Innovation for Science and Society
High Performance Computing (HPC) at RWTH Aachen University plays a crucial role in creating a powerful HPC-ecosystem for simulation science by supporting the development of scalable algorithms and software. This ecosystem is of central importance for innovation in business and society. Supported by projects such as JARA and NHR, in particular the National High Performance Computing Center for Computational Engineering Science (NHR4CES), RWTH Aachen University strives to provide a world-class infrastructure to run HPC applications in a scalable and efficient way and to process large amounts of data securely and quickly.
CLAIX - The Heart of the Computing Infrastructure
At the heart of this ecosystem is the IT Center's Aix-la-Chapelle cluster (CLAIX), which comprises various expansion stages. CLAIX-2023 was commissioned in 2023 with state-of-the-art technology such as Intel Xeon Sapphire Rapids processors and NVIDIA H100 accelerators. This enables the execution of a wide range of applications ranging from engineering to artificial intelligence and machine learning.
The RWTH also operates part of the infrastructure of the AI Service Center WestAI, which is funded by the BMBF, and this part is integrated into CLAIX. The resulting computing time contingent is available for all activities in the project. In addition, the RWTH offers the state of NRW a computing time contingent as part of the Tier-3 supply.
Research, Consulting and Training
In addition to hardware, RWTH Aachen University also offers a wide range of high-performance computing services. These include consulting, in particular the performance analysis and improvement of applications, training in the field of high-performance computing and parallel programming, and a wide range of support in the use of CLAIX. The aim of these services is to support researchers in their scientific fields of application and to promote the efficient use of the HPC system.
Research at the Chair of High Performance Computing (Computer Science 12)
HPC research on parallel programming and performance tools is carried out at the Chair of High Performance Computing (HPC) / Computer Science 12 in the Department of Computer Science, which is closely linked to the IT Center. The HPC group's research includes performance and correctness analysis of parallel programs as well as research into energy efficiency, programmability and total cost of ownership. Through collaborations and projects, best practices in HPC and research data management are combined to drive technological advances.
Computing Time for Research: Access and Support
NHR4CES, as part of the Association for National High Performance Computing (NHR), plays a crucial role in providing computing capacities for researchers at German universities. The NHR Association offers a coordinated consulting service for methodological expertise in high-performance scientific computing. The aim is to help scientists at German universities to apply for computing capacity in order to strengthen their ability to use this resource efficiently.