Collaboration of Oak Ridge, Argonne, and Livermore
Stored: Collaboration of Oak Ridge, Argonne, and Livermore
| Type | Initiative |
|---|---|
| Sponsor Organization | Partnership |
| Top Organization | Department of Energy |
| Creation Legislation | None |
| Website | Website |
| Purpose | The Collaboration of Oak Ridge, Argonne, and Livermore secures advanced supercomputers for research and security at three Department of Energy labs, targeting 200 peak petaflops to tackle energy, climate, and stockpile challenges. |
| Program Start | 2014 |
| Initial Funding | Not specified; funded through DOE contracts |
| Duration | 2014-2018 |
| Historic | Yes |
Collaboration of Oak Ridge, Argonne, and Livermore (CORAL) was a Department of Energy initiative that united three national laboratories—Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL)—to acquire next-generation supercomputers capable of performing up to 200 peak petaflops, about ten times faster than the most powerful systems of its time. The program procured advanced supercomputing systems to support scientific research missions under the DOE’s Office of Science and national security efforts through the National Nuclear Security Administration’s (NNSA) Advanced Simulation and Computing (ASC) program, delivering systems like Sierra (LLNL), Summit (ORNL), and Aurora (ANL) between 2017 and 2018. This collaborative procurement, completed in 2018, marked a significant step toward exascale computing, with its legacy continuing through the operational systems it established.
Goals
- Deploy supercomputers exceeding 120-200 petaflops to enhance computational research capabilities.
- Support DOE Office of Science missions in energy, climate, and astrophysics, and NNSA’s stockpile stewardship for nuclear deterrence.
- Achieve technological advancements for exascale computing, targeting system delivery and operational readiness by 2018.
Organization
The Collaboration of Oak Ridge, Argonne, and Livermore was a partnership effort led by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, which spearheaded the procurement process, with Oak Ridge and Argonne tailoring systems to their specific missions. It involved no single sub-organization sponsor but was funded through DOE contracts with industry partners IBM, NVIDIA, and Mellanox. Governance included a joint Request for Proposals issued January 6, 2014, with system selections finalized after vendor responses on February 18, 2014. The initiative delivered three systems: Sierra for LLNL’s ASC program, Summit for ORNL’s Advanced Scientific Computing Research (ASCR), and Aurora for ANL’s ASCR.
The leader of the program held the title of CORAL Procurement Lead, with LLNL’s Michel McCoy, ASC Program Director, playing a key role during its tenure.
Partners
History
CORAL originated in 2014 to address the need for advanced high-performance computing (HPC) to tackle complex scientific and security challenges beyond the capabilities of existing systems. It was established through a DOE-led collaboration rather than specific legislation, with a joint procurement strategy announced in January 2014. Key events included the delivery of Summit to ORNL and Sierra to LLNL in 2018, recognized by HPCWire with an Editor’s Choice Award for Best HPC Collaboration, and Aurora’s initial deployment to ANL in 2018, with upgrades continuing post-CORAL. The initiative ended in 2018 with system installations, transitioning into operational phases at each lab.
Funding
Initial funding specifics were not publicly detailed, sourced through DOE contracts with vendors IBM, NVIDIA, and Mellanox, starting in 2014. The program ran from 2014 to 2018, with costs embedded in broader DOE budgets for HPC development. No additional funding was authorized post-2018, as CORAL’s scope was limited to procurement and delivery, after which operational funding shifted to individual lab budgets.
Implementation
CORAL implemented its goals by issuing a joint Request for Proposals in January 2014, selecting IBM as the primary vendor for Sierra and Summit (with NVIDIA and Mellanox support), and Intel for Aurora. The rollout occurred in phases: Sierra and Summit were delivered and operational by 2018, while Aurora faced delays but was installed by 2018 with later enhancements. The initiative concluded in 2018, with systems supporting distinct missions—stockpile stewardship at LLNL, and scientific research at ORNL and ANL.
Related
External links
- https://www.energy.gov/articles/livermore-joins-oak-ridge-and-argonne-develop-next-supercomputers
- https://www.llnl.gov/news/tri-lab-collaboration-will-bring-sierra-supercomputer-lab-recognized