A powerful new suite of hardware will enhance University of Nebraska researchers’ ability to conduct cutting-edge science, particularly work involving artificial intelligence and machine learning. 

With a nearly $700,000 grant from the National Science Foundation, the Holland Computing Center recently deployed PLUMAGE, a flexible graphics processing unit-based cyberinfrastructure that will benefit researchers across the disciplinary spectrum, from computer scientists and engineers to scholars in business, architecture, the social sciences and more. 

PLUMAGE – which stands for Promoting Learning Using Mixed Advanced GPU Environments –adds to Holland’s already comprehensive suite of computing and storage resources, expanding a cyberinfrastructure system that researchers across the university system have relied on for years. The new deployment will help NU researchers keep pace with the explosion of AI and other data-intensive research by providing cutting-edge GPUs, which are the specialized computer chips that process vast numbers of calculations in parallel. 

“All of these new AI and machine learning services depend on GPU technology to be able to do the work in an efficient manner, otherwise it would take hundreds or thousands of years to generate a model,” said Adam Caprez, principal investigator and associate director of research development and engagement at HCC. 

Though supercomputing is traditionally tied to areas like computer science, physics, chemistry and bioinformatics, it’s now gaining traction in every field, creating a need for additional cyberinfrastructure. 

“There are disciplines that had very few computing needs before – maybe they just did everything on their desktop – and now, all of a sudden, they are finding that they need these huge resources to do things with AI, creating a land rush,” Caprez said. “It’s very important to have resources like PLUMAGE, but also the personnel and expertise to help people use them. Holland has this complete ecosystem.” 

The research team also includes Hongfeng Yu, HCC director and professor of computing; Derek Weitzel, research associate professor of computing; and Garhan Attebury, Holland’s associate director of research cyberinfrastructure. 

PLUMAGE is now available at no cost to NU researchers, and access can be arranged for collaborators and users outside the NU system. Interested parties can register for an account on the Holland Computing Center website or contact the center for additional information. For general information about news, workshops and trainings offered by Holland, NU researchers are encouraged to join the center’s mailing list. 

PLUMAGE features some of NVIDIA’s most advanced accelerators for AI and high-performance computing, including six NVIDIA H200 GPUs and 52 NVIDIA L40S GPUs. This new hardware strengthens Holland’s position as Nebraska’s premier academic supercomputing resource and distinguishes it nationally by linking local cluster resources with cyberinfrastructure networks across the U.S. via dual access pathways. 

One mode of access is through Swan, Holland’s flagship computing cluster, which uses a traditional, scheduler-based batch system where jobs are assigned at fixed times or when resources are available. The other route is through the National Research Platform, an NSF initiative that provides high-performance computing resources using a dynamic, interactive approach called Kubernetes, which continuously manages the workload across a cluster. 

PLUMAGE’s flexibility to shift GPUs between these two systems is a unique setup enabling researchers to use the method best suited for a given project. 

“One reason NSF funded this project is that it’s a novel idea. The design of PLUMAGE bridges our local computing environment and the broader national cyberinfrastructure, which is critical because modern research increasingly depends on a connected ecosystem,” Yu said.  

Caprez said he and other Holland personnel are focused on spreading the word about PLUMAGE and other center resources, including tailored training and support. Though the center was established in 2007, some ampus researchers remain unaware of its extensive tools. Increased visibility is crucial as the evolving research landscape requires scholars from diverse fields to leverage supercomputing and AI capabilities. The center is committed to paving the way for these new users. 

“I know people can be intimidated when using a supercomputer,” Caprez said. “But the Holland Computing Center is more than just hardware. It’s also the personnel, expertise and a whole package that’s available to help researchers and enable usage. We’re happy to meet with people, learn about their research, and provide any needed assistance so they can make effective use of the resources to accelerate their research.” 

PLUMAGE is funded through the National Science Foundation’s Campus Cyberinfrastructure program under NSF Office of Advanced Cyberinfrastructure Award No. 2430234.