Denmark's new AI supercomputer Gefion ranked as 7th fastest storage systems in the world

Denmark's state-of-the-art AI supercomputer, Gefion, has achieved another global recognition by ranking 7th overall and 4th in the 10-node benchmark on the internationally recognised IO500 list. 

COPENHAGEN, Denmark, Dec. 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Gefion, Denmark's cutting-edge AI supercomputer, has secured a prominent position as the 7th fastest production storage system globally, while also ranking 4th in the 10-node benchmark on the IO500 list, which rates the world's fastest storage systems annually.

This recognition highlights Gefion's exceptional data-handling capabilities, positioning it not only as a standout AI and high-performance computing resource but also as one of the most efficient data-handling systems worldwide.

In addition to this achievement, Gefion recently ranked 21st globally on the TOP500 list of the world's most powerful supercomputers, further cementing its status as a high-performance powerhouse.

The IO500 benchmarks evaluate the ability of supercomputers to read, write and transport data at lightning-fast speeds, a crucial factor in modern AI and high-performance computing. Gefion's performance on this list reinforces its reputation as a cutting-edge system, excelling both in computational power and data management efficiency.

The significance of this 7th-place ranking lies in Gefion's outstanding input/output (IO) performance — its speed in accessing, retrieving, and storing data. This capability is vital for AI model training and complex large-scale simulations, where processing vast data sets — often measured in petabytes — can be completed in days or hours instead of weeks.

"Gefion's ranking on the IO500 list is another testament to our commitment to pushing technological boundaries in advanced computing for AI and research," says Nadia Carlsten, CEO of the Danish Centre for AI Innovation (DCAI), which runs and operates Gefion.

 "The powerful data storage and processing capabilities of Gefion mean that researchers can run larger, more intricate simulations and process datasets faster than ever," she continues.

Strong IO performance can directly contribute to breakthroughs in areas such as climate modelling, drug discovery, and sustainable energy research.

"Gefion is a monumental step forward for AI research and innovation, delivering the scale and precision needed to tackle the most complex challenges in fields like healthcare, sustainable energy, and quantum computing," says Alex Bouzari, Co-founder and CEO of Data Direct Networks (DDN), who is supplying storage for the Gefion AI supercomputer.

"By combining DDN's industry-leading data platform with NVIDIA's groundbreaking technology, Gefion is not only advancing Denmark's leadership in AI but also enabling a new era of scientific discovery and global progress. We're proud to support this world-class initiative, which epitomizes the transformative power of AI and HPC when supported by the right infrastructure", he adds.

Gefion's technological backbone includes NVIDIA DGX SuperPOD architecture, featuring 1,528 NVIDIA H100 Tensor Core GPUs interconnected with NVIDIA Quantum-2 InfiniBand networking. These components ensure not only unmatched processing power but also superior data access speeds, an essential factor for projects that rely on rapid results.

DCAI designed Gefion with future scalability and flexibility in mind, allowing it to integrate upcoming generations of NVIDIA accelerated computing technologies, ensuring that Denmark remains at the forefront of AI and high-performance computing innovation.

About Gefion
Gefion is Denmark's pioneering flagship AI supercomputer designed specifically for large-scale AI projects. This powerful system is built as an NVIDIA DGX SuperPOD and consists of 191 NVIDIA DGX H100 units, totaling 1,528 NVIDIA H100 Tensor Core GPUs interconnected with NVIDIA Quantum-2 InfiniBand networking. Gefion leverages advanced NVIDIA software platforms, such as NVIDIA BioNeMo, which supports research in pharmaceuticals and biotechnology, and NVIDIA CUDA Quantum, offering tools for simulation and programming hybrid systems that combine CPUs, GPUs, and quantum processing units. This robust infrastructure positions Denmark's research community to overcome previous challenges related to limited access to computational power, advancing AI-driven innovation across various fields. The supercomputer is hosted by global data center provider Digital Realty in an AI-ready facility designed for sustainability, running on 100% renewable energy. The computer was delivered and installed by Eviden, a European leader in high-performance computing (HPC), using their extensive expertise in HPC integration and installation.

About the IO500 list
Benchmarking of HPC storage systems is a complex task. The IO-500 list is a comprehensive benchmark suite that enables comparison of high-performance storage systems. Similar to the TOP500 list for computer architectures, IO500 allows tracking performance growth over the years and analyse changes in the storage landscape. 

About DCAI
Danish Centre for AI Innovation (DCAI) is a company established to run and operate Gefion, Denmark's first AI supercomputer. Our mission is to lower the barrier to access the most advanced computing capabilities, and we work with customers from academia, startups, and enterprise to accelerate AI research and innovation. DCAI is funded by the Novo Nordisk Foundation and by EIFO.