Cloud-based supercomputing definition
Cloud-based supercomputing means using a group (known as a cluster) of powerful internet-connected computers to efficiently manage and solve complicated tasks. These computers work together like a team, sharing out the workload and carrying out their allocated tasks at the same time (this is called parallel processing). Doing so speeds up the process, making supercomputing more flexible and efficient than regular computing.
See also: cloud operating system
How cloud-based supercomputing works
- Cloud-based supercomputers use multiple connected computers, called a cluster, via cloud platforms.
- Cloud service providers offer computing resources on a pay-as-you-go basis, including processing power, memory, and storage. Users can choose the amount of resources they need for their tasks.
- Users create virtual machines (VMs) or containers on the cloud platform. These digital versions of actual computers are easy to set up, manage, and scale.
- Complex tasks are divided into smaller parts that supercomputers can process simultaneously. These tasks are distributed across the virtual machines in the cloud cluster.
- The virtual machines communicate with each other to share data and collaborate on the task.
- Once the computers complete all the individual parts of the task, the results are collected, compiled, and analyzed to produce the outcome.
Advantages of cloud-based supercomputing
- Scalability
- Affordability
- Parallel processing
- Collaboration
- Reduced processing time
- Resource management
