Projects
The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) in South Africa utilizes High-Performance Computing (HPC) to tackle critical challenges and drive innovation across diverse fields. HPC enables advancements in scientific research, climate modeling, big data analytics, artificial intelligence, engineering, space science, health, and energy research. By leveraging HPC, CSIR enhances South Africa's capacity to solve complex problems and contribute to global scientific progress. Notably, the CSIR's Centre for High Performance Computing (CHPC) unveiled "Lengau," a petaflop-scale High Performance Computer, significantly boosting computational capabilities on the continent.
Since 2008, Eclipse Holdings has partnered with the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) to support its High-Performance Computing (HPC) initiatives, providing and deploying solutions from Sun, Dell, and HPE. These systems underpin CSIR’s research infrastructure, driving innovation and global advancements. Notably, Eclipse Holdings played a pivotal role in the entire life cycle of "Lengau" a petaflop-scale HPC system that significantly enhances Africa's computational capabilities. Eclipse continues to ensure the robustness and efficiency of CSIR’s HPC systems through ongoing consultation, support and maintenance.
Weather Forecasting
The South African Weather Service (SAWS) utilises High-Performance Computing (HPC) to enhance its weather forecasting and climate monitoring capabilities. HPC systems process vast amounts of atmospheric data and perform complex numerical weather predictions (NWP) at high speed, enabling more accurate and timely forecasts. These systems also support climate modelling, severe weather warnings, and disaster risk reduction by analysing detailed simulations of weather patterns. HPC is crucial for SAWS to meet the increasing demand for precision in meteorology and climate-related decision-making.
HPC Technology Services
SAWS partners with Eclipse Holdings as its technology provider to enhance weather forecasting and climate monitoring. Eclipse commissioned, deployed, and supports the High- Performance Computing (HPC) system that powers SAWS operations. The Cray HPC system processes vast atmospheric data and runs the “Unified Model” developed by the UK Met Office to run forecasts multiple times per day. Through this collaboration, Eclipse enables SAWS to provide accurate forecasts, climate modelling, severe weather warnings, and disaster risk reduction, meeting the growing demand for precision in meteorology.