KAYTUS, a leading IT infrastructure provider, announced the collaboration with NEC Deutschland, a prominent HPC solutions provider for scientific and engineering applications, to equip the University of Cologne's data center with a state-of-the-art liquid-cooled High-Performance Computing (HPC) cluster.

To advance its groundbreaking medical research, the University of Cologne embarked on building the new RAMSES (Research Accelerator for Modeling and Simulation with Enhanced Security)  cluster, replacing the aging CHEOPS (Cologne High Efficient Operating Platform for Science) system. This powerful upgrade is designed to support cutting-edge applications in astrophysics, quantum physics, the life sciences, and genome analysis. Given the immense computing power required for complex simulations, effective heat management became essential to ensure reliability and energy efficiency. With the state-of-the-art liquid cooling solutions from KAYTUS and NEC, the university's data center achieved an impressive 40% reduction in cooling costs, all while delivering exceptional performance and robust data security.

Founded in 1388, the University of Cologne is one of Europe’s oldest and largest universities, renowned for its pioneering research and academic excellence. With four Clusters of Excellence dedicated to scientific advancement, the university's infrastructure includes the Cologne RRZK (Regionales Rechenzentrum Köln), which provides advanced HPC capabilities. The data center has hosted the CHEOPS high-performance computer, supporting extensive simulations for complex scientific research.

In September 2024, the university unveiled its successor system, RAMSES. With GPUs designed to power computational analysis in fields such as neural networks, pharmacokinetics, and protein structure prediction, RAMSES is poised to address the critical challenge of managing high-load, high-heat states of core components for extended periods. The University of Cologne selected this state-of-the-art solution for the best parallel and serial performance of its HPC system, ensuring top-tier security, reliability, and energy efficiency to meet its complex research demands.

The new RAMSES system is a transformative resource for scientists across the country, enabling advanced simulation and data processing for groundbreaking research. With an impressive computing power of 4.8 PFLOPs—48 times greater than its predecessor—it redefines research infrastructure standards. The RAMSES system comprises 174 nodes, equipped with 384 CPUs totaling 31,576 cores and 74 GPUs, delivering 1.7 PFLOPs in CPU performance and 3.1 PFLOPs in GPU performance. This remarkable performance capacity supports a wide range of research fields, particularly enhancing research abilities in the life sciences and numerous other scientific disciplines, driving innovation and knowledge creation.

NEC and KAYTUS partnered to deliver a comprehensive liquid-cooled cluster solution for the RAMSES system. This advanced solution includes over 170 servers, featuring 1U2S, 2U2S, and AI servers, with more than 140 liquid-cooled nodes designed to support high-demand applications like Gromacs for molecular dynamics simulation and NWChem for computational chemistry. The solution encompasses liquid-cooled cabinets, a cooling distribution unit (CDU), and complete testing and deployment services, ensuring optimal performance and energy efficiency for intensive research tasks.

Professor Dr.-Ing. Stefan Wesner, Director of the Regional Computing Center Cologne and Head of the Division of Computer Science, summarizes: “Analyzing clinical genome data has not traditionally been a classic field of application for HPC systems. RAMSES changes this—with end-to-end encryption throughout the entire calculation process and a customized system architecture that is currently unique in Germany. The innovative liquid cooling solutions from NEC and KAYTUS impress not only with high density, high performance, energy savings, high efficiency, and high reliability but also with diversified product configurations. NEC and KAYTUS have designed and delivered a system architecture, and an operating model customized for this area of application in research collaborations. We are very happy to have NEC and KAYTUS as long-standing, trusted partners who deliver high quality hardware, software, and services.”

High-Density and Liquid Cooling for Superior Performance and Energy Efficiency

 The University of Cologne's HPC data center leverages a range of KAYTUS server products to achieve both high performance and energy efficiency. At the core of the deployment are the latest KAYTUS liquid-cooled 1U2S nodes, each equipped with two state-of-the-art AMD Genova processors, each consuming 400 watts per chip. These nodes utilize direct warm water cooling technology, allowing for high-density deployments within a single cabinet. The advanced warm water cold plate effectively dissipates heat from major components such as the CPU, memory, and VR, with liquid cooling covering over 80% of the system’s total power consumption. This innovative approach reduces cooling costs by 30% to 40% compared to traditional air-cooling methods, delivering significant operational savings while maintaining exceptional performance.

In addition to delivering high performance, the liquid-cooled nodes offer outstanding reliability. Equipped with leakage detection technology, the system can automatically shut down and issue an alarm when a leak is detected, ensuring efficient operation and maintenance. Furthermore, the liquid cooling environment allows the servers to operate at lower temperatures, extending the service life of temperature-sensitive components and reducing failure rates. This proactive approach significantly lowers the operation and maintenance costs of the cluster, enhancing overall system efficiency and durability.

Noritaka Hoshi, Managing Director NEC Deutschland GmbH, said: “As HPC performance continues to advance and integrate more closely with AI, energy consumption has become a significant challenge for many data centers, including the University of Cologne. NEC and KAYTUS are long-term partners committed to providing cutting-edge liquid cooling solutions to address heat dissipation issues in high-density computing environments.”

Reliable Environment for Secure and Advanced Scientific Exploration

The new RAMSES system not only meets the demand for a powerful high-performance computing architecture but also provides a unique and secure environment, crucial for fields like life sciences and medicine. For instance, while direct observation of phenomena like black holes or stellar explosions is impossible, simulations powered by HPC systems make such research feasible. Similarly, interpreting genetic characteristics is so computationally intensive that only HPC systems can handle the workload, all while meeting stringent data security requirements. This cutting-edge HPC system positions the University of Cologne at the forefront of global research and innovation, offering a significant competitive advantage.

The KAYTUS server ensures system security starting from the underlying hardware, safeguarding scientific research data and allowing scientists to focus on their work with peace of mind. KAYTUS servers excel in multi-dimensional security enhancements, providing comprehensive protection across multiple aspects of operation:

   ■ BIOS/BMC Dual-Core Redundant Design: This feature secures the system's core data at the chip level, ensuring the safety of the remote access channel and supporting dual systems with in-band and out-of-band management.

   ■ Encrypted Hard Disks: Provides security from the underlying hardware to upper-layer applications. Firmware encryption and digital signatures prevent unauthorized writing of unknown firmware.

   ■ Secure Data Erasure: Users have the capability to securely erase and permanently destroy hard disk data, ensuring complete data protection and confidentiality.

The University of Cologne’s mission is to create and share knowledge. This pursuit often depends on simulation and intensive computation. The high-efficiency computing cluster empowers scientists to conduct research that would otherwise be impossible, unlocking insights into complex phenomena and enabling groundbreaking discoveries that propel scientific progress.

Clark Li, Country Manager of KAYTUS for the DACH Region, stated, “With the rapid advancements in AI, the demand for computing power has surged, driving the need for more efficient and compliant liquid cooling solutions. We are delighted that, through our close collaboration with NEC, the University of Cologne is satisfied with the new system’s research capabilities. Looking ahead, we are committed to partnering with companies like NEC to deliver advanced liquid cooling solutions. From solution design and development to production testing, installation, and ongoing operation and maintenance, our focus is on ensuring system reliability and efficiency. By aligning with Europe’s sustainable energy goals, we strive to contribute to the development of green, energy-efficient data centers.”

Original Press Release: https://www.kaytus.com/about/news/24402.html

Presentation of the Fred Young Submillimeter Telescope (FYST)

The Fred Young Submillimieter Teelscope (FYST) was officially presented at Xanten, Germany, on April 4, 2024.

The FYST provides the instrumental basis for the research data which will be stored, analyzed, archived, and made accessible at the CCAT Observatory Cologne Data Center.

Link: Official notification

Start des „Rhein-Ruhr Zentrums für wissenschaftliche Datenkompetenz”

Forschende aller Disziplinen sehen sich mit immer größeren Datenmengen konfrontiert. Das neu gegründete Rhein-Ruhr Zentrum für wissenschaftliche Datenkompetenz (DKZ.2R) hat es sich zum Ziel gesetzt, Forschende aus einer Vielzahl von Forschungsdisziplinen bezüglich der immer komplexer werdenden Datenanalyse, dem Datenmanagement sowie dem Hochleistungsrechnen zu unterstützen und zu fördern.

Das DKZ.2R ist eines von insgesamt elf durch das Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung (BMBF) geförderten Datenkompetenzzentren in Deutschland und wird für eine Laufzeit von drei Jahren mit einer Gesamtsumme von rund drei Millionen Euro gefördert.

Das DKZ.2R bietet Forschenden unterschiedlicher Karrierestufen eine Bandbreite verschiedener Angebote zur Verbesserung ihrer Fähigkeiten im Umgang mit Forschungsdaten. Dazu gehören u.a. kuratierte Trainingskurse, eine Palette an Beratungsangeboten bis hin zum wissenschaftlichen Consulting, wissenschaftlichen Hackathons und Data Challenges, „Data Cafés“ und auch Softwaretool-Entwicklung und -Integration. Mit der „FDM-Werkstatt“ an der RWTH Aachen in Zusammenarbeit mit fdm.nrw (18. — 20. März 2024) ist bereits die erste Veranstaltung in Planung.

Link: Projektseite und vollständige Pressemitteilung

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Stefan Wesner ist zum neuen Vorstandsvorsitzenden des Deutschen Forschungsnetzes DFN gewählt worden.

Vertreterinnen und Vertreter aus über 350 Mitgliedseinrichtungen des Vereins zur Förderung eines Deutschen Forschungsnetzes (DFN-Verein) haben auf der 87. Mitgliederversammlung am 13. Dezember 2023 einen neuen Verwaltungsrat gewählt. Der dreizehnköpfige erweiterte Vorstand ernannte im Anschluss Prof. Dr.-Ing. Stefan Wesner von der Universität zu Köln für die Dauer von drei Jahren zum neuen Vorsitzenden. Er folgt in dieser Funktion auf Prof. Dr. Odej Kao, Professor für Verteilte Systeme und Betriebssysteme an der TU Berlin.

Stefan Wesner studierte an der Universität des Saarlandes. Nach seiner Promotion an der Universität Stuttgart leitete er Forschungsgruppen zu Group Software-Technologien sowie verteilten Systemen am Universitätsrechenzentrum Stuttgart. An der Universität Ulm folgte 2013 die Ernennung zum Direktor des kiz (Kommunikations- u. Informationszentrum) sowie 2018 zum CIO. 2022 wurde Stefan Wesner auf eine W3-Professur für Parallele und Verteilte Systeme an der Universität zu Köln berufen und leitet seitdem auch das IT Center University of Cologne ITCC/RRZK. Professor Wesner ist dem DFN-Verein seit Längerem verbunden: Von 2013 bis 2022 war er bereits DFN-Mitgliedsvertreter für die Universität Ulm, seit 2022 vertritt er die Universität zu Köln im DFN-Verein. Seit 2020 gehört er dem DFN-Verwaltungsrat an.

Der DFN-Verein gehört zu den Wegbereitern des Internets und einer modernen Kommunikationsinfrastruktur für Forschung und Lehre. Mit seinem Wissenschaftsnetz X-WiN verbindet er eine stetig wachsende Mitgliedergemeinschaft von Hochschulen, außeruniversitären Forschungseinrichtungen sowie forschungsnahen Wirtschaftsunternehmen in ganz Deutschland. Dank des Einsatzes innovativer Netztechnologien und einer kontinuierlichen Weiterentwicklung zählt das Deutsche Forschungsnetz zu den leistungsfähigsten Kommunikationsnetzen weltweit. Mit Anschlussbandbreiten von bis zu 200 Gigabit/s vernetzt der DFN-Verein seine Mitglieder und teilnehmenden Einrichtungen nicht nur national, sondern auch mit europäischen sowie weltweiten Wissenschaftsnetzen.

Mitteilung auf der Website des DFN

Alte Version des Sophos Virenscanners abgelaufen!

Die bisherige Anti-Viren-Software Sophos Endpoint Protection wurde nur bis zum 20. Juli 2023 mit Updates versorgt. Geräte, die bislang nicht umgestellt werden, sind unsicher und werden seit September 2023 sukzessive gesperrt.

Um der Sperre zu entgehen, stellen Sie alle Ihre Geräte auf die neuen Produkte von Sophos um.

Dies betrifft vor allem dezentral administrierte oder selbstverwaltete PCs. Auf den PCs der Univerwaltung und in einigen anderen Bereichen wurde die Umstellung größtenteils vorgenommen.