National Strategic Computing Initiative

This article is about the exascale computing initiative started in 2015. For the artificial intelligence initiative of 1983–1993, see Strategic Computing Initiative.

The National Strategic Computing Initiative (NSCI) is a United States initiative calling for the accelerated development of an exascale (1000 petaflop) system and funding research into post-semiconductor computing. The initiative was created by an executive order signed by President Barack Obama on July 29, 2015.[1]

The program's themes include bridging the gaps between computing needs for physical simulations and "big data" applications; supporting the users, vendor companies, software developers, and researchers needed to keep the United States a leader in high-performance computing (HPC) technology; improving interoperability between different supercomputers; providing widespread access to HPC resources; and developing post-silicon technologies for alternative computing to support future improvements in hardware.[2]

Agencies

There are three lead agencies: the Department of Energy and Department of Defense will jointly focus on advanced simulation, with Defense also focusing on data analysis, while the National Science Foundation will focus on scientific discovery and workforce development.[1] Energy's involvement will be through the Office of Science and the National Nuclear Security Administration. The FY2017 budget proposal envisions the preexisting Exascale Computing Initiative continuing to deal with research and development for exascale computing, but a new Exascale Computing Program would assume responsibility for development and procurement of actual machines, along the lines of Energy's other scientific instruments such as the Advanced Photon Source the Spallation Neutron Source.[3] The National Science Foundation's involvement would mainly be centered in its Advanced Cyberinfrastructure program, although the Mathematical and Physical Sciences Directorate would co-lead.[4]

There are two foundational research and development agencies: the Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity (IARPA) will focus on alternative post-silicon computing paradigms, while the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) will focus on measurement science needed for future computing technologies.[1] IARPA's programs in superconducting computing are aligned with the initiative.[5]

The five deployment agencies, which will be involved in design and testing for projects related to their missions, are NASA, Federal Bureau of Investigation, National Institutes of Health, Department of Homeland Security, and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).[1] While NASA and NOAA already have high-performance computing programs, those at the other three deployment agencies would be new.[6]

History

The initiative had been under development since 2012. The July 2015 executive order formally establishing the program was seen as the result of deadlock and opposition in Congress to the Obama administration's fiscal year 2016 budget request.[6] As part of the initiative, a request for information on "Science Drivers Requiring Capable Exascale High Performance Computing" was issued by the National Science Foundation on September 15, 2015.[7][8] The initiative's Implementation Plan was issued on October 27, although it was not immediately released to the public to avoid preempting higher-level budgetary planning.[7]

Although the Obama administration's fiscal year 2017 budget request, released in February 2016, included $285 million for the Department of Energy and $33 million for the National Science Foundation through the NSCI,[3][9] few additional details about the initiative had emerged in the following months.[7][9][10]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Executive Order -- Creating a National Strategic Computing Initiative (Executive order), The White House - Office of the Press Secretary, 29 July 2015
  2. ↑ "FACT SHEET: National Strategic Computing Initiative" (PDF). Office of Science and Technology Policy. 29 July 2015. Retrieved 5 April 2016.
  3. 1 2 Trader, Tiffany (12 February 2016). "Budget Request Reveals New Elements of US Exascale Program". HPCwire. Retrieved 2016-04-05.
  4. ↑ Hourihan, Matt; Parkes, David (2016-03-22). "Guide to the President's Budget: Research and Development FY 2017". American Association for the Advancement of Science. p. 48. Retrieved 2016-04-21.
  5. ↑ Brock, David C. (2016-04-24). "Will the NSA Finally Build Its Superconducting Spy Computer?". IEEE Spectrum. Retrieved 2016-04-21.
  6. 1 2 Rossino, Alexander (2015-08-18). "The National Strategic Computing Initiative - A Not-So-New Program". B2G Essentials. Deltek. Retrieved 2016-03-12.
  7. 1 2 3 Brueckner, Rich (2016-04-14). "NSCI Update from the HPC User Forum". InsideHPC. 12:15, 21:10. Retrieved 2016-04-17.
  8. ↑ Russell, John (2015-10-06). "Speak Up: NSF Seeks Science Drivers for Exascale and the NSCI". HPCwire. Retrieved 2016-04-20.
  9. 1 2 Russell, John (29 March 2016). "Gonzalez Martirena of OSTP to Provide NSCI Update at HPC User Forum". HPCwire. Retrieved 2016-04-05.
  10. ↑ Russell, John (2016-04-20). "NSCI Discussion at HPC User Forum Shows Hunger for Details". HPCwire. Retrieved 2016-04-20.
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