New center in Troy, Mich., will manage large-scale high-performance computing jobs for customers

TROY, Mich., Dec. 16 — Altair Engineering, Inc., today announced the opening of an exceptionally high-powered datacenter in Troy, Mich., this month to house and manage its growing HyperWorks On-Demand cloud-based computer-aided engineering (CAE) solution for customers who rely on high-performance computing.

HyperWorks On-Demand (HWOD) is a high-performance computing (HPC) solution for design innovation in the cloud. HWOD leverages Altair's patented licensing system, providing access to Altair's HyperWorks CAE software and a modern, scalable HPC infrastructure through a secure and efficient Web-based platform.

The datacenter enables Altair to scale HWOD up to more than 10,000 cores for computer simulation projects. In fact, it can support as many as 150 large-scale engineering solver jobs running simultaneously, employing Altair's solvers RADIOSS, OptiStruct and AcuSolve along with other tools in the HyperWorks family of simulation software.

"Companies often turn to HyperWorks On-Demand because they have outgrown their internal capacity or do not have the resources internally to manage high-performance computing equipment," said Altair Chief Information Officer Martin Nichols. "HyperWorks On-Demand provides all our HyperWorks products as a cloud service, and this data center allows us to scale up to provide much larger on-demand clusters for our customers."

Unlike most other cloud services, HWOD provides true HPC for its end users. This means that customer simulations – which can require substantial resources and can run for several days – are run as fast as possible.

HPC requires extensive infrastructure in addition to just the computers. Things such as backup generators, uninterruptible power supplies, water-cooling capabilities, systems administration, operators, and high security are all necessary elements that are often out of reach for many small and midsized engineering departments. Companies gain access to a robust, resilient and secure HPC environment when they use the HWOD services that will be hosted in the new datacenter. Thanks to its domain expertise and sophisticated cloud stack, Altair can also provide turnkey and configurable private cloud solutions, offering all the efficiency and flexibility of HWOD completely within the customer's firewall.

The datacenter is a scalable, modular facility that can be easily extended internally and has the capability to be interconnected with similar adjacent modular facilities in the future.

"Our HyperWorks On-Demand data center essentially fits the power of an entire building of high-performance computers into a single room, making it feasible now for medium to large-sized organizations to access substantial computing resources via Altair's private cloud," Nichols noted. "The compute-power density of this center is phenomenal, far higher than that of a standard commercial data center. Altair's is much more similar to a scientific super-computing installation."

The datacenter is situated about 3.5 miles from Altair's headquarters and incorporates extensive physical and cyber security measures. It is monitored inside and outside by video surveillance, night-vision cameras and sensors. Firewall devices protect data both entering and exiting the facility's computing equipment.

Construction of the datacenter was completed this week, and Altair is in the process of expanding its current HWOD capabilities to be relocated to the new facility within the next month. The expanded HWOD will be fully up-and-running in the new datacenter by early 2012.

About HyperWorks

HyperWorks, A Platform for Innovation, is a comprehensive simulation solution for rapid design exploration and decision-making. HyperWorks provides a tightly integrated suite of best-in-class tools for all facets of the simulation process: modeling, analysis, optimization, visualization, reporting and collaborative knowledge management. Leveraging a revolutionary pay-per-usage licensing model, HyperWorks delivers maximum value and flexibility for customers worldwide. For more information, visit www.altairhyperworks.com.

About Altair Engineering

Altair Engineering, Inc. empowers client innovation and decision-making through technology that optimizes the analysis, management and visualization of business and engineering information. Privately held, with more than 1,500 employees, Altair has offices throughout North America, South America, Europe and Asia/Pacific. With a 26-year track record for high-end software and consulting services for engineering, computing and enterprise analytics, Altair consistently delivers a competitive advantage to customers in a broad range of industries. To learn more, visit www.altair.com and www.simulatetoinnovate.com.

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Source: Altair Engineering, Inc.