How different are supercomputers to normal computers?

Paper: GS – III, Subject: Science and Technology, Topic: Computer and ICT, Issue: Supercomputers.

Context:

Computers are among the most significant inventions of the modern era, but their power and purpose vary greatly depending on design and application.

Key Takeaways:

• At one end of the spectrum are supercomputers, massive high-performance machines capable of performing trillions to quintillions of calculations per second, designed for specialized scientific and industrial applications.
• At the other end are normal computers like desktops and laptops, which are compact, affordable, and meant for everyday tasks such as browsing, office work, and entertainment.
• Understanding the difference between the two highlights how computing technology caters to both global scientific challenges and individual daily needs.

What are Super Computers?

• They are the physical embodiment of High-Performance Computing (HPC), allowing organizations to solve problems that would be impossible with regular computers.
• So these are kind of computers with a high level of computing performance compared to a general purpose computer.
• Its performance is measured in FLOPS (floating point operations per second). It has great speed and great memory which are the two prerequisites of a super computer.
• Its performance is generally evaluated in petaflops.
• Its memory is averaged around 250000 times of the normal computer (we use it on a daily basis). It is housed in large clean rooms with high air flow to permit cooling.
• It is used to solve problems that are too complex and huge for standard computers.

Characteristics of Supercomputer:

• These types of computers are able to solve large amounts of calculations, and complicated calculations as well.
• Multiple users are capable of accessing the supercomputer at same time.
•  It is more expensive so ordinary users cannot purchase this computer.
• Use for special areas where there is a high amount and complicated calculations. It has a huge storage capacity.

National Supercomputing Mission:

• The Ministry of Electronics and Information
• Technology in 2015 announced a “National Supercomputing Mission” (NSM) to install 73 indigenous supercomputers throughout the country by 2022.

Objectives: 

• The primary goal of the mission is to establish a cluster of geographically distributed high-performance computing centres connected by a high-speed network, forming the National Knowledge Network (NKN).
• It aims to enhance both capacity and capability in high-performance computing across academic and research institutions in India in their respective Domains.

Characteristics: Infrastructure: It involves the deployment of high-performance computing centres, including three petascale supercomputers.

• Financial Investment: The mission spans a seven-year program with a budget of $730 million (Rs. 4,500 crores), indicating a significant financial commitment to advancing supercomputing capabilities in the country.
• Localisation: It aims to produce all the components within India.
• Implementing Agencies: Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC) and the Indian Institute of Science.

Indian Supercomputers in Top 500 List:

As of June 2023, there are 4 systems based in India on the TOP 500 supercomputer list.

• Param Series: PARAM supercomputers are designed and assembled by the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC) in Pune, India.
• PARAM means “supreme” in Sanskrit, and also creates an acronym for “PARAllelMachine”.
• The PARAM 8000 was a success for C-DAC in delivering a giga FLOPS range parallel computer. It was launched in 1991. In 1993, the PARAM 9000 series was released, which had a peak computing power of 5 GFLOPS.
•  In 1998, the PARAM 10000 series had a sustained performance of 38 GFLOPS on the LINPACK benchmark.
• The AI Supercomputer ‘AIRAWAT’ and PARAM Siddhi – AI are currently the fastest supercomputers in India. AIRAWAT has been ranked 75th in the world as of June 2023.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Supercomputers:

Supercomputers drive scientific breakthroughs in climate, space, and technology, boosting India’s self-reliance and competitiveness. Despite high costs and energy demands, future innovations like quantum and neuromorphic computing promise more efficient, sustainable, and transformative applications in governance and science.

https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/technology/how-different-are-supercomputers-to-normal-computers/article70076989.ece

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