Media

HKU launches the largest processing power Grid Computing resources

27 Aug 2010

 

The University of Hong Kong (HKU) announced today (August 27) it has launched a Grid Computing resource with the largest processing power in the Hong Kong region, to support computation-intensive research across multiple disciplines.

The HKU Grid Point for Systems Research and Applications in Multiple Disciplines is a UGC Special Equipment Grant project and an extension of the China National Grid, the Mainland's network of supercomputers, in Hong Kong. The project was initiated by the HKU Computer Science Department, teaming up with the Computer Centre, together with the support from a number of researchers from the Department of Chemistry, the Department of Statistics and Actuarial Science, and others.

Together, the HKU team has set up a state-of-the-art Grid Computing facility to support research in multiple disciplines. The system is connected to other computing resources locally and in Mainland China as a "grid point" of a nation-wide Grid Computing Infrastructure.

The facility will serve as the main research platform for "systems research" in the Computer Science Department, and be used to support cutting-edge computation-intensive research projects in multiple disciplines, such as Quantum Chemistry, Computational Physics, Computational Fluid Dynamics, Financial Engineering, Environmental Studies, Global Hydrology and Nanotechnology studies. The system will provide enhanced processing support, such as performance optimization of application code-running on the new platform and will be able to exploit other resources available in the grid infrastructure.

HKU spearheaded the formation of the Hong Kong Grid in 2003. The project aimed to construct a grid test-bed across five local universities. This new HKU Grid Point system will foster collaboration among tertiary institutes in grid computing development and computation-intensive research projects.

For the full version of booklet, please visit: http://www.hku.hk/cc/events/gridpoint/en/about/about.htm

For media enquiries, please contact: Ms Trinni Choy (Assistant Director (Media), Communications and Public Affairs Office) tel: 2859 2606 email: pychoy@hku.hk  or Ms Melanie Wan (Manager (Media), Communications and Public Affairs Office) tel: 2859 2600 email: melwkwan@hku.hk.