Al Gore to Keynote SC09

Inside HPC is reporting that former Vice President Al Gore will keynote the SC09 conference this November in Portland:

"Gore is a long time advocate of the power of technology and its transformative effects on our society. During his time in Congress (he served as both a Representative and Senator from 1977 through 1993) Gore was one of the Atari Democrats, a group of legislators focused on technological issues. Internet pioneers Robert Kahn and Vinton Cerf have written of Gore that, “he was the first elected official to grasp the potential of computer communications to have a broader impact than just improving the conduct of science and scholarship.” Gore also sponsored the High Performance Computing and Communication Act of 1991, a bill that created the National Information Infrastructure, and held the first congressional hearings on global warming.

SC09 Conference Chair Wilf Pinfold explains that the SC09 Committee’s goal in selecting Gore to keynote this year’s conference was not to push a particular technological or political agenda, but to find the person best-suited to ignite a global conversation about the role that supercomputing will play in addressing the many climate, energy, and social challenges facing our society. Gore will address the conference on Thursday morning, not on Tuesday as regular attendees might have expected. “The schedule was driven by the vice president’s availability, but ultimately we think it is a great move for the conference.” Full Story

SC09 Newsletter for April

The SC09 conference has released their latest newsletter with these headlines:

* Technical Panel Proposals Now Due May 1
* Submissions Now Open for SC09 Storage Challenge
* Website Assists International Attendees
* Student Cluster Competition - Ready, Set, Go!
* SC Education Program Announces Summer Workshops
* SCinet Releases Call for Circuits with May 29 Deadline
* Bio-Computing Thrust to Showcase Amazing Applications
* Share Your Interests with Colleagues at SC BOFs

You can subscribe to future issues.

SC09 Tech Program Submissions Deadline Extended

SC09, the international conference for high performance computing, networking, storage and analysis, which opens November 14th in Portland, is the HPC community's premiere opportunity to immerse yourself in the latest developments in supercomputing technology and applications. Here you'll find the latest in high performance computing (HPC), networking, storage, and analysis applied to the world's most challenging commercial, scientific, and engineering problems.

Now is the time to begin planning your part in SC09. Submissions for the SC09 Technical Program are now being accepted at: https://submissions.supercomputing.org/. Abstracts for papers, including Gordon Bell Prize submissions, must be submitted by Friday, April 3. The deadline for full papers, as well as proposals for tutorials and workshops, has been extended to Monday, April 13.  The deadline for Panels has been extended to May 1st.

SC09 Podcast #1: A View from the Chair

In the inaugural episode of the SC09 podcast series, John Kirkley talks to 2009 conference chair Wilf Pinfold about where the conference is headed this year, what exciting new technologies will be on display in Portland and why, if you have to pick only one conference to attend in 2009, SC09 is your "must go" event. John also talks with SC09's Mike Bernhardt about what to expect in Portland, and how to stay in touch with the conference throughout the year. Download MP3 or Subscribe on iTunes.

Video: Twitter's growth driven by unexpected uses


In the year leading up to this talk, the web tool Twitter exploded in size (up 10x during 2008 alone). Co-founder Evan Williams reveals that many of the ideas driving that growth came from unexpected uses invented by the users themselves.

Speaking of unexpected uses, SC09 is leveraging Social Media tools like Twitter to grow our Supercomputing community online. Join us; visit our SC09 Twitter site and click the Follow button!

Interview: SC09 Conference Chair Wilf Pinfold

SC09 in November will be the largest conference ever in Portland. I sat down with Wilf Pinfold, Conference Chair, to get a first look at what we can expect to see at the show.

You've held a number of committee assignments for SC over the years. How did they prepare you for the role of Chair this year?

I have been involved with the conference since its first year and have held positions on the technical program, exhibits, and communications committees. Each position has provided a new level of insight into the operation of the conference however, the most important thing that I have gained over the years is getting to know and trust the members of this community. It is only through the high level of commitment and the high skill level of the volunteers that this conference is a success.

 

Can you tell us more about your background and day job?

I am Director, Extreme Scale Programs at Intel Corporation. In this role I am responsible for developing long-range technology research programs in areas relating to extreme parallelism, resilience, and energy-efficiency.

 

As Conference Chair for SC09, what are the primary goals for the conference?

First we intend to build on and strengthen the traditional foundations of the conference; the technical program, exhibits and the community programs. For the technical program we plan to add a track to give more time to the exceptionally high quality papers we receive each year.  For the conference exhibits, we've implemented a process change for strategically placing booths to improve the distribution and integration of large, small, research and industry exhibits.   And finally, to build on community programs, we have integrated education, broader engagement and student programs to give educators AND students of all national, ethnic, and minority groups more options for participation in the conference and the community.

In addition to strengthening these foundations we are soliciting content in three thrust areas bio-computing, sustainability, and the 3D Internet. These thrusts will help illustrate the ways in which high performance, networking, storage and analytics bring value to our lives on a daily basis.

 

It's been 10 years since the SC conference came to Portland. What kind of changes can conference attendees expect to see?

Since the last time we were in Portland, the Oregon Convention Center has doubled in size providing over a quarter million more square feet of exhibit space, 50 meeting rooms, and a new, 35,000-square-foot ballroom.

TriMet, the Portland area’s regional transit authority, has extended the MAX (Metropolitan Area Express) light rail system. There are currently 44-miles of light rail network. One of the most recent extensions was the Red Line which connects Portland International Airport to downtown - a 38-minute ride on luggage-friendly, low-floor trains.

There are also a number of new hotels including the 331-room Luxury Hotel “the Nines”,  and an upscale downtown boutique property called Hotel Modera.

 

SC09 has three main thrusts. First, why three? And what kind of activities can we expect to see around these three thrusts?

Our intention is to have a keynote to start Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday of the conference highlighting each thrust. We are encouraging technical program content in each area including papers, posters, workshops, and tutorials. We are planning to highlight content on the exhibit floor and we are planning contests and challenges in these areas. We are also planning to extend sustainability to the way we run the conference.

 

The SC08 & SC09 committees recently held their "handoff" meeting. What were the final statistics for SC08? Were there any surprises?

SC08 set new attendance and exhibitor records, with total registration exceeding 11,000 and 337 exhibitors filling all the exhibit halls in the convention center. This represents a 20% growth over 2007 attendance which, while not surprising given the growth rates in previous years, was very gratifying in the current economic environment.

 

What are the challenges of doing the conference in Portland? What are the opportunities?

Portland is an ideal city for SC09. The conference center, sustainable and open source culture, and high technology employers all fit well with our plans. There are excellent downtown hotels, great public transportation, fine restaurants and many worthwhile day trips. The challenge will be moving the large number of attendees to and from the convention center and to the events.

 

I've heard that this year will be the biggest exhibit floor ever for the conference. Are exhibits sold out for SC09?

We had an excellent booth selection event at SC08 that resulted in the majority of booth space being sold. We do still have a few good booth locations but they are selling out - so interested parties should contact us as soon as possible.

 

The SC conference continues to grow, even when other technology conferences are shrinking or going away. What do you think is the secret to this success?

SC is the one event in the year that the is attended by representatives from throughout the entire HPC ecosystem. The agenda is well balanced between technical program, exhibits and community programs. Attendees are able to listen to the latest technical material, view the latest technology products, and network with their colleagues.  If companies can only send their employees to one event in the year,  then that event is SC.

 

The SC conference held it's 20th anniversary celebration at SC08 in Austin. What is the outlook for the next 20 years?

Each year builds on the achievements of previous years so I believe the best of SC is yet to come.

 

Shovel-Ready Social Media Strategy for the SC09 Conference

Social Media offers us a great opportunity to get the word out and grow the Supercomputing conference community. Learn all about it here.

Summary:

The SC conference has a strong community made up of thousands of people who come back to the show year after year. As a new initiative of the SC09 Communications Committee, this blog describes a strategy to connect and grow the Supercomputing community using Social Media tools.

Agenda:

• What is Social Media?
• Why Social Media for SC?
• What Social Media Tools are already in place for SC09?
• SC on Twitter
• SC blog
• SC on Facebook
• SC Linked In
• How do I engage?

What is Social Media?

Social media tools use the Internet for sharing and discussing information among human beings.

The following video is a great introduction to Social Media.

Why Social Media for SC?

Every year at the SCxx conferences, thousands of us get together for a week and then we go on our separate ways. With Social Media tools like this blog, we hope to grow the SC community in a whole new way.

Many companies are already using Social Media to engage with their customers. They are getting measurable results. We can do that with SC. And with your help, we will be the first conference to do so effectively.

What is the Social Media Strategy?

Our strategy is quite simple:

Engage the Supercomputing community members who are already using the most popular Social Media tools and get them to participate. Through their participation, we will leverage their networks to grow the community.

What Social Media Tools are already in place for SC09?
Many people have their favorites, so we have four tools now in place: Twitter, SC09 Blog, Facebook Group, and a Linked In page.

SC09 on Twitter

Twitter is a social networking and micro-blogging service that allows its users to send and updates (known as tweets), which are text-based posts of up to 140 characters in length. Twitter is one of the easiest Social Media tools to use.

You can follow our Supercomputing Twitter page at: http://twitter.com/supercomputing.

SC09 Blog


A Blog is a website, usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in reverse-chronological order.

You are now reading the Supercomputing blog. While the SC show has a wonderful conference site that tells you pretty much everything you need to know, until now we haven't had is a place for us share our stories as a community.

Unlike a newletter or other "one-way" media, blogs let users comment to encourage discussion and sharing of useful information. Blogs are also great aggregators for other Social Media tools. For example, on the right column of this blog you can see relevant SC09 links, Twitter entries (tweets), and more.

Facebook


Facebook is a popular free-access social networking website. Users can join networks organized by city, workplace, school, and region to connect and interact with other people. People can also add friends and send them messages, and update their personal profiles to notify friends about themselves.

The SC Conference on Facebook Group is a great place to get to know your fellow attendees of the SC conference.

Linked In

Linked In is a business-oriented social networking site mainly used for professional networking. As of February 2009, it had more than 35 million registered users, spanning 170 industries.

In our troubled economy, Linked In gets a lot of traffic.

How do I engage with Social Medial for SC?

Like driving a car, Social Media is not something you "get" just by reading about it--you have to learn by doing. Here's how:

• Twitter users: Follow our Supercomputing Twitter page at: http://twitter.com/supercomputing
• Blog lovers: Read the Supercomputing blog at: http://supercomputing.blogspot.com
• Facebook users: join the SC Conference for HPC Facebook Group: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/group.php?gid=45024638881
• Linked In users: Join the SC09 Linked In Group: http://www.linkedin.com/e/vgh/1775643/eml-grp-sub/

Photo mosaic of SC09 Followers on Twitter

Our SC09 twitter page already has a few good followers. Join in the fun.

Coming to Portland? Twitter Connects you with the Locals



Portland has become the first U.S. city to launch an official "Twisitor Center." Much like traditional walk-in visitor centers, the new system uses Twitter technology to connect travelers with those who can answer their questions and help plan their trips.

"Other cities are connecting with visitors through Twitter," explained Martin Stoll, CEO of GoSeeTell Network, the company that created Portland's Twisitor Center concept. "But Portland is the first city to set up a virtual visitor center to which people can direct travel questions just by adding a simple tag to their tweets [messages]."

Twitter-users seeking information on Portland can add #inpdx to their questions. Tweets tagged with this code (also called a "hash tag") are sought out by Twisitor Center staff members who then send back suggestions. But the beauty of Twitter is that other users who aren't affiliated with Travel Portland can also chime in with additional tips. So, if a traveler tweets "Need a good BBQ place in Portland #inpdx," she could end up with suggestions from not only the Twisitor Center but also from anyone else - Portland residents, foodies, fellow travelers - in the Twitter community. Full Story

If you don't really get what Twitter is all about, this video should help:

ScienceSim Brings 3D Internet Home
One of the main themes of SC09 is something called "3D Internet." While many of you might be familiar with Second Life or Sun's Project Wonderland, a new application called ScienceSim might be just the place to test the waters:

"Enter ScienceSim. A team of researchers and technology strategists, funded by Intel’s server business and working with OpenSim open source technology (which celebrates its second birthday today).. had a goal of creating an environment for experimentation in virtual worlds. We wanted a turnkey kit that companies or researchers could download and develop specific applications in virtual worlds, data visualization and analysis.

ScienceSim enables customizable physics, optimizations to achieve better scalability, and can serve as a testbed for data visualization and control for science experiments like fusion reactions, biomedical applications, geophysical, intelligence analysis.. to name a few potential areas of work. As our CTO said in a previous blog, the Intel team is working with the Supercomputing 2009 conference to have folks develop academic material around this platform and have a forum to discuss these efforts and how they fit towards building a 3D internet of the future." Full Story

Video Preview of SC09 in Portland

Welcome to the SC Community blog!

Also known as "Supercomputing," the SC Conference celebrated its 20th anniversary this past November in Austin. The growth of the show has been remarkable--SC09 will be twice the size it was 10 years ago in Portland. And if you've never been to a Supercomputing show, you may be wondering: where does this success comes from?

For those of us who work, attend, and volunteer every year, the answer is clear; Supercomputing continues to grow from the strength of its ongoing community. For most of the year though, this community is spread is far as the four winds.

That's where this blog comes in.

Why an SC Blog?

The SC show has a wonderful conference site that tells you pretty much everything you need to know. That's great. What we haven't had is a place for us share our stories as a community.

Every year at SC, thousands of us get together for a week and then we go on our separate ways. With Social Media tools like this blog, it is my hope that we can grow the SC community in a whole new way.

Cheers,

-Rich Brueckner
SC09 Communications Committee, Social Media Wonk