In August 1998, I was stopped behind a van full of kids in my Chrysler LeBaron* convertible when I looked into the rearview mirror to see a Dodge Ram* truck flying towards me. My car crumpled like an accordion, the airbags deployed, and the windows shattered. Both the van and the truck were able to drive away from the accident relatively unscathed. My convertible was totaled, but I walked away with only a few scrapes and bruises, thanks, in part, to simulation and modeling.
As government regulations inspired greater automotive safety in the 1970s, manufacturers crashed hundreds of vehicles when developing occupant protection measures for new models.1 Though real-world crash testing is still necessary, thanks to computer simulated crash test scenarios, automakers today can include millions of elements into tests that can run in just a few hours (even minutes) due to the capabilities offered by modern high-performance computing (HPC) systems.
But it’s not just simulating car crashes; automakers use simulation and modeling to measure wind resistance in order to improve fuel economy, a top consumer concern when purchasing a new car.2 HPC simulation and modeling can accelerate innovation as well, with one automaker shortening time to market by 30%.3 Engineers in a variety of fields rely on HPC simulation and modeling to improve performance and productivity, from designing supercars or wind turbines to crafting special effects or animations for television and movies.
Bringing Down the Barriers to HPC
Supporting simulation and modeling tasks at scale requires high performance computing (HPC). Once reserved for national and academic projects, HPC is now crucial for many enterprises. A 2018 Hyperion Research report noted that for every $1 invested in HPC, $436 is returned in revenue.4 There have been vast improvements in HPC technology over the last ten years, allowing companies to cut time to market and explore the “what if” scenarios without having to build physical models to stay competitive.
Even with technology advancements, HPC cluster systems can still be complex to deploy. Customized systems tailored to specific software and a fragmented marketplace for different parts can make it difficult for companies to tie all the necessary components together successfully.
Intel® Select Solutions for Simulation and Modeling, powered by Intel® Xeon® Scalable processors, provide organizations an easy-to-deploy HPC cluster for simulation and modeling with some of the same cutting-edge Intel® technology found in the world’s most advanced systems. These solutions define all key hardware, software, and integration requirements while leaving room for vendor differentiation. When discussing Intel® Select Solutions for Simulation and Modeling earlier this year, Intel Fellow and Chief Technologist for HPC, Dr. Bill Magro, described how the solutions are designed to make it much easier for companies to “select the systems they know will work with the applications they need.”
Intel® Select Solutions for Simulation and Modeling are compatible with a wide range of applications (ANSYS Mechanical, COMSOL, Dassault, etc.). Reference architecture and maintenance tools allow companies to deploy their Intel® Select Solution with current IT staff, forgoing the need to hire HPC or Linux* experts to launch initiatives. Companies can expect streamlined acquisition and deployment in order to realize projects quickly. Once deployed, Intel® Select Solutions deliver verified real-world performance that has been rigorously benchmarked and tested.
With Intel® Select Solutions for Simulation and Modeling, organizations will have the traditional simulation and capabilities, as well as advanced analytics and artificial intelligence workloads that will be essential for future competition.
Simulation and modeling are two processes in engineering and scientific workflows. Visualization is another process in these workflows that is critical to understanding and analyzing the modeling and simulation results. The ability for engineers and scientists to interact with the models and simulations through visualizations provides greater and faster insights. With Intel® Select Solutions for Professional Visualization and Intel® Select Solutions for Simulation and Modeling, users will have a complete solution for advancing product innovation and scientific discoveries.
Proven Global Partners
As greater capabilities for simulation and modeling make their way into more and more fields, I’m honestly excited to see how many aspects of our daily lives might improve.
Both QCT and Fujitsu are original equipment manufacturers of Intel® Select Solutions for Simulation and Modeling, and channel partners include Atipa, Boston, Megware, Nor-Tech, and RSC. Within HPC, in addition to simulation and modeling and professional visualization, Intel also offers solutions for genomic analytics. Outside of HPC, Intel Select Solutions are available for advanced analytics, hybrid cloud, storage, and networking. See more details at intel.com/selectsolutions.
Intel® technologies’ features and benefits depend on system configuration and may require enabled hardware, software, or service activation. Performance varies depending on system configuration. No computer system can be absolutely secure. Check with your system manufacturer or retailer or learn more at intel.com.