Brain-inspired neuromorphic computer SpiNNaker overheated when coolers lost their chill
The SpiNNaker machine at Manchester University experienced significant overheating over the Easter weekend due to cooling failures. This incident has raised concerns among data centre administrators as the advanced computing project aims to simulate brain-like functionality using thousands of Arm cores. Following this failure, the system is now running at 80% capacity but still under testing.
Key Points
- The SpiNNaker project aims to model a mouse brain using hundreds of thousands of Arm cores.
- An incident on April 20 due to a cooling failure led to significant overheating and required a manual shutdown.
- Initial reports suggest damage to network switches and power supplies, affecting the test capabilities of the SpiNNaker boards.
- Past cooling issues have been resolved without damage, making this incident particularly alarming.
- The team is looking into automating the shutdown process to prevent future overheating incidents.
Why should I read this?
If you have an interest in AI or neuromorphic computing, this article is a must-read! It highlights significant challenges faced by groundbreaking technology and emphasizes the importance of robust cooling systems in high-performance computing. Plus, it’s a good reminder of how even the most innovative projects can encounter unexpected hiccups.