PROJECT BACKGROUND

The Slovak Academy of Sciences (SAS) is the country’s leading public research institution. It conducts advanced research in the fields of natural sciences, engineering, biomedicine, and interdisciplinary computational sciences. With the deployment of the national supercomputer Perun, Slovakia is significantly strengthening its position in high-performance computing (HPC) within the Central European region. Perun provides large-scale computational capacity for scientific simulations, artificial intelligence, materials research, climate modeling, and data-intensive analytics. With the continuous growth of research activities and the increasing complexity and scale of computational workloads, the need emerged for a dedicated, highly reliable data center with ensured high availability, capable of supporting the next generation of HPC systems under stringent requirements for power density, thermal efficiency, redundancy, and operational resilience.

 PROJECT RESULTS

To ensure long-term scalability and alignment with European research infrastructure standards, we, together with our partner Bull, delivered a robust and energy-efficient solution. The modular approach enables continuous capacity growth while minimizing infrastructure risks and optimizing deployment timelines. The Perun data center was delivered as a fully customized turnkey solution. It was designed and manufactured in accordance with the client’s specific requirements and the performance, power density, and reliability parameters of the Svarun supercomputing environment. NTR oversaw all phases of implementation, from engineering design and manufacturing to FAT testing, transport, installation, testing, and commissioning, ensuring rapid deployment, predictable execution, and full system validation prior to handover.

The Perun supercomputer, together with its system infrastructure, provides the Slovak Academy of Sciences with a stable and highly available environment for demanding computational processing and artificial intelligence workloads. With eleven system cabinets, a total IT equipment capacity of 462 rack units, and peak power of up to 130 kW per cabinet, it enables continuous execution of the most demanding computational workloads, largescale simulations, advanced modeling, and artificial intelligence applications.

 CHALLENGES

• Supporting increased rack power densities characteristic of modern supercomputing environments operating under continuous full-load conditions.
• Ensuring stable and energy-efficient thermal conditions while reducing energy consumption and maintaining long-term operational sustainability.
• Implementing N+1 redundancy of critical power and cooling systems to ensure uninterrupted operation of nationally significant research infrastructure.
• Delivering a fully operational HPC environment and infrastructure within a significantly shorter timeframe than conventional construction approaches would allow. The entire project had to be completed in less than one year.

 SOLUTION

A purpose-built, high-performance modular container data center designed specifically for HPC environments within key national research infrastructure, with requirements for high availability and continuous operation. The prefabricated solution integrates high-density IT space, a modular UPS system with lithium-ion battery technology, separate A and B power distribution paths, precision cooling designed for continuous operation under high load, advanced fire detection and suppression systems, and a centralized DCIM monitoring platform. The custom-engineered solution ensures reliable and uninterrupted operation under sustained high computational loads, while enabling future capacity expansion without major structural modifications.

»The Perun supercomputer will open up new possibilities for our users across various fields of science and research. Thanks to this, both Slovakia and the HPC Center of the Slovak Academy of Sciences are advancing to the European level in the field of high-performance computing.«

Nikola Kovaničová
General Director, CSČ SAV, v.v.i.

 Modular High-Performance Data Center for Key National Research Infrastructure - PERUN
(PDF | EN)

 Modularni visokozmogljivi podatkovni center za ključno nacionalno raziskovalno infrastrukturo - PERUN
(PDF | SL)

Optimized direct liquid cooling with high-temperature regimes, complemented by additional air cooling, both utilizing adiabatic cooling for dynamic power adjustment, together with intelligent energy management, contribute to high energy efficiency and reduced operating costs while maintaining the highest standards of availability and reliability. Remote management and monitoring are enabled by the BMS/DCIM system (NTR CDC DCIM), while the modular design ensures long-term adaptability and gradual capacity expansion without major architectural modifications. The containerized design provides structural robustness and resistance to environmental impacts. Fire protection is ensured by integrated fire detection and suppression systems, while physical security is provided through access control, video surveillance, and intrusion detection systems.

With the Perun supercomputer and the data center forming an integral part of this system, the Slovak Academy of Sciences has established a high-performance data center with ensured high availability for national research infrastructure, enabling fast and scalable expansion of the Slovak HPC cluster. NTR Inženiring d.o.o.