SUN Conference Day Two (Morning Session)

The Large Hadron Collider (LHC) facility is simply mind boggling in size and scale for colliding the smallest of particles. The annual data is in the order of 15 petabytes - 15000 terrabytes - 3 million DVDs - pile them up (without cases) and its 20 kilometres high. And because compute is so intensive they have created a worldwide computer grid with CERN as tier zero and then other worldwide facilities categorised as tiers 1 and 2. Sounds like a way that Universities and other research bodies have found ways to collaborate effectively and share resources. Oh, they also have to run email, web servers and payroll in their computer room. That must be interesting - maybe you can run some admin stuff so quickly that you don't even see it happening.