Japan's Fugaku supercomputer released in virtual version that runs in AWS

Japan's RIKEN Center for Computational Science has unveiled a virtual version of its Fugaku supercomputer that can be deployed in AWS. The Fugaku supercomputer was crowned the most powerful computer in the world in 2020. The machine kept the title for a couple of years until overtaken in 2022 by Frontier – the first exascale …

[An_Old_Dog]

Supercomputer Service Pricing

I can't see any way a cloud-based supercomputer can be [absent (possibly illegal) (temporary) vendor subsidization] cheaper to use than its on-prem equivalent.

But hey -- beancounters and "OPEX vs CAPEX".

(Mine's the one with a copy of Ralph Grishman's blue book, "Assembly Language Programming for the Control Data 6000 and Cyber Series", along with a punched card deck of Gil Bachelor's library routines.)

[HuBo]

Re: Supercomputer Service Pricing

I hear you, but I think Riken's doing the right thing with this (and AWS), testing the waters for cloud-based HPC's potential. The DOE (for example) has opened up Frontier's post-exascale 'Discovery' successor to being cloud-based, if that turns out to be a better deal than an on-prem machine (to be assessed based on responses to the RFP), as discussed in TNP here, and in elReg here -- so there is interest in testing this out. In a sense, the Microsoft Azure Eagle machine, that is #3 on the current Top500, is a first datapoint suggesting that this may be feasible.

My question though is about performance: how does the virtual Fugaku perform in comparison to the physical original? Also, seeing how Graviton 3E has less vector oomph per CPU (128x 256-bit) than A64FX (96x 512-bit), but Graviton 4 bulk-matches it (384x 128-bit), and consumes half as much power as the 3E, wouldn't the Graviton 4 be a more compelling virtual wedding proposition for the cloudy Fugaku?

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Supercomputer Service Pricing

Perhaps it's a way of writing and testing the software before running it on an actual supercomputer? I'd kinda expect anything cloud-based to be slower than bare metal, but as a test bed it would make sense.

[Plest]

OT, why are there road cones around the kit in the article's photo? Surely if you want unauthorised people to stay away from $1bn worth of super computer you make sure the doors and man-traps are secure and working as the cones have a "velvet rope" vibe about them.

[Jan 0]

Photo? What photo?

[Anonymous Coward]

It's that retinal imprint of the last few things seen before the crash IMHO ... something about a velvet rope, ... and road cones ... ;)