NSA wants to build $896.5 million supercomputing center

[Emil]

The National Security Agency (NSA) is designing a new $895.6 million supercomputing complex called the High Performance Computing Center, to be complete by December 2015. It will be constructed at its Fort Meade, Maryland, headquarters over the next several years according to National Security Agency Military Construction, Defense-Wide FY 2012 Budget Estimates (19-page PDF via InformationWeek).

The Department of Defense budget document indicates that the project will be designed with energy efficiency, security, and "state-of-the-art" computing horsepower in mind, including the goal of attaining an LEED Silver certification by conserving water, energy, and materials. The specifications for the new supercomputing complex seem to suggest that the NSA is building a massive data center, with typical needs such as raised flooring, chilled water systems, fire suppression, alarms, as well as power requirements of 60 megawatts.

The NSA is requesting $84.7 million for the new High Performance Computing Center in fiscal 2012, including $35 million for planning and design. That will be followed up with a planned $399.9 million in fiscal 2013, and $431 million to complete the center in fiscal 2014. Unsurprisingly, the supercomputing complex will have expensive protection, including an estimated $15.1 million in building security and $21.7 million on perimeter control. The security features will include a vehicle cargo inspection facility, a visitor control center, card access control, video surveillance, intrusion detection systems, chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear detection systems, perimeter fencing, and so on.

In addition to the supercomputing center and a few non-tech related construction projects, the budget document also shows a $246.4 million request for 2012 to be used for NSA's new cybersecurity data center under construction at Camp Williams, Utah as well as a $68.6 million request for a new generator at NSA's communications intercept site at RAF Menwith Hill in England.

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https://www.techspot.com/news/43447-nsa-wants-to-build-8965-million-supercomputing-center.html

 

[AnonymousSurfer]

I say hell yes we need to take over the computing world again and have the best supercomputer!!!

 

[Scshadow]

Yes we're way over our head in debt. Lets buy a fancy new computer custom built. Gonna be super outdated in a year. The american consumer can do it so why can't the government.

 

[Greg S]

Forget single computer, go for linked servers. Throw in eight to ten thousand Tesla's from Nvidia and your all good. Get a bunch of programmers to write whatever you need in CUDA and your set. You won't be able to match that amount of horsepower easily. Think how fast you could create a rainbow table and break a password. The NSA will have absolutely no problems getting through any modern security measures if need be.

 

[Guest]

I guess my question would be is what kind of data is the government going to crunch in this badass center?

 

[Lurker101]

Maybe they just want to run Crysis?

 

[Guest]

Just have Amazon create a virtual super computer.
It only cost $1000 an hour to use it.

 

[SSaywell]

Lurker101 said:
Maybe they just want to run Crysis?

HAHA

Good to see they don't want much (!)

 

[Cota]

I want that potency expressed in Marks please!

 

[Guest]

I guess they need this to store all the airport scanner images for future reference.

Really, what are they going to do with this super computer? Everyone in gov't already has an ipad, laptop, and desktop at public expense. This computer is for what exactly???

 

[Guest]

re: "$21 million for perimeter control"

That money would be better spent at the border if you know what I mean...

 

[captaincranky]

Really, what are they going to do with this super computer? Everyone in gov't already has an ipad, laptop, and desktop at public expense. This computer is for what exactly???

This is because the Chinese handed us our a**es with their new super computer. Why would you need a better reason than a pissing contest to spend close to a Billion dollars?

 

[Guest]

What was that line from Independence Day .. oh yeah .. "What? You don't think they really spent $80 on a toilet set, do you?"

 

[TrekExpert]

Ya, but can it run Crysis?

 

[Wendig0]

For $896 mil, I would have hoped they could come up with a better name than "High Performance Computing Center".

 

[Recipe7]

While millions of Americans are out of a job, this is something the government prefers to fund?

Sad.

 

[captaincranky]

Ya, but can it run Crysis?

Yeah, probably very well. But then you won't be allowed in to use it, so what's the point in asking?

 

[Placeholder]

I already KNOW it's going to come up with "42" as the answer - give ME the money.

 

[captaincranky]

I already KNOW it's going to come up with "42" as the answer - give ME the money.

God, do you know how old that joke is?

 

[agissi]

Sure a billion dollar budget sounds about right. Go figure

 

[captaincranky]

Sure a billion dollar budget sounds about right. Go figure

Probably more, if it's a Dell.

 

[Placeholder]

Hunh. 60 Mw is the exact same amount required to run Disney World for a day! Coincidence...?
http://www.wdwmagic.com/Facts!.htm

That comes out to $2,761,809.00 per year at today's residential rates. Is that in the budget too...?

 

[captaincranky]

Either that or the "Energizer Bunny" fires it up as part of a sentence to public service.

 

[ihaveaname]

captaincranky said:

I already KNOW it's going to come up with "42" as the answer - give ME the money.

God, do you know how old that joke is?

Hey, I laughed....

 

[captaincranky]

I already KNOW it's going to come up with "42" as the answer - give ME the money.

God, do you know how old that joke is?

Hey, I laughed....

Yeah but dude, it was first told in 1979: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hitchhiker's_Guide_to_the_Galaxy_(novel)