Augusta University forms high-performance computing research cluster

Augusta University has invested $1 million in creation of the High-Performance Computing (HPC) Services Core, a joint university research initiative supported by Augusta University’s Division of Information Technology and the School of Computer and Cyber Sciences.

The formation of the HPC Services Core is an extension of a provost-initiated effort to assist researchers in accessing and using high-performance computing.

An HPC cluster consists of computer servers that are networked together, and each server is called a node. The nodes in each cluster work together to boost processing speed and deliver high-performance computing. This advanced computing can enable or accelerate research in many areas, including computer science, cybersecurity, basic sciences, health sciences, data science, artificial intelligence and others.

The creation of this core is a major investment meant to serve as a catalyst to the campus research community. Dr. Gagan Agrawal, the associate dean of research and graduate studies at the School of Computer and Cyber Sciences, will serve as the founding core director. The core will be supported by Lawrence Kearney and Mia Jolly in Augusta University’s research technologies division.

“This is an exciting development for Augusta University and I feel honored to be serving as the founding core director,’’ said Agrawal.

The goal of this new research core is to promote, enable and aid Augusta University’s research and cybersecurity missions by integrating leading-edge HPC technologies and services into enterprise service offerings. Systems providing these services will be available to researchers, faculty and staff of Augusta University across all scientific and academic disciplines.

The HPC cluster will have more than 1 petabyte of storage, which is equivalent to 1,000 terabytes. Data storage of various sizes will be available to cluster users, however the cluster only provides support for unclassified data processing.

“I am thrilled to see this important research cluster come to fruition with a first-class computer scientist in Dr. Agrawal leading the charge,” said Dr. Michael Diamond, senior vice president for research at Augusta University. “This new offering will be a major asset to Augusta University’s research enterprise, providing researchers leading-edge technologies and services to further their work.”

Researchers interested in participating can learn more about the cluster.