Altair (Nasdaq: ALTR), a global leader in computational science and artificial intelligence (AI), and the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory announced the use of the on-demand workload manager and scheduler – Altair PBS Professional – to accelerate scientific breakthroughs, including efforts aimed at solving the world’s energy crises. Argonne’s Polaris supercomputer is utilizing the technology to help scientists find ways to slash greenhouse gas emissions through research into fusion energy, better biofuels, and safer and more reliable next-generation nuclear reactors.

By using PBS Professional on the high-performance computing (HPC) systems at the Argonne Leadership Computing Facility, a DOE Office of Science user facility, researchers will be able to schedule simultaneous and concurrent workloads, which creates higher research throughputs without interruption. Deployed earlier this year, Polaris is Argonne’s most powerful computer to date and is helping researchers prepare for the lab’s Aurora exascale system, which will also utilize PBS Professional. Aurora will be theoretically capable of performing two quintillion operations per second, making it one of the world’s fastest supercomputers.

PBS Professional is helping to optimize and manage thousands of node hours simultaneously, empowering researchers at the ALCF to reduce research hours by the hundreds and make more effective scientific discoveries. 

“We don’t have a moment to waste in solving the world’s critical energy challenges. PBS Professional allows researchers to drive scientific advancement at a significantly faster rate,” said Bill Allcock, ALCF director of operations. “We’re excited about the collaboration we have with Altair, and we can’t wait to see what the future holds on Polaris as we address future challenges like on-demand computing, data services, and sharing, not to mention the exponentially increased impact it will have once PBS Professional is running on our forthcoming, next-generation Aurora supercomputer.”

“The ALCF has brought some of the world’s most powerful technology together to help the global scientific community unlock the secrets of our universe, mitigate climate change, and leapfrog technology advancements,” said James R. Scapa, founder and chief executive officer, Altair. “We are proud that PBS Professional is driving this effort and are eager to see the research advancements both the Polaris and Aurora supercomputers deliver next.”

For more information about PBS Professional, visit https://www.altair.com/pbs-professional/ and to learn about the ALCF, visit https://alcf.anl.gov/.

About Altair

Altair is a global leader in computational science and artificial intelligence (AI) that provides software and cloud solutions in simulation, high-performance computing (HPC), data analytics, and AI. Altair enables organizations across all industries to compete more effectively and drive smarter decisions in an increasingly connected world – all while creating a greener, more sustainable future. For more information, visit https://www.altair.com/.

About Argonne National Laboratory

Argonne National Laboratory seeks solutions to pressing national problems in science and technology. The nation's first national laboratory, Argonne conducts leading-edge basic and applied scientific research in virtually every scientific discipline. Argonne researchers work closely with researchers from hundreds of companies, universities, and federal, state and municipal agencies to help them solve their specific problems, advance America's scientific leadership and prepare the nation for a better future. With employees from more than 60 nations, Argonne is managed by UChicago Argonne, LLC for the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Science.

The U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Science is the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States and is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. For more information, visit https://energy.gov/science.

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