1. CACR Proposal Initiative: Maui High Performance Computing Center
Developed for the Center for Advanced Computing Research California Institute of Technology
Dan M. Davis (310) by
DMDC
Proprietary, © Dan M. Davis 2011

2. Maui High Performance Computing Center (MHPCC)

3. Overview Basic Thesis MHPCC Background Masters
Current Solicitation Status
Players
Suggested Approach

4. CACR Benefits from Managing MHPCC
Significant portion of ~$20M/yr op budget
Ten year stability
Four-year base contract
2 x Three-year extensions
Wide ranging research project entrées
Visibility in DoD HPC realm
Beach-head on Hawai’i, major DoD area
Good relationship opportunity with Hawaiian Senators

5. Relative Sizes of HPC Computational Power
Centers we have experience managing HPCMP Centers MHPCC
As per November 2010 Top 500 rankings -

6. Maui High Performance Computing Center
MHPCC is an Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) center
Currently run by University of Hawai’i
Located in the Maui Research and Technology Park in Kihei
The MHPCC is a DSRC of the HPCMP
MHPCC operates varying configurations of computer clusters
Mana – 9,210 core Dell PowerEdge Cluster 93rd in World
From Jaws - 5,120 core Dell Poweredge cluster
HOSC – 1,280 core Xeon Cluster
Budget: O($20M/yr)
Staff: O (60 FTEs)

7. Maui
Airport
Lahaina
MHPCC
Hana
Air Force Observatory
Wailea

8. MHPCC Hardware

9. MHPCC Research Thrusts
Research Activities:
Large-Scale Data Management
Terabyte Level Database Architectures, Enhancements, and Integration
Maritime and Airborne Cargo Tracking
Analysis Decision Support Systems
Modeling and Simulation Support
Computational Science Expertise in:
Parallel Software Optimization
Software Integration
Test-bed Engineering
Virtual Training and Simulation Test-bed Environment
Subject Matter Expertise in:
Scalable Computing Technology
Image Processing Algorithms and Information Fusion
High Fidelity Radar Simulations
Weather Forecasting Engineering Services
Computational Chemistry and Bio-Chemistry
Space Physics

10. Maui High Performance Computing Center - Kihei
MHPCC

11. Keys to Success Three Requirements: Three Masters: Three Approaches:
Viable Vision
Cogent Argument
Satisfactory Delivery
Three Masters:
AFRL
Senator Inouye
HMPCM Community
Three Approaches:
Answer AFRL concerns
Interact with Senator’s Office
Publish to make HPCMP look vital
Dr. David Hardy , Dir. Directed Energy, AFRL
Dean Schorr briefs Sen. Inouye
Cray Henry Dir. HPCMP

12. Solicitation
Management and Development of the Maui High Performance Computing Center (MHPCC) Defense Supercomputing Resource Center (DSRC)
Solicitation Number: FA R-0007
Agency: Department of the Air Force
Office: Air Force Materiel Command
Location: AFRL - Directed Energy Directorate (Kirtland AFB, Albuquerque, NM)
No solicitation is being issued at this time.
The Government in making a set-aside decision.
New management team was to take over on 01 Oct, with a transition period beginning on 01 Jul.
Four year contract with two three year extensions
Max Value = $300M total

13. RFP Areas Where CACR would Excel
Director of Research
Chief Scientist
Chief Technologist
Director of Development
Outreach to:
DoD hierarchy
Warfighters
HPCMP/HPC Community
Project Management
Porting code to novel systems
Researchers/programmers

14. Competition Univ. of Hawai'i/ LockMart SAIC/? Akimeka/ UCSD Boeing/??
Name
Company
Wes Freiwald
Pacific Defense Solutions, LLC
Daron Nishimoto
Riki Madea
Paul Sydney
Meredith McDonald
Staff Tech (STI)
Matthew Granger
Akimeka LLC
Todd Lawson
Craig Stair
Raytheon Company
Tim Dolan
George Ziga
Norman Ho
CSC
Stephen Karwoski
SAIC
Michael Klassen
Michael Kornfeld
Barry Pang
Duke Gard
Booz Allen Hamilton
Theodore Kreifels
Tyan Chun
Jennifer Oliver
Donald Fabozzi II
Imagine Media Group LLC
Marc Lefebvre
Name
Company
Gene Bal
University of Hawaii
Jeff Brown
Lyle Hugenberger
David Lessner
Gary Levins
Boeing LTS
Wayne Gaede
Jerry Cornell
Jan Wine
Gary Murakami
Referentia Systems
Derek Chang
Gerald Greer
ActioNet Inc
Thomas Thornton
Glenn Takahashi
ActionNet Inc
Dan Davis
DMDC, HPC Consultants
Roger Fitzwilson
Terra Designs Inc
Elizabeth Orletsky
Science Application International
Warren Ahloo
Akimeka
Chancy Hopper
Lockheed Martin
Dave Lemonds
Jeff Gosciniak
MHPCC Industry Day Sign-In
4 Nov 2010
Decent chance of ISI’s winning (~ 4 major competitors so, win chance ~ 20%)

15. Blunt Critique of Competition Language in Prop would emphasize how CACR differs
Lockheed – Martin
Too big to be responsive
Already run HPCMP MSRCs
University of Hawai’i
Too focused on local issues
Not top-50 univ. (159th)
Sets own agenda
Akimeka (VSE subsidiary)
No HPC experience
No DoD mgt. skills
San Diego Supr. Comp. Centr.
Non-DoD academic research
Focus on theory and science:
Not war-fighter oriented
DoD unfriendly (no ROTC)
SAIC
Funding driven
No significant HPC skills
Non-collaborative
Small Hawaiian firms
Too Small
Too local

16. Overall Vision Need a combination that gives best value to AFRL
Contractor reliability and responsiveness
Academic reputation and reach-back
Most teams will eschew that and go with “we can do it all” or an unbalanced team structure
Alion brings qualities that should attract AFRL
Big enough to do the job
Small enough to make AFRL important
Reputation for delivery
CACR brings rest of mix
More than pure academic researchers
History of successful deliveries of systems
Major University size, reputation and defense orientation
Excellent connections with DoD Schools (NPS, AFIT, Army War Col.)

17. People with Whom CACR is working at Alion
As per Wikipedia
Alion Science and Technology (pronounced like “ a lion”) is an employee-owned technology solutions company delivering technical expertise and operational support to the United States Department of Defense, civilian government agencies and commercial customers. In 2002,approximately 1600 employees purchased most of the assets of IIT Research Institute.
Type: Employee-owned Industry: Defense contractor Headquarters: McLean, VA, U.S.) Revenue: $834 million Employees : ~4000 Web Site:
LtGen Richard “Tex” Brown Defense Operations and Integrations Sector Deputy Manager
Michael Neyland VP Business Development
William Culbertson Division Manger Suffolk
Donna and Rae Dehncke JESPP Project PMs for Alion

18. CACR/Caltech Initiative Activities
Pick up the “gauntlet” for engineering for HPCMP in response to ASDRE
Direct support of warfighters
Training and experimentation
Decision support
Academic experience to become training center for HPCMP
Caltech and CACR assets to promote code porting, parallelization
CACR/Caltech as new DoD HPC paradigm modeler

19. CACR/Caltech Special Contributions
Provide scientific vision via Chief Scientist and Technologist
Use contacts to expand MHPCC user-base
Implement coherent development plan
Task Project Managers with development goals
Aggressively seek out new business at DoD confs.
Regularly meet to review new opportunities
Effectively use SCI capabilities at MHPCC
Evangelize HPCC in entrepreneurial way

20. Conceptual Organization and Early “Guesstimates”
Assume base of ~$20M/yr (Based on AFRL’s ~$10M/yr for H/W)
Alion brings Executive, Admin and Operations skills
High and low end of wage scale (i.e. Directors and SysOps)
Executive staff and senior Managers O(10 FTEs, $4M)
Sys Ops, Clerical and support O(50 FTEs, $10M)
Caltech brings Research Visibility and Reputation
Contacts with DoD research community for:
Outreach
Development
Reputation in academic and scientific community
Senior Scientists and PMs O(7 FTEs, $2.5M)
Researchers and GRAs (21 FTEs, $3.5M)
CACR/Caltech Recover $6M x 10 Years - $60M win

21. Proposal Preparations
Alion has background in this size proposal
Capture Manager and Proposal Prep run at Alion
Alion also to write sections on:
Operations
Cost containment
Security
Management optimization
Caltech can write good sections on:
HPC Ops (Caltech has run supercomputer longer than MHPCC)
CACR is world-known as leader in emerging HPC
Research responsiveness to AFRL should be hallmark
Both groups can supply compelling presenters

22. Major Thrusts We can contain costs! We do this for a living !
We will be responsive !
We understand the DoD !
We are a well balanced team !
We can overcome emerging hurdles !
We have the reach-back to meet needs !

23. Issues If USAF is unhappy with UH, what is nature of that?
What are the major “drivers” at AFRL today?
Cost containment?
Warfighter relevance?
Technical excellence?
Research agenda agility?
What is best configuration of Alion/Caltech team?
How to effectively differentiate team from others?
Who will provide vision? … logistics? … final approach?
How do we propose so that the team functions well and forms into a cohesive alliance for ten years?

24. CACR/Caltech Positioning
Best off with academic-friendly prime
Avoid being victim of “logo robbing”
Find prime of optimal size to attract AFRL
Work with prime who “needs” us
Maintain cordial relations with
AFRL
HPCMP
Senator’s Office
Inculcate need for CACR skills in proposing and implementing the organization
Jealously guard pay billets
Expand research base