HPC Analytics Challenge

"The benefit of the HPC Analytics Challenge contest is to provide a forum for researchers, engineers, and analysts to showcase data-intensive applications that solve real-world, complex problems through the use of rigorous and sophisticated methods of data analysis and high-end visualization," said Donald R. Jones, Ph.D., Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and co-chair of the HPC Analytics Challenge.

The HPC Analytics Challenge is an award competition honoring select technical and commercial applications that use leading-edge, advanced analytics techniques to solve complex, real-world problems. The growing need to leverage large amounts of underutilized data has led to the use of sophisticated methods for analysis and high-end visualization in conjunction with high performance computing, bandwidth and networking capabilities. The HPC Analytics Challenge is a unique opportunity for researchers, engineers, and analysts to showcase innovative techniques of rigorous data analysis (for example, forecasting, data mining, optimization, predictive analysis) and high-end visualization (for example, dynamic modeling, real-time rendering). Join prestigious analytics gurus from around the world to demonstrate your superior HPC analytics application. Learn more about this new and exciting competition by reading below.

Some of the key features important for applications to address in the HPC Analytics Challenge include:

* Innovative and sophisticated analysis and visualization techniques
* Performance and scalability (with large, complex data)
* Portability and distribute-ability
* Flexibility and deploy-ability
* Knowledge & discovery.

Additionally, the applications will be judged on the strength of the solution meeting the combination of various specific criteria such as:

* Utilizing various HPC technologies
o Analysis: Data mining, forecasting and optimization techniques, etc.
o Visualization: Interactivity of the application such as drill-down, real-time rendering and sophisticated visualization capabilities, etc.
o High Performance Computing
o Newer technologies such as web services, clusters, grids
o High Performance Storage
o High Speed Networking
* Implementing unique investigation and methods for data analysis
* Handling massive amounts of data
* Providing for collaboration, sharing, and ease of use of the application
* Achieving scalability and portability
* Providing significant and meaningful results from the use of the application

Applications for consideration ideally would focus on solving real-world, complex problems in a number of sectors. Some areas of:

* R&D/National Labs/ Homeland Defense, DOD, DOE (security, disaster planning)
* Oil and Gas (oil drilling optimization)
* Large Scale Science (astrophysics, High Energy physics, etc.)
* Finance (risk management, portfolio optimization)
* Corporate management (business analytics)
* Life Sciences or Healthcare (clinical trials, pharma, bio-medical research)
* Environment (predicting weather, forecasting, remediation)
* Web search engine enhancements
* SPAM and Intrusion detection or mal-ware detection

Participants are encouraged to provide their own dataset-"sanitized" as appropriate. Details of dataset will need to be provided to judges, including

* Data set size
* Complexity
* How did you use this dataset

The following links provided are readily available, public datasets for participant use if so desired. Alternatively, participants can use their own data sets.

* Bathymetry
geopubs.wr.usgs.gov/open-file/

* Census
www.census.gov/geo/www/tiger/tgrcd108/tgr108cd.html

* Geological and Climatological
earthobservatory.nasa.gov/
seamless.usgs.gov/
glcf.umiacs.umd.edu/index.shtml
www.ngdc.noaa.gov/seg/cdroms/grav99v1/document/html/tbase.htm
www.ngdc.noaa.gov/mgg/topo/globe.html
nedwww.ipac.caltech.edu/
www.ncdc.noaa.gov/ol/satellite/satelliteseye/cyclones/pfctstorm91/pfctstorm.html
www2.lib.udel.edu/subj/godc/internet/epubs/climd/
climate.ntsg.umt.edu/html/climate_data.html

* GISuser Data Directory
libraries.mit.edu/gis/data/index.html

* Lidar
www.csc.noaa.gov/crs/tcm/index.html

* Variety of Data (U.S. - based)
nationalatlas.gov/atlasftp.html

Winning entries will receive a special certificate and a nominal monetary prize and will present their work during the contest session at the conference. The length of the oral presentation is still to be determined but is likely to be similar to a short paper or presentation as part of the HPC Analytics Challenge session in the Technical Programs schedule. Also, plans and preparations will be undertaken such that winning entries would also show their applications "live" at the SC|05 Conference.

We will award prizes for best entries in several categories. The judges will decide on the exact categories based on the material received - possibilities include "Best Overall", "Best Student Entry", and "Most Original".

Honorable Mentions will be forwarded on to the Technical Programs Committee for consideration for being presented as interactive posters at the conference.

Important Note: All award winners are required to attend SC|05 and participate in the HPC Analytics Challenge activities.