High performance computing (HPC) utilises tens of thousands of individual systems, operating as a single unit to perform complex calculations of a magnitude that would otherwise be unattainable. In today’s digital age, HPC has become a cornerstone of data processing and storage in many industries.

Whether it’s decoding genomes to unlock new solutions for neurodegenerative diseases, or powering Earth-observation applications to improve agricultural productivity and sustainability, an increasing number of organisations are relying on HPC to enhance their business efficiency and catalyse innovative scientific research.

Backed by over 20 years of experience, WA-headquartered DUG Technology (DUG) is at the forefront of HPC, providing advanced processing and storage solutions to leverage big data. Combining powerful, bare-metal compute and storage capabilities with expert service, DUG HPC Cloud delivers the power and support infrastructure needed to accelerate and scale workflows across a diverse range of sectors.

Unlocking new solutions for neurodegenerative diseases

Biotechnology company GenieUs Genomics (GenieUs) has developed a novel bioinformatic tool for whole-genome sequencing and the integrated analyses of various types of biological data, which require significant computation, intuitive visualisation and careful analysis. By understanding what is happening at a molecular level, and how this is unique to each individual, GenieUs is opening doors for personalised treatments for neurodegenerative diseases such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). However, faced with large datasets and lengthy processing times, GenieUs sought to improve the performance of its workflows to accelerate its research.

GenieUs engaged DUG to provide its tailored HPC expertise and workflow-optimisation support. DUG’s HPC Experts enabled compute nodes and storage to be allocated as demand required, as well as crafting a compliant environment that supported continuous integration with GenieUs’ software. This helped GenieUs researchers identify how to optimise the resources for their specific needs. With substantial performance improvements and reductions in memory consumption, they were able to process significantly more genomic samples in a shorter time frame—with some parts of the workflow up to 60 times faster!

Engineering efficient ships

Ship design specialists at Austal perform resource-intensive computational analyses to improve the efficiency and performance of defence and commercial vessels. For instance, their new artificial-intelligence toolset DeepMorpher streamlines the digital prototyping of ship hulls. It helps Austal explore broader design spaces whilst significantly reducing resource requirements for complex hull-optimisation routines.

Faced with increasing computational demands and a need to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions, Austal’s specialists sought rapid access to the latest hardware and an efficient, flexible HPC platform. Providing tailored support and bespoke, code-optimisation expertise, DUG ensured that Austal’s software and workflows could leverage its HPC platform.

Max Haase, Development Hydrodynamics Specialist at Austal, said, “With the support of HPC provider DUG Technology, we can reduce the timeframe for hull form optimisation in conjunction with computational fluid dynamics by an order of magnitude.”

By enabling cutting-edge ship-performance optimisation, DUG is helping Austal to maximise vessel efficiency for its defence and commercial customers.

Harvesting the benefits of enhanced analytics in agriculture

LatConnect 60 provides high-resolution satellite imagery for enhanced crop management. It was facing increasing time and cost constraints due to the inflexibility of other cloud providers, impeding its ability to process data efficiently. LatConnect 60 engaged DUG for the provision of HPC as-a-service, configured for Earth-observation workflows, that would allow it to service the enormous amounts of data captured from satellites. DUG’s experts created a complete HPC environment for LatConnect 60 to run its software and analytics workflows efficiently.

LatConnect 60 CEO Venkat Pillay said, “The team and I at LatConnect 60 have been thoroughly impressed by the speed and scale at which DUG’s HPC offering has been able to support our agriculture analytics services. Data-processing tasks which took us weeks in the past can now be completed in a few hours. This is a game-changing development for us.”

With DUG’s tailored HPC solution, LatConnect 60 has the advanced compute capability to easily scale its agriculture analytics services, providing more value to its clients. These services play a crucial role in helping the agriculture sector make better-informed decisions regarding crop and resource management, leading to increased productivity and sustainability, from planting, through growing, to harvesting.

Tailored, energy-efficient, HPC solutions

DUG HPC Cloud provides comprehensive services not commonly available in large public or private clouds. These include bare-metal compute hardware and high-speed networks with low latency. DUG’s innovative High Performance Storage, based on VAST Data’s all-flash technology, transforms how DUG’s clients interact with data, regardless of size or access needs.

In today’s competitive landscape, DUG understands the importance of tailored and well-supported HPC solutions, which require the consideration and management of many interrelated factors. From code onboarding and data access to software optimisation and cluster configuration, DUG’s HPC Experts address each client’s unique needs and challenges, allowing them to focus on their priorities.

As data continues to grow exponentially, organisations need advanced HPC cloud solutions that are not only efficient but also environmentally sustainable. To address the enormous energy requirements of data centres, DUG developed a patented, award-winning, immersion-cooling technology called DUG Cool. This green technology reduces the power consumption of DUG HPC Cloud by over 50%, translating into cost savings that directly benefit clients.

With a commitment to innovation and sustainability, DUG provides the client-centric HPC resources and support needed to stay ahead in today’s data-driven world.

Watch DUG’s recent feature on Channel 7 News here:

To optimise your workflows and harness the power of HPC, reach out to DUG at [email protected].