Blue Waters, supercomputer at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, United States
Blue Waters is a supercomputer at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign containing over 22,000 nodes with specialized graphics processors capable of performing more than one quadrillion calculations per second. The system features multiple petabytes of online storage and tape backup, using a Lustre file system to enable rapid data transfer for researchers.
Blue Waters was developed in 2007 and became available to the research community in March 2013 with substantial funding from the National Science Foundation. The system operated until the end of 2021 and was subsequently replaced by the newer supercomputer Delta, reflecting the ongoing evolution of high-performance computing technology.
The system is housed in an environmentally certified facility at the University of Illinois with water cooling for heat management and high-speed network connections for data access. Visitors can request tours during weekdays, though it is best to arrange a visit at least one week in advance.
The system was the fastest supercomputer at a university worldwide until 2019, when TACC Frontera began operating. The facility was equipped with water cooling and specialized flow models designed to optimize efficiency and reduce energy consumption while maintaining stable performance.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
