French Atomic Energy Commission, CEA, picks Compaq`s Alpha Technology for Europe`s most powerful supercomputer

Compaq`s Alpha processing and Tru64 UNIX technology has been chosen by the French Atomic Energy Commission (CEA) to provide the engine behind Europe`s most powerful computer. The Alpha supercomputer will be over seven times more potent than Europe`s existing supercomputers, and capable of handling a mammoth five trillion operations per second. The Compaq Alpha supercomputer will use its 5 TeraFLOPS capacity, provided by over 2,000 Alpha processors, to sustain the reliability and safety of the French nuclear stockpile without new nuclear tests. Furthermore, this supercomputer will be made available to the wider scientific community for studies that complement the main mission of the machine, a part of the French development of the simulation programme.

Commenting on the news, Gerard van de Aast, vice president, Enterprise Solutions and Services Group, Compaq Computer Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) said:

"Compaq won this contract because it has the most scaleable, upgradable and easily managed system available on the market today. Alpha technology provides world-leading high-performance computing, at a competitive price, backed by a long-term partnership and further investment that the CEA demands."

This supercomputer will meet the numerical calculation needs of CEA for the next five years. In just one second Compaq`s Alpha supercomputer can do the work of 30,000 mathematicians working day and night for five years on their handheld calculators.

It is one of the key elements of the French simulation programme, aimed at ensuring the durability and safety of the country`s nuclear stockpile, following the end of nuclear tests. This complex challenge requires the huge processing power that Compaq can provide.

The total of 5 TeraFLOPS will be achieved by combining several Compaq supercomputers in the AlphaServer SC SuperComputer Series, utilising more than 2,000 64-bit Alpha processors; the fastest processor on the market.

These processors will be tied together with a very high performance interconnection network, developed in collaboration with Compaq, by Quadrics Supercomputers World, a subsidiary of the Italian company, Finmeccanica. This supercomputer takes advantage of a great number of exclusive technological benefits, linked to Compaq`s Tru64 UNIX operating system.

Functions such as Single System Image, Cluster File System and Parallel File System allow a simple and centralised administration that combined enable the operator to manage the supercomputer`s immense productivity.

The supercomputer`s start-up will be handled by Compaq`s Integration Centre at Annecy, France. There Compaq will undertake the integration, installation, training of future users, technical assistance and maintenance. The computer will be fully operational by the end of 2001, becoming Europe`s most powerful system.

This project underlines Compaq`s technological leadership in the 64-bit UNIX, high-performance technical computing business, and demonstrates Compaq `s ability to provide innovative solutions in the most critical environments.