High Performance Computing and Data Center

The primary objective is to develop a state-of-the-art HPC facility that supports the needs of scientific, industrial, and societal advancements through high-computing capabilities. The center will facilitate research in water security and hydrology, with a focus on water quantity and quality – consistent with the portfolio of the Alabama Water Institute and its federal partners. 

Additionally, the center will focus on the portfolio of the Alabama Transportation Institute, with a focus particularly aligned with the AMP (Alabama Mobility and Power) Center. Other UA centers and institutes will also be a key portion of the HPC portfolio, especially the Alabama Materials Institute, the Alabama Life Research Institute, and the Alabama Cyber Institute. The HPC operation will be managed by the Alabama Cyber Institute.

Key aspects of the project include:

• The building is master-planned for 14.6 MW of computing power and will support leadership-class HPC machines.
• Construction of a 2-story facility with 40,000 GSF to house HPC equipment, staff offices, and shell space for future secure suites.
• Dedicated chiller plant and a new electric substation to ensure resilient power supply and uninterrupted operations.

Building Design and Features

The HPC Data Center will be a two-story structure with significant attention to architectural aesthetics and functionality, aligning with UA’s historic campus design principles. The design is based on a hybrid classical and modern concept, utilizing proportion systems and traditional materials. The key components of the building are:

• HPC Data Hall: A two-story space for housing the HPC infrastructure, with the computing machines located on the upper level and supporting infrastructure on the lower level.
• Support Spine: A space running east-west, housing the lobby, office areas, circulation spaces, and mechanical rooms.
• Central Plant: A one-story space dedicated to the cooling plant.

The facility is designed to accommodate future expansion of computing resources, with shell space for an additional secure suite and mission-critical enterprise data center.

HPC Capabilities

The centerpiece of the facility is its HPC capabilities, with a plan to host leadership-class supercomputing equipment. The computing capacity of the facility is expected to scale up to 14.6 MW, with the initial installation designed for a maximum of 350 kW per HPC cabinet, and a general compute density of 20 kW per cabinet.

This computational power will support a wide variety of fields:

Scientific Research and Simulations

• Climate modeling
• Astrophysics
• Genomics

Artificial intelligence and Machine Learning

• Deep learning
• Generative AI
• Large Language Models
• Natural Language Processing

Engineering and Manufacturing

• Fluid dynamics
• Structural analysis
• Material science
• Automotive and aerospace applications
• Optimization and simulation

Healthcare and Pharmaceuticals

• Drug Discovery
• Personalized Medicine       

Finance and Economics

• Algorithmic trading
• Risk analysis
• Energy Exploration
• Seismic analysis
• Reservoir simulation
• Renewable energy simulations

Digital Humanities and Media

• Historical structure 3-d visualization
• Virtual reconstruction
• Augmented and virtual reality
• Digital archiving and presentation
• Text encoding and collaborative editing
• Translation studies
• Comparative literature

Big data analytics

• Data mining
• Predictive analytics

Quantum Computing

The site chosen for the HPC center is adjacent to the Capstone College of Nursing, on a lot sloping from northwest to southeast, requiring grading and embankment fill. The building is designed with environmental resilience in mind, particularly in addressing stormwater management, erosion control, and utility infrastructure.

The proximity to Alabama Power’s high-voltage transmission lines ensures a reliable power supply, with the electrical substation offering redundancy for critical operations, including power supplied to a nearby hospital.

The project envisions a phased approach to scaling the facility’s capacity. Initially, the HPC Data Center will support up to four concurrently operating supercomputers. The design also allows for additional capacity blocks of infrastructure to be phased over time, with compute capacity expanding from 5 MW in the first phase to 14.6 MW at full build-out. Additionally, the project includes provisions for a secure, classified information facility (SCIF) to support government and industry collaborations requiring high security.

The center’s operational strategy includes utilizing advanced cooling techniques with water-cooled HPC machines, ensuring high energy efficiency.

The HPC center is expected to have a significant impact on UA’s research output and position as a leader in high-computing research. It will enhance the university’s ability to attract and retain top-tier faculty and students, provide critical infrastructure for research in water management, mobility, AI, and cybersecurity, and foster economic development in Alabama by supporting cutting-edge research collaborations with state and national partners.

In conclusion, the High-Performance Computing and Data Center project is a pivotal investment in UA’s research infrastructure, providing transformative capabilities that will enhance the university’s role in scientific discovery, industry collaboration, and workforce development.