Advanced Simulation and Computing Program: Difference between revisions

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The '''Advanced Simulation and Computing Program''' (or '''ASC''') is a [[Supercomputer|super-computing]] program run by the [[National Nuclear Security Administration]], in order to simulate, test, and maintain the United States nuclear stockpile.<ref>{{Cite web|title = Advanced Simulation and Computing and Institutional R&D Programs {{!}} National Nuclear Security Administration|url = http://nnsa.energy.gov/asc|website = NNSA|access-date = 2016-01-31|language = en-US}}</ref> The program was created in 1995 in order to support the [[Stockpile stewardship|Stockpile Stewardship Program (or SSP)]]. The goal of the initiative is to extend the lifetime of the current aging stockpile.

== History ==

After the United States' 1992 moratorium on live nuclear testing, the Stockpile Stewardship Program was created in order to find a way to test, and maintain the nuclear stockpile. In response, the [[National Nuclear Security Administration]] began to simulate the nuclear warheads using supercomputers. As the stockpile ages, the simulations have become more complex, and the maintenance of the stockpile requires more computing power. Over the years, due to [[Moore's law|Moore's Law]], the ASC program has created several different supercomputers with increasing power, in order to compute the simulations and mathematics. {{citation needed|date=October 2017}}

In celebration of 25 years of ASC accomplishments, the Advanced Simulation and Computing Program has published [https://asc.llnl.gov/sites/asc/files/2022-09/ASC_25thYear_Report_SAND2022-11472M-web.pdf this report]. <ref>{{Cite web |title=ASC Headquarters Publications |url=https://asc.llnl.gov/asc-headquarters-publications |access-date=2022-09-06 |website=asc.llnl.gov |language=en}}</ref>

== Research ==

The majority of ASC's research is done on super-computerssupercomputers in three different laboratories. The calculations are verified by human calculations.{{citation needed|date=October 2017}}

=== Laboratories ===

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==== Current supercomputers ====

The ASC program currently houses numerous supercomputers on the [[TOP500]] list for computing power. This list changes every six months, so please visit https://top500.org/lists/top500/ for the latest list of NNSA machines. Although these computers may be in separate laboratories, remote computing has been established between the three main laboratories.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Remote Computing Enablement |url=https://hpc.llnl.gov/sites/default/files/RCE-LC-user-Mtg-202012.pdf}}</ref>

The ASC program currently houses two supercomputers on the TOP500 list for computing power. The [[IBM Sequoia|Sequoia]], which as of 2016 was ranked third<ref>{{Cite web|title = November 2015 {{!}} TOP500 Supercomputer Sites|url = http://www.top500.org/lists/2015/11/|website = www.top500.org|access-date = 2016-01-31}}</ref> in the world for computing power, is currently being used for simulation and testing in the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.<ref>{{Cite web|title = ASC Sequoia|url = https://asc.llnl.gov/computing_resources/sequoia/index.html|website = asc.llnl.gov|access-date = 2016-01-31}}</ref> [[Cielo (supercomputer)|Cielo]], which is also located in Los Alamos National Laboratory, is 57th on the TOP500 list for most powerful computer as of 2016. Cielo is researching classified information. Although these computers may be in separate laboratories, remote computing has been established between the three main laboratories. {{citation needed|date=October 2017}}

==== Previous supercomputers ====

[[File:ASC Purple Supercomputer.jpg|thumb|One of Advanced Simulation and Computer (ASC) Program's former supercomputers, ASC Purple]]

* [[ASC Purple|ASCI Purple]]

* ASCI Q: Installed in 2003, it was a [[DEC AlphaServer]] SC45/GS Cluster and reached 7.727 Teraflops.<ref>{{cite web

* [[Red Storm (computing)|Red Storm]]

* [[Blue Gene|Blue Gene/L]]: World's fastest supercomputer, November 2004 – November 2007

* [https://asc.llnl.gov/computers/historic-decommissioned-machines/sequoia-and-vulcan Blue Gene Q (aka, Sequoia)]

* ASCI Q: Installed in 2003, it was a [[DEC AlphaServer]] SC45/GS Cluster and reached 7.727 Teraflops.<ref>{{cite web

|url=http://www.sandia.gov/supercomp/sc2002/flyers/ASCI_Q_rev.pdf

|title=The ASCI Q System: 30 TeraOPS Capability at Los Alamos National Laboratory

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|archivedate=2011-01-12

}}</ref><ref>''High performance scientific and engineering computing: hardware/software support'' by Laurence Tianruo Yang 2003 {{ISBN|1-4020-7580-4}} page 144</ref> ASQI Q used [[DEC Alpha]] 1250&nbsp;MHz (2.5 GFlops) processors and a [[Quadrics (company)|Quadrics]] interconnect. ASCI Q placed as the 2nd fastest supercomputer in the world in 2003.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://top500.org/system/6359 |title=TOP500 Rankings |access-date=2016-11-14 |archive-date=2013-09-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130921053410/http://top500.org/system/6359 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

* [[ASCI White]]: World's fastest supercomputer, November 2000 – November 2001

* [[ASCI White]]

* [[ASCI Red]]

* [[ASC Purple|ASCI Purple]]

* [[ASCI Blue Pacific]]

* [[ASCI Blue Mountain]]

* [[RedASCI StormBlue (computing)|Red StormPacific]]

* [[ASCI Red]]: World's fastest supercomputer, June 1997 – June 2000

* [[Blue Gene]]

=== Newsletter ===

The ASC program publishes [https://asc.llnl.gov/hq/asc-headquarters-newsletter-archive/asc-newsletter-volume-7-issue-1 a quarterly newsletter] describing many of its research accomplishments and hardware milestones.

== Elements ==

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=== Facility Operations and User Support ===

The Facility Operations and User Support subdivision is responsible for the physical computers and facilities and the computing network within ASC. They are responsible for making sure the tri-lab network, computing storage space, power usage, and the customer computing resources are all in line.<ref>{{Cite web|title = Facility Operations and User Support {{!}} National Nuclear Security Administration|url = http://nnsa.energy.gov/aboutus/ourprograms/defenseprograms/futurescienceandtechnologyprograms/asc/ascprogramelements-0|website = NNSA|access-date = 2016-01-31|language = en-US}}</ref>

=== Computational Systems and Software Environment ===

The Computational and User Support subdivision is responsible for maintaining and creating the supercomputer software according to NNSA's standards. They also deal with the data, networking and software tools.<ref>{{Cite web|title = Computational Systems & Software Environment {{!}} National Nuclear Security Administration|url = http://nnsa.energy.gov/aboutus/ourprograms/defenseprograms/futurescienceandtechnologyprograms/asc/ascprogramelements-1|website = NNSA|access-date = 2016-01-31|language = en-US}}</ref>

The ASCI Path Forward project substantially funded the initial development of the [[Lustre (file system)|Lustre parallel file system]] from 2001 to 2004.
<ref>{{cite web

|title = The ASCI/DOD Scalable I/O History and Strategy

|author = Gary Grider

|date = 2004-05-01

|url = https://www.dtc.umn.edu/resources/grider1.pdf

|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100712135813/https://www.dtc.umn.edu/resources/grider1.pdf

|archive-date=2010-07-12

|website = University of Minnesota

|access-date = 2016-12-08

|language = en-US}}</ref>
<ref>{{cite web

|title = The Ultra-Scalable HPTC Lustre Filesystem

|author = R. Kent Koeninger