Large-Scale Computation at SHARC-Net

The rennaissance of HPC capability in Canada over the last two to three years is providing outstanding opportunities for researchers to repatriate their codes, skills and training. I will describe the vision of SHARC-Net to build in S-W Ontario a vibrant culture of HPC: an environment of technology and people which is widely recognised as being a vital component of competitive science, engineering and finance. SHARC-Net provides a hierarchy of computing capability from small SMP to tightly coupled clusters to a geographical network comprised at present of over 400 Compaq Alpha processors spread over seven institutions. I will argue that pyramids of capability of this kind must form a central component of the emerging vision for the Canadian HPC Grid.