Bright Computing announced that the Department of Oceanography at Texas A&M University has selected Bright Cluster Manager to manage its AMD Opteron-based HPC Cluster. This system, installed by Bright partner Advanced HPC, will be used to better understand the environmental impact of oil spills and poisonous algae, as well as ocean currents as a predictor of weather forecasts.

Each year there are hundreds of ocean oil spills. Through its HPC clusters, Texas A&M is able to conduct forensic analysis, create operational models and run thousands of simulations based on the location of oil rigs, statistical maps, and models of the ocean floor. This research results in more accurate predictions on the expected reach of a spill, how it will affect the shoreline, and the extent of the damage. These models also support recommendations for the safest and most effective ways to clean up a spill.

Additional HPC-related research from the department of Oceanography spans various departments throughout Texas A&M University including physics, biology and geology. This research enables professors and students to advance their knowledge of oceanography and its sustaining life forms.

“HPC provides the backbone for our research,” said Rob Hetland, associate professor, Department of Oceanography, Texas A&M University. “We rely on Bright Cluster Manager as part of our larger HPC environment. Its easy to use and displays critical information such as dips in CPU performance in a graphically appealing interface. This allows us to always have critical information available.”

Texas A&M University uses Bright Cluster Manager to provision, monitor and manage a cluster to better understand the flow of ocean currents. Bright’s software also addresses the department’s requirements to more effectively run CPU- and bandwidth-intensive computing programs that support computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and hydrodynamic models of ocean flow.