Flytech and HPCNow! install an HPC cluster based on BrightComputing software at the University of Vigo

Barcelona, 24 November 2020

Last December 2019, the Spanish company Flytech won a public tender for the turnkey supply of a High Performance Computing (HPC) cluster for the Industrial Technology Module (MTI) of the University of Vigo (Vigo, Spain).

The project, developed by Flytech with the collaboration of the HPCNow! company, is a pioneer in Spain since it is the first time that a supercomputer is installed inside a freight container, which brings together all the systems to be a state-of-the-art data center.

The cluster, currently in full production, is located outside the MTI and is made up of 42 multi-processor nodes with graphic accelerators (GPUs) and a series of selected software tools, making it extremely easy to use and manage.

Access to the supercomputer is via desktop virtualization technology (VDI), which breaks up the desktop environment from your applications. Nice DCV VDI was used for this purpose.

Cluster management is carried out using Bright Cluster Manager software from Bright Computing, Inc. Bright Computing has developed a user-friendly software solution that allows the automation of cluster deployment and unified cluster management. Its Bright Cluster Manager software eliminates complexity and enables total flexibility.

The cluster installed at the University of Vigo uses BeeGFS, a parallel file system that is developed and optimized for supercomputing needs. For reasons of scalability and flexibility, BeeGFS is based on a highly efficient distributed metadata architecture, the most important aspect of which is data performance.

Flytech is a leading company with more than 30 years of experience in the design, implementation, and maintenance of the best infrastructure solutions for companies. Its portfolio has a large number of High Performance Computing systems in production, both nationally and internationally. As the first wholesaler that introduced Supermicro in Spain more than 25 years ago, Flytech has counted on the manufacturer for the development of the solution for the HPC cluster together with Intel and NVIDIA, of which it holds the titles of Intel Technology Provider Platinum HPC Data Center Specialist and NVIDIA Preferred Partner.

On the other hand, HPCNow! is a consulting company with extensive, solid, and recognized experience in the field of HPC, providing its clients with solutions and technologies to deal with the most complex HPC problems. The company has experts in various fields, capable of providing services and solutions that cover multiple areas such as cluster design, supercomputer management, and user support. The company’s core values are a deep understanding of the most advanced HPC technologies, along with extensive customer and user support experience.