Cascade

Cray's Next-Generation Supercomputer

Overview

Cascade is Cray’s next-generation supercomputer. Currently under development, the Cascade system will be capable of sustained multi-petaflops performance on real-world applications and features a hybrid architecture combining multiple processor technologies, a high performance network and a high performance computing-optimized operating system and programming environment supporting high productivity computing.

DARPA

The Cascade supercomputer is made possible in part by Cray’s participation in the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency’s (DARPA) High Productivity Computing Systems (HPCS) program. Run by the U.S. Department of Defense, DARPA formed the HPCS program to foster development of the next generation of high productivity computing systems for both national security and industrial user communities. Program goals are for these systems to be more broadly applicable, easier to program and more resistant to failure than currently available high performance computing systems. The Cascade supercomputer system represents the last phase of the three-phase HPCS program.

System Innovations

Processor technology. Cascade is Cray’s first supercomputer based on next-generation Intel® Xeon® processors. The Cascade system enables support for a multiple processor lineup of Intel and AMD x86 processors and emerging accelerator alternatives.

Interconnect. With the Cascade system, Cray will introduce the Aries interconnect – a next-generation interconnect chipset follow-on to Gemini with a new novel system interconnect topology. This innovative topology provides scalability in system size and network bandwidth.

Software. Cascade continues the evolution of the Cray Linux Environment, providing software stack that is optimized for performance at scale of real world HPC applications. Cray’s programming environment combines flexibility and high productivity features to facilitate effective performance tuning and easy porting.

Packaging/Cooling. The Cascade system will feature increased processor density with high efficiency cooling and power solutions.