This project focuses on the upgrade of an existing computing cluster, Virgo-2, with Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) capability. The upgraded cluster, Virgo-3, will enhance the computational infrastructure of the Distributed Computing Laboratory (DCL) at the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP), as well as increasing access to HPC resources by UTEP researchers.
Virgo-3 will be utilized by researchers to exploit the potential parallelism that exists in their computational workloads. The GPUs in Virgo-3 will significantly increase the research productivity of UTEP researchers, which will lead to more rapid discoveries in areas such as cardio-visualization and communication networks. A finite element model of the heart, as well as the human torso, can be analyzed more efficiently using GPUs as a result of the inherent data-level parallelism. This more efficient finite element analysis will accelerate the work of UTEP researchers to advance the field of electrocardiography. GPUs can also be used to provide cost effective speedup for discrete event simulation to improve the productivity of communication networks research, where forty percent of computation time for discrete event simulation is consumed by updates to the future event list. This research will explore the utilization of GPUs to speedup future event list manipulation. Additionally, Virgo-3 will be available to other researchers, so that they can utilize the benefits of distributed computing in their research activities.
Finally, this project will have broad-based impact through summer computer camps that are targeted to underrepresented minority pre-college students in the El Paso, Texas region.
Key outcomes are reported in relation to stated objectives: (1) augment an existing computing cluster added 12 Nvidia Tesla C2070 GPGPU to the Virgo cluster added new power supplies and enclosures to accommodate the GPGPUs increased main memory capacity of the twelve nodes to 32 GB installed drivers on upgraded nodes documented GPGPU installation process in a tutorial format (2) mentor students 13 students supported (direct or leveraged funding) 12 Hispanic student participants 3 female students finished Ph.D., one finished M.S., and one is still on-track with Ph.D.) 6 Ph.D. degrees completed 3 M.S. degrees completed (3) promote the use of this computing cluster and to develop tutorial materials on parallel computing DCL website (www.dcl.ece.utep.edu/) documents Virgo 3 design lists software tools available on Virgo 3 online form to request Virgo 3 access for any researcher interested in using it added instructional materials, such as material on parallel computing architectures and programming methodologies to help those not in computing disciplines to understand the parallel computing resources available (4) engage pre-college students via outreach activities institutionalized "Computers" module in Summer Camps added a Robotics theme to one of the camps (see photo) added a Camp WIN (Women In eNgineering) to attract girls into STEM (and more specifically CISE) areas 53 girls participated in WIN Camp (see photo) ~900 pre-college students reached, ~300 per year, in all camps
