HPC Achievement and Impact – Past and Future

For many years, this keynote has provided a comprehensive overview of the latest trends and news that have emerged in the field of high performance computing (HPC) over the previous twelve months. The extensive coverage provided by this annual retrospective has contributed to its immense popularity among attendees of the ISC conference for almost two decades. This time around we extend this tradition to not only highlight significant HPC-related events since last year’s conference, but also to provide a sneak peek into what the future holds. With Exaflops (Rmax) achieved by Frontier in 2022 (and announced on this stage), the world-wide supercomputing community is energetically attacking new challenges, further building excitement in the rapidly expanding field of HPC. Hardware heterogeneity is increasing dramatically, with more vendors competing for the market and newcomers bringing innovative ideas and approaches to user applications. These are designed to not only address traditional HPC workloads, but also the growing volume of AI applications. The range of processing architectures, memories, and networks that can be incorporated into HPC systems is broader than it has ever been, including, among others, tensor accelerators, AI accelerators, ASIC-based processors, and neuromorphic devices. Many of these technologies come from the datacenter and cloud computing arena, challenging past conventional strategies, while also providing broader domains to meet new market and user requirements. With the rise of cloud computing, HPC is establishing more ways to achieve its essential, indeed growing role for scientific research, engineering, medical, defense, and data-intensive applications. Supercomputing provides greater control over the hardware and software stack, high-speed interconnects, and wide openness for collaboration and innovation, which makes it the preferred choice for many applications. The dense network of brainpower and tools for dedicated user support and training also contribute to its uniqueness. HPC is continuously evolving, adapting to new technologies and market priorities. As such, it will continue to be a critical tool for advancing science and technology. We are optimistic about the future of HPC and believe the field has never been more promising. During this presentation, we will explore the latest developments and research areas in HPC and how they are being used to address some of the world's most urgent challenges, such as climate change, global pandemics, and the energy crisis. Join us as we explore the latest breakthroughs in HPC, and discover the exciting possibilities that are on the horizon.