China to jump supercomputer barrier（中國(guó)突破超級(jí)計(jì)算機(jī)技術(shù)壁壘）（英文）
張之豪,張敏
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China to jump supercomputer barrier
China has started to build a new-generation supercomputer that is expected to be 10 times faster than the current world champion.
This year, China is aiming for breakthroughs in high-performance processors and other key technologies to build the world's first prototype exascale supercomputer, the Tianhe-3, said Meng Xiangfei, the director of application at the National Super Computer Tianjin Center. The prototype is expected to be completed in early 2018.
"Exascale" means it will be capable of making a quintillion (1 followed by 18 zeros) calculations per second. That is at least 10 times faster than the world's current speed champ, the Sunway TaihuLight, China's first supercomputer to use domestically designed processors. That computer has a peak speed of 125 quadrillion (1 followed by 15 zeros) calculations per second, he said.
"Its computing power is on the next level, cementing China as the world leader in supercomputer hardware," Meng said. It would be available for public use and "help us tackle some of the world's toughest scientific challenges with greater speed, precision and scope", he added.
Tianhe-3 will be made entirely in China, from processors to operating system. It will be stationed in Tianjin and fully operational by 2020, earlier than the US plan for its exascale supercomputer, he said.
China also likely has another exascale supercomputer in the works. "Such machines take years to make and typically are retired in six to eight years, so you always need a backup, especially when your older models are overworked."
Tianhe-1, China's first quadrillion-level supercomputer developed in 2009, is now working at full capacity, undertaking more than 1,400 assignments each day, solving problems "from stars to cells".
The exascale supercomputer will be able to analyze smog distribution on a national level, while current models can only handle a district. Tianhe-3 also could simulate earthquakes and epidemic outbreaks in more detail, allowing swifter and more effective government responses, Meng said.
The new machine also will be able to analyze gene sequence and protein structures in unprecedented scale and speed. That may lead to new discoveries and more potent medicine, he said.
Liu Guangming, director of the National Super Computer Tianjin Center, said Tianhe-3 will generate over 10 billion yuan ($1.49 billion) in economic benefits per year, according to the The Paper, a Shanghai news organization.
中國(guó)突破超級(jí)計(jì)算機(jī)技術(shù)壁壘
中國(guó)已啟動(dòng)研制新一代超級(jí)計(jì)算機(jī)，該款計(jì)算機(jī)將比現(xiàn)在世界上最快的超級(jí)計(jì)算機(jī)運(yùn)行速度還要快10倍。
中國(guó)國(guó)家超級(jí)計(jì)算天津中心應(yīng)用研發(fā)部部長(zhǎng)孟祥飛表示，目前中國(guó)正在瞄準(zhǔn)高性能處理器和其他關(guān)鍵技術(shù)方面的突破，以研制世界上第一臺(tái)百億億次超級(jí)計(jì)算機(jī)——“天河三號(hào)”的原型機(jī)。該原型機(jī)預(yù)計(jì)將在2018年初完成。
“百億億次”意味著它的浮點(diǎn)計(jì)算處理能力將達(dá)到10的18次方。這比目前全球最快的超級(jí)計(jì)算機(jī)——“神威·太湖之光”的速度至少快10倍。“神威”是中國(guó)第一臺(tái)使用國(guó)產(chǎn)處理器的超級(jí)計(jì)算機(jī)，其每秒鐘的峰值計(jì)算能力達(dá)到125萬(wàn)億次。
“‘天河三號(hào)’的運(yùn)算能力將更上一層樓，能鞏固中國(guó)在超級(jí)計(jì)算機(jī)硬件領(lǐng)域的世界領(lǐng)先地位。”孟祥飛說(shuō)，“它未來(lái)將向公眾開(kāi)放使用，并幫助我們以更快的速度、更高的精度和廣度解決一些世界上最棘手的科學(xué)難題。”
孟祥飛透露，落戶天津的“天河三號(hào)”從處理器到操作系統(tǒng)將完全在中國(guó)制造，并計(jì)劃在2020年左右全面投入使用，早于美國(guó)超級(jí)計(jì)算機(jī)的制造計(jì)劃。
中國(guó)也可能同時(shí)在研發(fā)其他的百億億次超級(jí)計(jì)算機(jī)。孟祥飛指出：“超級(jí)計(jì)算機(jī)需要花費(fèi)很多年才能制造出來(lái)，并且通常會(huì)在6-8年內(nèi)退役，所以你總是需要一個(gè)備用，尤其是在老款機(jī)型常常超負(fù)荷工作時(shí)?！?/p>
“天河一號(hào)”是中國(guó)第一臺(tái)千萬(wàn)億次超級(jí)計(jì)算機(jī)，目前正滿負(fù)荷工作，每天承擔(dān)1400多項(xiàng)任務(wù)，解決“從行星到細(xì)胞”等各式各樣的問(wèn)題。
百億億次的超級(jí)計(jì)算機(jī)能分析全國(guó)的霧霾擴(kuò)散情況，而目前的超級(jí)計(jì)算機(jī)只能分析一個(gè)地區(qū)的霧霾擴(kuò)散情況。孟祥飛說(shuō)，“天河三號(hào)”可以更詳細(xì)、更快速地模擬地震和疫情爆發(fā)數(shù)據(jù)，使政府的應(yīng)急措施更加迅速和有效。新超級(jí)計(jì)算機(jī)還將以前所未有的速度分析基因序列和蛋白質(zhì)結(jié)構(gòu)。這可能會(huì)帶來(lái)新的發(fā)現(xiàn)和產(chǎn)出更有效的藥物。
國(guó)家超級(jí)計(jì)算機(jī)天津中心主任劉光明透露，預(yù)計(jì)“天河三號(hào)”每年將產(chǎn)生超過(guò)100億元人民幣（約14.9億美元）的實(shí)際經(jīng)濟(jì)效益。
