The Quest for Petascale Computing

J. J. Dongarra
Department of Computer Science
University of Tennessee
Knoxville, TN 37996-1301
U. S. A.

D. W. Walker
Department of Computer Science
University of Wales, Cardiff
P. O. Box 916
Cardiff CF24 3XF
United Kingdom

Abstract

Achieving petaflop performance across a range of scientific applications will require not only breakthroughs in computing hardware, but also innovative advances in systems software, compilers, algorithms, and software environments. Although the challenges to crossing the petaflop/s barrier within the next decade are rather daunting, a number of software and hardware technologies are emerging that could be important to achieving this goal. This paper reviews these technologies and their current status, and then goes on to consider in more detail new algorithms capable of exploiting the architecture of a petascale computer.

J. J. Dongarra and D. W. Walker, The Quest for Petascale Computing, IEEE Computing in Science and Engineering, Vol. 3, No. 3, pages 32-39, May/June 2001. ISSN 1521-9615.