The Ruby cluster is a supercomputer operated by the Ohio Supercomputer Center (OSC) and owned in part by CCAPP. Total peak performance for the HP/Intel Xeon Phi cluster is estimated to reach 144 TeraFLOPS, or 145 trillion calculations per second.
Spearheaded by Annika Peter, CCAPP helped OSC create Ruby and its “condo” access model that ensures computing time for owners while also optimizing overall use of the cluster when members aren’t using their shares.
Unlike with other facilities that require users to submit proposals for time, CCAPP researchers are able to log in to Ruby directly to schedule computing time and submit data and scripts; during the run, an email alerts them if something goes awry. Also different from many computing resources is the fact that CCAPP’s direct access to Ruby includes postdocs and students—no faculty permission required.
CCAPP scientists use Ruby to develop new software and run simulations of cosmic structures. Using varied values for mass, velocity and position, for example, CCAPP researchers lob particles of dark matter at each other to examine how they interact. Such theoretical modeling can help predict whether an interaction could be observed astronomically, and can also help map and translate observations after the fact.
Ruby’s immense capabilities and easy accessibility give faculty, postdocs and students at CCAPP great latitude in developing and pursuing their research interests.