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DATA INTENSIVE SERVICE
(LEICESTER)

DATA INTENSIVE at leicester (dial)

The Data Intensive Service offered by DiRAC encompasses a range of hardware options tailored to projects spanning all our research domains. Its primary aim is to facilitate scientific discovery by significantly enhancing our capacity to manage and process large datasets. This includes conducting and analysing precise theoretical simulations and comparing them with the latest observational and experimental data. To effectively support such diverse workflows, the Data Intensive Service employs a heterogeneous mix of computing architectures, which are distributed across two DiRAC sites: Cambridge and Leicester.
 
System name: DIaL3
 
In addition to standard nodes with up to 512 GB of RAM, the Leicester service also provides access to a set of nodes with higher memory (up to a maximum of 3TB). All nodes access the same tightly-coupled parallel file system, allowing workflows to use both regular nodes and higher-memory nodes seamlessly.
 
Leicester also led DiRAC’s exploration of alternatives to x86-based CPU processor technologies. Hosting an Arm-based GPU cluster permitting testing of DiRAC workflows on this technology.
 
The benchmark codes used for the design and testing of the DIaL system were:
 
TROVE – a state of the art code for calculating molecular line lists, requiring the diagonalisation of enormous O(106×106) matrices. Workflows exploit the large memory nodes. Results are used to interpret spectra from extrasolar planets, in particular to look for signs of water or life.
 
RAMSES – a large-scale cosmological simulation code, used to study the complex processes driving galaxy evolution, including the growth of supermassive black holes and the role of magnetic fields.  
 
SphNG – a code to simulate star formation as realistically as possible.

DATA INTENSIVE 3

THE DATA INTENSIVE 3 SYSTEM COMPRISES:

  • 25,600 AMD CORES RUNNING AT 2.25/3.4GHz
  • 102TB OF SYSTEM MEMORY
  • 200Gbps HDR IB 3:1 BLOCKING INTERCONNECT
    4PB FILE SPACE


EACH OF THE STANDARD 197 COMPUTE NODES HAS:

  • 2 * AMD EPIC ROME 7742 CPUs EACH WTH 64 CORES, GIVING 128 CORES PER NODE, RUNNING AT 2.25/3.4GHz
  • 512GB OF SYSTEM MEMORY, GIVING 4GB PER CPU CORE
  • 200Gbps HDR IB INTERCONNECT, 3:1 blocking

3 LARGE MEMORY NODES HAVE:

  • 2 * AMD EPYC 9535 CPUS EACH WITH 64 Cores, GIVING 128 CORES PER NODE


2 OF THE LARGE MEMORY NODES HAVE:

  • 1.5TB OF SYSTEM MEMORY, GIVING 12GB PER CPU CORE


1 OF THE LARGE MEMORY NODES HAS:

  • 3TB OF SYSTEM MEMORY, GIVING 24GB PER CPU CORE


2 LOGIN NODES HAVE:

  • 2 * AMD EPYC 7502 EACH WITH 32 CORES
  • 256GB OF SYSTEM MEMORY
SITE SPECIFIC USER GUIDE

Our site specific user guide, hosted by The University of Leicester, contains a full user guide for the DIaL system

DATA MANAGEMENT PLAN

SCIENCE ON DATA INTENSIVE SERVICE (LEICESTER)