University of Cambridge
Turning months into minutes for science research pioneers
The Client
The Department of Biochemistry at the University of Cambridge has strengthened its position as a leading force in life sciences, thanks to a high-performance cluster of 64 IBM servers, designed and commissioned by Logicalis. The new system represents exceptional price/performance and is backed by support from Logicalis, experts in providing powerful solutions to academic organisations.
The department (www.bioc.cam.ac.uk) has grown to become one of the largest in Cambridge, with around 400 research and support staff. Led by eminent scientist Professor Sir Tom Blundell, the department has an internationally-competitive research programme.
This has attracted many outstanding independent research fellows, together with funding from the Wellcome Trust, British Heart Foundation, BBSRC and MRC, plus project collaborations with enterprises such as GlaxoSmithKline and Phizer.
With its advanced facilities, the department is able to research in a range of biological processes from molecular enzymology and cell signalling, to molecular microbiology, plant molecular biology, cancer biochemistry and cardiovascular biology. Its science discoveries have quickly found their way into many aspects of medical, agricultural and environmental research.
The Challenge
Having sufficient computing power has been vital to the department's research. In particular, the need for a powerful new solution became a high priority for teams working in Crystallography - the study of atomic and molecular structure - and Bioinformatics, a single discipline often related to genomics research that combines biology, computer science and IT.
In both these areas, a large amount of complex data must be processed. However, these teams found that the existing system could take up to three months to complete results.
The specification for a large, new computational server farm was drawn up by the department and advertised through the European Journal tendering process. The contract was awarded to Logicalis, a leading IBM Premier Business Partner with a strong track record in the academic world.
"Logicalis' price was extremely competitive and we knew the IBM technology was robust," explains Dr David Burke, of the Department of Biochemistry. "We also recognised Logicalis' experience in this area. They understood our objectives and knew the best way to achieve success."
The Solution
Logicalis delivered a solution that provided enormous computing power. Sixty-four IBM 335 xSeries servers with dual Intel Xeon processors were con.gured as a CSM Cluster with Cisco switches, together with management and storage nodes. In addition, an IBM FAStT .bre disk provided 3TB of storage space, using SuSE Linux and pbsPRO. Finding a dedicated space for the new system was a challenge.
But Logicalis helped the department find the best location - and then optimise the environment.
The improved performance was felt immediately. "The new system has led to major time-savings and better quality work for the 50-80 researchers that use its power every day," says Dr Burke. "Instead of taking one month or three months, jobs can now be turned around in just one day. The same task can be repeated 100 times, leading to much better data and more valid results. The additional power is also enabling us to carry out research at a deeper level."
Improved reliability is another benefit. The granular design has helped maintain service levels of the overall cluster. The system has protection for its main nodes - and will keep operating, even in the event of a power outage. And should some of the nodes actually fail, then a drop in performance is barely noticeable because of the excellent redundancy.
The Department of Biochemistry has also valued the approach taken by Logicalis and the subsequent support provided for the system. "Logicalis have been friendly, professional and knowledgeable," says Dr Burke. "It's clear that they are experts in this area of high-performance computing."
"The cluster transformed the research we could do," adds Sir Tom Blundell. "It allowed us to predict, determine and refine the large structures of multiprotein systems that are central to cell regulation and are targets for the discovery of new medicines."
The Bottom Line
Researchers in Crystallography and Bioinformatics at the University of Cambridge can now enjoy 'same day' results for their complex computing challenges.
An IBM clustered solution, designed, delivered and supported by Logicalis, has boosted performance and reliability for the department's worldclass researchers.
Logicalis has underlined its reputation as a leading provider of high mperformance solutions in the UK academic marketplace.