Research never stands still, and supercomputing is no exception. Traditionally, high-performance computing (HPC) and AI clusters required rigid processes and significant capital investment. However, modern research demands flexibility, scalability, and cost efficiency. Achieving this balance is challenging due to the inherent complexities of modern infrastructures, making cost effective implementation is a struggle for many.
Alces Flight specialises in flexible, scalable, and sustainable HPC solutions, removing traditional barriers to supercomputing. Our subscription platform is designed with the future in mind. We offer a fresh approach that eliminates outdated constraints, enabling subscribers to integrate their existing infrastructure with new hardware and cloud resources under a one virtual roof. This unified system provides real-time visibility across the entire computing estate, enhancing security, resilience, and adaptability.
Real-World Impact: University of Liverpool
A member of the prestigious Russell Group, the University of Liverpool has leveraged our platform since 2017, starting with the installation of their first hybrid system, Barkla. This solution combined a bare-metal HPC cluster with public cloud capabilities, enabling scalable, secure research environments. Barkla played an important role in COVID-19 research, demonstrating the power of hybrid HPC/AI in rapid-response scientific efforts.
With Barkla’s scheduled refresh in 2025, the university is applying the insights gained from our platform to design Barkla 2. This next-generation cluster will build upon its predecessor’s foundation, further advancing research across multiple disciplines. Powered by the latest AMD EPYC processors, Barkla2 doubles the available computing power for researchers while also deploying a number of Nvidia H-series GPUs suitable for AI training and inference workloads.
A Unified HPC Ecosystem That Adapts to You
Thanks to our platform-based approach, the transition from Barkla to Barkla 2 will be seamless. By adopting our unified environment management, the university ensures that hardware functions as just one component of the overall solution, rather than the primary focus. This allows users to shift smoothly to the new system as components come online, and are able to focus on optimizing workflows to the improved architecture without requiring extensive retraining.
Security, Compliance & Sustainability
Barkla 2 will leverage our platform’s secure gateway functionality, granting users controlled access to their work and data while meeting stringent security and compliance standards. Our solution ensures legal and industry compliance without compromising performance or increasing latency concerns.
Additionally, Barkla 2 aligns with the University of Liverpool’s 2031 Strategy by fostering collaboration and enhancing resource accessibility to drive innovation. Sustainability is also a key focus, as the university’s 2035 Net Zero goal takes center stage. Thanks to the capabilities of our platform to capture, the team at Liverpool will be able to analyse the environmental impact of supercomputing resources and work towards building greener, more efficient systems for the future.
With a subscription-based supercomputing model, research institutions like the University of Liverpool can break free from traditional constraints, embracing a future where flexibility, security, and sustainability go hand in hand.