A group of 60 computers configured to act as one single large system – called a “cluster” – is currently being installed on the ETSU campus. Each computer has four processor cores, which means the cluster will have the power of 240 typical desktop computers.
It’s a move, university officials say, that will greatly enhance research efforts and offer capabilities unparalleled in this region.
“There are calculations, such as modeling, data mining, and large statistical analyses, we do in research that take several weeks or even months to complete, but, with this new computer cluster, some of that work can be done within a matter of hours,” said Dr. Scott Kirkby, assistant professor of chemistry and director of the Computational Research Facility. “Even data that took a year to produce can now be in our hands in just a few months.
“With larger and faster computers, we can now tackle bigger research problems.”
Previously, when these calculations needed to be done, Kirkby said the work had to be sent elsewhere, but facilities such as Oak Ridge National Laboratory and Virginia Tech are very busy. Due to the high demand for their services, delays were often experienced.
Kirkby said researchers in astronomy, chemistry, geology, medicine and physics will benefit the most from this system. Dr. Michael L. Woodruff, ETSU Vice Provost for Research, emphasized that the presence of the Computational Research Facility will be a major asset for faculty recruitment as well as for student research initiatives.
“Many of our students are participating in exciting research endeavors that require the assistance of a sophisticated computer system like the one we developed,” Woodruff said. “Unfortunately, in the past, some of those projects had to be abbreviated because there simply was not enough time to complete the calculations. I’m excited that our students will have access to state-of-the-art technology like this right here on campus.”
Renovations for the facility are nearing completion, and, once validation and testing have been performed, Kirkby expects the services to be operational later in the fall semester.

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