Rising Cloud Costs, Performance Bottlenecks, Scalability Concerns, and Data Management issues incentivized a transition back to on-premises computing.
Their Challenge
Nor-Tech’s client, an autonomous air taxi company, relies heavily on high-fidelity simulations and computational modeling to refine its designs. Initially utilizing cloud-based computing resources, the client faced escalating costs and performance limitations. Specific challenges included:
- Rising Cloud Costs: As computational demands grew, cloud expenses became unsustainable.
- Performance Bottlenecks: Latency and bandwidth limitations in cloud infrastructure slowed simulation workflows.
- Scalability Concerns: Cloud computing resources were constrained by availability and fluctuating costs.
- Data Management: Large-scale simulation data required high-speed parallel storage, which cloud solutions struggled to deliver efficiently.
To overcome these challenges, the client partnered with Nor-Tech to develop an on-premises hybrid GPU and CPU cluster.
Our Solution
Nor-Tech designed a custom on-premises HPC cluster for the client, integrating:
- AMD EPYC CPUs for high-performance computing power.
- NVIDIA GPUs to accelerate simulations and AI workloads.
- Hybrid GPU & CPU Architecture to optimize performance for both parallelized and CPU-intensive applications.
- Parallel Storage Systems to enhance data throughput and reduce bottlenecks.
This shift resulted in significant cost savings while providing full control over computing resources. To further improve performance, Nor-Tech implemented a high-speed network fabric using:
- NVIDIA InfiniBand for low-latency, high-bandwidth GPU communication.
- High-speed Ethernet to support mixed workloads and distributed computing.
This configuration enabled the client to run complex simulations more efficiently, reducing computation times and improving data transfer speeds. Instead of housing the HPC cluster on-site, the client opted for a colocation strategy, which provided:
- Lower Operational Costs when compared to maintaining in-house data center infrastructure.
- Improved Security & Redundancy with a professionally managed colocation facility.
- Scalability & Reliability to support growing computational needs without physical constraints.
Their Success
The client achieved a 60% reduction in computing costs by transitioning from cloud-based resources to an on-premises cluster. This move also tripled simulation speeds through a hybrid CPU-GPU architecture and high-speed networking. The client realized enhanced data management with parallel storage and dedicated networking– improving the efficiency of large-scale simulation workflows. Additionally, the modular infrastructure ensures scalability to meet future computational needs.
By partnering with Nor-Tech, the client successfully transitioned from cloud computing to a high-performance, on-premises HPC cluster with colocation benefits. This transformation not only delivered substantial cost savings but also provided unparalleled control, scalability, and performance—critical for advancing next-generation autonomous aircraft technologies.
Nor-Tech Senior HPC Account Executive Tom Morton summarized, “This client enjoys working with us because we are responsive, have outstanding technical knowledge, and competitive pricing, they also like our strong network of partners and the resulting resources.”
About Nor-Tech
Nor-Tech built its reputation on the industry’s easiest-to-deploy cluster solutions and guaranteed no wait time support. The company designed and built the HPC cluster that enabled the first detection of a gravitational wave—a discovery destined to change history. In addition to HPC clusters, Nor-Tech’s custom technology includes workstations, desktops, and servers for a range of applications including CAE, CFD, and FEA. Clients include some of the most respected organizations in the world. Nor-Tech engineers average 20+ years of experience and are responsible for significant high performance computing innovations. The company has been in business since 1998 and is headquartered in Burnsville, Minn. just outside of Minneapolis. To contact Nor-Tech call 952-808-1000/toll free: 877-808-1010 or visit http://www.nor-tech.com. Full release at: http://www.nor-tech.com/category/news/
Contact us
Email: info@nor-tech.com
Call 952-808-1000; toll free: 877-808-1010.
