# Presentation: 763724

**STRATEGY FOR SSI**
**C. William McCurdy**
**Associate Laboratory Director**

## VENDOR INPUT

**Six vendors were contacted for estimates**
**10 TFlops peak system in FY00**
**40 TFlops peak system in FY 04**
**Balance requested was between **
**1 flop, 1 byte memory and 10 Bytes of disk**
**1 flop, .25 byte memory and 2.5 bytes of disk**
**Information provided under existing NDA’s with LBNL**
**Provided outline of system and parameters **
**System balances, cost estimates, facilities specifications**

## System Summary

**All systems are SMPs and multiple single system images**
**Smallest is a 16 processor SMP block**
**Largest is a 1024 processor SMP block**

## SYSTEM RATIOS

**NERSC supports the entire range of possible SSI applications, including Climate and Combustion **
**NERSC currently has a system ratio of**
**1 flop, .25 bytes of memory, 7 bytes of disk and 200 bytes of archive**
**Price sensitivity related to system balance **
**Memory cost very variable**
**Archive costs dependent on ratio and expectations of technology**

## Vendor Response Summary

**Parameters for Computational system only**
**SSI-1 - Computational System Estimates**
**10 TFlops, FY 00**
**	****	****Memory****	****Disk****	**** Cost/Flop ****	****Size****	****Power**
**	****	****Bytes/Flop****	****Bytes/Flop****	****      $****	****SF****	****MW**
**Minimum****	**** .05****	****   5****	****   11.80****	**** 4,096****	****  1.1**
**Average****	**** .23****	****   9****	****   22.14****	**** 8,264****	****  2.5**
**Maximum****	****1.00****	****  15****	****   50.00 ****	****10,716****	****  5.3**

**SSI-2 - Computational System Estimates**
**40 TFlops, FY 04**
- 	Memory	Disk	 Cost/Flop 	Size	Power
- 	Bytes/Flop	Bytes/Flop	      $	SF	MW
**Minimum****	****  .10****	****   5****	****    3.51****	**** 4,096****	****  1.1**
**Average****	****  .26****	****   9****	****    8.81****	****11,575****	****  4.0**
**Maximum****	**** 1.03****	****  15****	****   20.00 ****	****15,115****	****  6.0**

## BEST ACQUISITION BUDGET

**TFlop-Years is a figure of merit that is useful**
**Vendors estimated peak performance for production (not research) quality computing**
**Several vendors indicate **
**Significant price/performance improvements are likely in FY03**
**The 10 TFlops goal in FY 00 is aggressive and will be costly**

## SSI-1 = 10 TF IN FY 00, SSI-2 = 40 TF IN FY 04, ASSUMING 30% DISCOUNT

- Figure of Merit - .49 TFlop-years/$M

## SSI-1 = 5 TF IN FY00 , SSI-2 = 20 TFIN FY 04, ASSUMING 30% DISCOUNT

- Figure of Merit - .59 TFlop-years/$M

## SSI-1 = 10 TF IN FY 00, SSI-2 = 40 TF IN FY03, ASSUMING 30% DISCOUNT

- Figure of Merit - .67 TFlop-years/$M

## OTHER COMPONENTS

**Archive Storage**
**SSI-1 use **
**twice NERSC ratio  - 200 bytes per flop**
**Use 100 GB tapes**
**Use $.20/MB for high performance disk prices**
**SSI-2 use **
**twice NERSC ratio of 200 bytes per flop**
**Use combination of 100 and 1,000  GB tapes**
**Use $.10/MB for high performance disk prices**
**Maintenance is 10% of hardware and software costs per year**
**Additional staffing for SSI is 30 FTE.**
**24 by 7 operations, systems and storage management, security, server support, consulting, training, algorithm support, etc.**

## SUGGESTED SCENARIO

**Best strategy is a 5 TFLOP initial system****and acquire the 40 TFlop system in FY 03**
**Allows for algorithm development and system ****improvement during the first three years, and then major production when the price performance dramatically improves**
**Facilities feasible for FY00 equipment arrival**
**Scenario budget - FY 98 dollars**

## SUMMARY

**SSI-1 - FY 00**
**5 TFlops peak**
**1.25 TB memory**
**45 TB on-line disk**
**2,000 TB archive**

**SSI-2 - FY 03**
**40 TFlop peak**
**8 TB memory**
**400 TB on-line disk**
**8 TB archive**