Introduction: High Performance Computing and the Technology of Switch-based Computer Networks

Many important research problems in mathematics, science and engineering can only be solved by means of very demanding computations on supercomputers. Since these machines are very expensive, they are rare. Hence it is difficult to get access to them. The recent introduction of new high-speed network technologies may change this situation. In the near future, the combined computational power of a cluster of workstations interconnected by a high-speed local area network is likely to be comparable to that of a current stand-alone supercomputer. Such cost-effective and scalable facilities promise to become the workhorse of future large-scale scientific and engineering applications. Access to such facilities is particularly important for universities, as a more cost-effective substitute for expensive, traditional supercomputers.