Himeno / Hanamura: Peta-Scale Supercomputer Project in Japan and Challenges to Life and Human Simulation in Japan

Abstract. After two-year-long discussion, we are about starting the Peta-Scale Supercomputer project. The target performance is currently 10 Peta FLOPS for a few selected codes and one Peta FLOPS for major applications. It will start operation in March, 2011, and then its capability will be enlarged in 2011. Finally, it will be completed in March, 2012. The project will end in March, 2013.

This project includes two important items in software development: grid middleware and application software in Nano Science and Life Science. The development in grid middleware is planed because the supercomputer center which will operate the Peta-scale supercomputer is planed to provide services not for a specific institute nor application area like the Earth Simulator but for general uses as a national infrastructure. Nano and Life sciences are the major application area we are going to put emphases on as well as industrial applications.

We are start selecting the target applications to make a benchmark suit in various scientific and industrial applications. We are also discussing concept design and will finalize it in Summer, 2006. I will introduce the project plan and application area, especially in Life science, in detail at the conference.

About the speaker.

Ryutaro Himeno received his Doctor of Engineering degree from the University of Tokyo in 1988. In 1979, he joined Central Research Laboratories, Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., Yokosuka, Japan, where he has been engaged in the research of applying Computational Fluid Dynamics analysis to the car aerodynamic development. In 1998, he joined RIKEN (The Institute of Physical and Chemical Research) and is the director of Advanced Center for Computing and Communication and the Next Generation Supercomputer R&D Center at RIKEN. He is also a visiting Professor at Saitama University and the University of Tokyo. He currently studies curve balls in baseball games and blood flows of human bodies.

He was a winner of Nikkei Science, Computer Visualization Contest in 2000 and Scientific Visualization Contest in 1996, and received JSME Computational Mechanics Division Award in 1997 and JSME Youth Engineer Award in 1988. He was also awarded Paper Award by NICOGRAPH in 1993, Giga FLOPS Award by CRAY Research Inc. in 1990 and other awards.

Mitsuyasu Hanamura received his Doctor of Science degree (Computational Chemistry) from the University of Tohoku in 1983. In 1984, he joined System Engineering Division, Application System Department, NEC Co., Ltd., Tokyo, Japan, where he has been engaged in the research and development of mathematical libraries for NEC’s Supercomputer SX series. From 1991 to 1996, he worked at NEC Deutschland GmbH, Cologne, Germany to provide the technical support to automobile companies, aerospace companies and weather research institutes in Europe. In this summer (August, 2006), he joined RIKEN (The Institute of Physical and Chemical Research) and is the team leader of Application Software Team, the Development Group, the Next Generation Supercomputer R&D Center, Tokyo, Japan.