The Confluence of Traditional Scientific Disciplines with
Heterogeneous Computing
Live Q&A session will immediately follow

Abstract: The current National Science Foundation solicitation for a leadership class computing system lists 34 exemplary research challenges for high performance computing. These challenges are noteworthy for how many involve more than one scientific discipline and will require heterogeneous computing; i.e., simulations spanning multiple time and length scales, linking of data-intensive and compute-intensive computational tasks, and multi-modal analysis of large complex data sets. I will discuss the implications of this disciplinary and computational heterogeneity for hardware and software design, and for the development and utilization of human capital, using problems posed by molecular biology and nanotechnology as examples.

Speaker:
Eric Jakobsson, Ph.D.
Professor, Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Director, National Center for the Design of Biomimetic Nanoconductors
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Data-Driven Science and Cyberinfrastructure
Live Q&A session will immediately follow

Abstract: Scientific instruments that transform phenomena in the physical world into digital data and computer simulations of scientific experiments have created a data-driven revolution in the sciences. Scientists have moved from data-starved environments to conditions where research communities are drowning in data. An ongoing census of all pulsars in the Milky Way at the Arecibo Observatory will create about 1 petabyte of data over the next four years. The Cornell Computational Agriculture Initiative is developing high-resolution climate data on a daily basis. Support for these projects will require a comprehensive cyberinfrastructure.

Panelists will discuss how high performance computing is essential to their research, with specific examples from data-driven projects such as the international pulsar project, or PALFA Consortium, based on data collected from the Arecibo Observatory, and the Cornell Computational Agriculture Initiative, as well as how the Cornell Theory Center is developing, implementing and maintaining a cyberinfrastructure to support their research and the plethora of large data sets it generates.

Discussion Topics/Panelists:
The International Pulsar Project
James Cordes, Ph.D.
Professor of Astronomy
Cornell University

Computational Agriculture
Harold Mathijs Van Es, Ph.D.
Professor, Crop and Soil Sciences
Cornell University

Microbial Ecology
John Bunge, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Department of Statistical Science
Cornell University

Moderator:
Johannes Gehrke, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Dept. of Computer Science
Associate Director, Cornell Theory Center
Cornell University

Application Programming Frameworks
Gabrielle Allen, Ph.D.
Assistant Director for Computing Applications
Center for Computation & Technology
Louisiana State University

Data Challenges for Complex Applications
Tevfik Kosar, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Center for Computation & Technology
Louisiana State University

Future Systems: Architecture and Use
Thomas Sterling, Ph.D.
Professor, Center for Computation & Technology
Louisiana State University

Visualization and Interaction Tools
Brygg Ullmer, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Center for Computation & Technology
Louisiana State University

Moderator:
Edward Seidel, Ph.D.
Director, Center for Computation & Technology
Louisiana State University

High Performance Grid Computing: Case Studies and Applications
Live Q&A session will immediately follow

Abstract: Grid computing and Grid infrastructures are becoming increasingly popular in science and industry. Grid middleware integrates distributed computing and data resources into one virtual IT infrastructure for resource providers and resource consumers. In this presentation, two grid use cases, which help to understand the advantages and differences of HPC versus IT Service Grids, have been selected: the DEISA Distributed European Infrastructure for Supercomputing Applications and the German D-Grid infrastructure for services for science and industry. Details are presented about infrastructure, services, and applications. Finally, I will compare strengths, benefits and lessons learned for the two grids and offer recommendations.

Speaker:
Wolfgang Gentzsch, Ph.D.
Adjunct Professor Duke University Durham and University Charlotte, NC
Visiting Scientist Renaissance Computing Institute at UNC Chapel Hill
Director D-Grid and Open Grid Forum

Make the Most of What You Buy by Assessing Cluster Performance
Live Q&A session will immediately follow Speaker: