LLNL’s New ‘Ruby’ Supercomputer Taps Intel for COVID-19

Intel at this time introduced that Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) will leverage Intel Xeon Scalable processors in “Ruby,” its newest excessive efficiency computing cluster. The Ruby system shall be used for unclassified programmatic work in assist of the National Nuclear Security Administration’s (NNSA) stockpile stewardship mission, for researching therapeutic medicine and designer antibodies towards SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, and for different open science work at LLNL.

Ruby was in-built collaboration with Intel, LLNL, Supermicro and Cornelis Networks. The system consists of greater than 1,500 nodes, every outfitted with Intel Xeon Scalable processors, and options 192 gigabytes of reminiscence. Ruby will ship 6 petaflops of peak efficiency and is anticipated to rank among the many world’s high 100 strongest supercomputers.

Ruby Supercomputer and COVID-19 Work
The Ruby supercomputer will assist remedy scientific challenges throughout many disciplines. The system is good for operating molecular docking calculations which might be utilized in areas corresponding to therapeutic drug analysis. LLNL researchers not too long ago started utilizing Ruby to determine candidate compounds able to binding to protein websites within the construction of SARS-CoV-2. This small molecule work might inform vaccine growth and assist researchers with drug discovery efforts associated to COVID-19.

Additional functions for Ruby embrace large-scale simulations of plasma dynamics and neutron manufacturing at LLNL’s MegaJOuLe Neutron Imaging Radiography system and simulations for inertial confinement fusion analysis performed on the National Ignition Facility and Sandia National Laboratories’ Z-machine facility. The system may even be used for researching asteroid detection, moon formation, high-fidelity fission and different fundamental science by way of LLNL’s Computing Grand Challenge and Laboratory Directed Research and Development packages.

“Our longstanding partnership with Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory continues to drive tremendous advancements in scientific research and discovery across a range of applications,” mentioned Trish Damkroger, vice chairman and common supervisor of excessive efficiency computing at Intel. “We are excited to see the Ruby supercomputer now contributing to COVID-19 research.”

The Ruby supercomputer is funded by NNSA’s Advanced Simulation and Computing program, the Laboratory’s Multi-programmatic and Institutional Computing program, and the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act.