Leibniz Supercomputing Center: Leading the Way in High-Performance Computing, Green Energy Solutions

The Leibniz Supercomputing Center（German: Leibniz-Rechenzentrum, LRZ）in Germany is one of the largest high-performance computing centers in Europe and the first of its kind in the country to offer quantum computing services.

Founded in 1962, the LRZ is a member of the Gauss Center for Supercomputing (GCS). The GCS is composed of Germany's three top supercomputing centers: the LRZ, the Jülich Supercomputing Center, and the High-Performance Computing Center Stuttgart, each with its own unique strengths. Together, they provide leading-edge supercomputing services in Germany.

Many devices in the LRZ are labelled with the Lenovo logo, because the LRZ uses SuperMUC-NG, a new generation supercomputing system developed jointly by Lenovo Group Ltd and the Intel Corporation. This system provides the center with more powerful computing capabilities, enabling it to provide support for scientific research in such complex fields as astrophysics, fluid mechanics and life sciences.

Since the SuperMUC-NG system was put into use, scientists have used supercomputers not only for traditional simulations and modeling, but for automated image and pattern recognition in the observations of planets and in the collection of satellite climate data, medical images and health data and demographics data.

The system also requires smaller space and saves over 45 percent in energy consumption. Its successful application in the LRZ’s projects has further generated demand for stronger data analysis, machine learning and fast storage.

In 2021, the SuperMUC-NG system was upgraded with an updated solution developed by Lenovo and Intel, which increased its capability to compute nodes by 4 times, and made it one of the fastest and most energy-efficient computers in the world.

The system has also been combined with AI solutions to achieve advanced simulation, modeling and data analysis to meet the growing demand for computing power in complex projects such as cosmology. This has inspired top scholars from across Europe to conduct pioneering research.

"Our system can support scientific research that requires very powerful computing capabilities, such as simulating how stars are formed," said a professor at the LRZ.

The center recently used the supercomputing power of the entire SuperMUC-NG system to simulate interstellar turbulence and obtained groundbreaking results.

The LRZ has tremendous computing power that general computers cannot match, but the power also leads to multiplied energy consumption. Faced with this problem, the LRZ adopted the Neptune water-cooling technology developed by Lenovo, which is able to remove about 90 percent of the heat generated by its computing system and save 35 percent in energy consumption compared to traditional air-cooling technology. The energy saved can supply power to 4,700 German households for a year. This is a green development path pioneered by the LRZ.

At the same time, the residual heat generated by the system can be used to heat the offices in winter so as to further improve energy efficiency. It is said that all of the devices in the center will soon be equipped with the new cooling system and will be very quiet when operating.

On the roof of the center, there are a large number of cooling devices of different ages. In the past, servers were so large that they consumed a lot of energy and generated much heat. Today, the devices are much smaller, but due to their faster and more powerful performance, heat dissipation is still a problem that must be addressed. Now, new technologies allow the center to collect the heat generated by the machines and turn it into electricity to cool the servers. This will reduce costs and emissions, and better protect the environment.