High Performance Computing (HPC) is a tool used across many disciplines for scientific discovery, academic research and drives innovation. Calculations which are too complex or datasets which are too large for a standard desktop computer or laptop require the use of the University’s HPC facility, Iridis.
Based at the University’s Research Data Centre, the Iridis facility, has been able to continuously support our research community by completing highly complex tasks within a matter of hours or days, transforming their research projects, and delivering results.
As part of the exciting £15 million five-year HPC refresh project, the University will be enhancing our HPC facilities by replacing one of two supercomputers, Iridis 4, with a brand-new compute cluster, Iridis 6. This facility will provide double the computing power and 3.5 times more storage, allowing our research community to process their computing requirements much more efficiently.
This significant investment, alongside funding for specialist Research Software Engineers and administrators, not only demonstrates our commitment to being a leader in the field of research but also provides a gateway to new supercomputing opportunities for the future. Aligning with the University’s Research Strategic Plan, it will help deliver world-class research capabilities for researchers as well as providing exciting opportunities for students to take their first steps on their research journey through individual and group projects.
Attend our launch event
To celebrate this remarkable new facility, we will be hosting an official launch event on Monday 13 May between 14:00 – 17:00 in the Garden Court on Highfield Campus. This event is open to any staff member or researcher who currently uses or is highly interested in using our HPC facilities for future research projects.
To book your space and for more event information, please visit the event SharePoint page.
Next steps
Over the next few weeks, we will be testing the new compute cluster, measuring performance abilities and reliability for research use.
Find out more
If you would like to find out more information, please visit the High Performance Computing project area or the dedicated research facility page on Iridis.