, IBM Netherlands. June 2006. IBM BlueGene/L in Groningen for LOFAR. LOFAR network.

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Jan Blommaart, IBM Netherlands. June 2006

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  1. The LOFAR Experience and its relevance to future radio astronomy projects Next Generation Correlators for Radio Astronomy and Geodesy Jan Blommaart, IBM Netherlands. June 2006

  2. IBM BlueGene/L in Groningen for LOFAR LOFAR network

  3. ASTRON and IBM have developed a partnership that started with the LOFAR project • We have delivered the BlueGene platform for correlator functions and filters. • We have started a lot of discussions and we have developed ideas on other projects like SKADS, SKA, JIVE….. • Radio astronomy is still relative new to IBM: we need your extreme requirements to push the limits

  4. It all started in May 2002 • May 2002, first contacts between ASTRON and IBM • 2002/2003, in depth meetings every 2 months, focus on application and requirements • September 2003, workshop at IBM Research, discuss BlueGene as a potential solution • November 2003, Dutch government agrees on grant for LOFAR (BSIK) • February 2004, agreement between ASTRON and IBM (SIGN) • April 2005, inauguration of LOFAR BlueGene/L system (STELLA) • June 2006, all specs achieved(?), still need final proof from ASTRON/LOFAR test group • 2007/2008, LOFAR / BlueGene, EoR and …. ? SIGN IBM Research Req. Analysis Last (?) techn. I/O problem solved BSIK STELLA start 2003 2006 2002 2004 2005 Application development and testing Conclusion: We learned that these projects take time…..(and you already knew)

  5. 100 Pflops for low-bit operations? SKA Low power design Bipolar to CMOS transition

  6. IBM E&TS, IBM Research Supercomputer Power Efficiencies Focus on aggregate performance by using more chips with much less power for each Focus on single thread performance and peak speed, not power consumption

  7. There is an energy crisis now!

  8. The overall cost per performance must be an important factor for very large radio astronomy systems

  9. The overall increase of performance depends on many factors, that need to be discussed all

  10. The access to memory is a major constraint, it will get worse!

  11. The access to memory is a major constraint, it will get worse (cont’d)!

  12. Radio Astronomy will need to use parallel processing to the xtreme, Moore’s law alone will not help!. Here is why? So prepare and start now!

  13. So what did we learn: • Focus on requirements first: • Functional (application level) • Ops rate, Flops rate, External I/O, Internal I/O • Non-functional. • Power consumption, Power dissipation, Power density, Availability, , Maintenance,Software environment • Then discuss potential platforms/solutions • What might be done even better: • Simulations, cannot start early enough • Do not underestimate the size of the I/O problem… • Test, test, test, test

  14. IBM would like to extend the partnership that started with the LOFAR project…. • We have delivered the BlueGene platform for correlator functions and filters. • We have started a lot of discussions and we have developed ideas on other projects like SKADS, SKA, JIVE….. • Radio astronomy is still relative new to IBM: we need your extreme requirements to push the limits • Next generation correlator……?

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