Frankfurt-based blockchain infrastructure firm Northern Data announced today it has developed proprietary HPC services in cooperation with Taiwanese computer hardware manufacturer Gigabyte Technology.
Northern Data’s partnership with Gigabyte covers the production, supply and combination of components, where Northern Data tests specific processors and selects them for the respective applications and Gigabyte combines these processors with its specialised server architecture, the firm explained.
Gigabyte adjusts the GPU clusters developed by Northern Data to meet all of Northern Data’s technical requirements, according to the announcement.
A GPU cluster is a computer network in which each node (processing unit) is equipped with several Graphic Processing Units (GPU). The high-density GPU clusters used in these processes are specially designed for high-performance-computing (HPC) applications.
The server architecture created on this basis is the foundation for so-called distributed computing. Distributed computing involves running software across multiple computer systems working in parallel, in order to increase their efficiency, reliability and performance.
Northern Data said that with these new, tailor-made high-density GPU clusters, the firm can meet the highly specific requirements of their customers, providing them with the required computing power for their respective HPC applications as easily and efficiently as possible. This service will then be used in Northern Data’s data centers for individually developed customer solutions.
GPU-based, parallel processing of data enables highly complex, computationally intensive HPC applications to be executed efficiently, reliably and quickly, particularly in the domains of artificial intelligence and rendering.
New opportunities for Northern Data customers
The firm noted that the combination of Gigabyte’s expertise in manufacturing HPC hardware and Northern Data’s experience in managing and orchestrating large-scale facilities (with proprietary AI software and its own thermal management system) opens up new opportunities for Northern Data customers to scale their operations even further than before.
“The demand for HPC is booming; the rendering and AI sectors are enormous growth markets. We are pleased to have Gigabyte Technologies, one of the leading suppliers in the young HPC sector, on board as our development partner, and we are now excited to announce this business partnership,” said Aroosh Thillainathan, CEO at Northern Data AG.“We have already worked together on various GPU-based HPC projects, as we believe that Gigabyte’s servers are among the best hardware for HPC in the world. Hence, we are very pleased to deepen our partnership with a manufacturer with this level of expertise and to have them accompany our R&D process. Gigabyte is the right strategic partner to help us make the concept of distributed computing a reality for many HPC applications.”
Northern Data CFO Mathis Schultz added that so far, the company’s customers are predominantly in the bitcoin mining sector, which was the first mass-scale HPC application. He added that the demand from other sectors is growing rapidly, accelerated in part by the Covid-19 crisis and pointed out that the partnership with Gigabyte Technologies allows Northern Data to build out its strong position with bitcoin mining clients, into new sectors.
“We are pleased to now officially announce our partnership with Northern Data. We see great potential in our jointly-designed GPU clusters. We are excited to work closely with Northern Data as a strategic partner and high-potential customer in the field of HPC,” Thomas Yen, European head of Gigabyte Technologies, said.
Gigabyte Technology
The Taiwan-based company is principally engaged in the production, processing and sales of information technology (IT) products. The firm provides computer motherboards, three dimensional (3D) display graphic cards, laptops, tablets, personal computers (PCs), servers, smart phones, broadband network devices and wireless communication products, computer peripherals and network storage products. It distributes its products within Taiwan, as well as to the rest of Asia, Europe and the Americas.
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