Dell’s GDAP Delivers an Integrated Genomic Processing Infrastructure

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This is the 5th and final article in a series from the insideHPC Guide to Genomics that looks at the benefits HPC brings to Genomics as well as many success stories.

Dell has teamed with Intel to create innovative solutions that can accelerate the research, diagnosis and treatment of diseases through personalized medicine. The combination of leading-edge CPUs from Intel and the systems and storage expertise from Dell create a state-of-the-art solution that is easy to install, manage and expand as required.

The Dell GDAP is a complete, integrated genomic processing infrastructure  (click on image to enlarge).

The Dell GDAP is a complete, integrated genomic processing infrastructure (click on image to enlarge).

Labelled the Dell Genomic Data Analysis Platform (GDAP), this solution is designed to achieve fast results with maximum efficiency. The solution is architected to solve a number of customer challenges, including the perception that implementation must be large-scale in nature, compliance, security and clinician uses.

  • Data explosion — A single genome will produce between 200GB and 300GB of data. This data must be readily available to the computer systems that will need to decode it. Databanks are doubling in size every few months.
  • Big compute requirements — With the massive amounts of data arriving in such a short amount of time, the expectation is that the results from computational analysis will arrive in shorter amounts of time as well.
  • Cumbersome infrastructure — If a system is cobbled together as needs grow, there will be a mismatch of the most optimum components. Old systems will have to be networked with newer systems, and a conglomeration of patches, storage mismatches, etc. will surely surface. The IT department will ultimately have to manage these incompatibilities and deal with lack of expected cluster performance. In smaller organizations that do not have enough dedicated IT skilled administrators, chaos and lack of confidence in the computing systems will surely become an issue.
  • Shareware, middleware, favorite tools will make their way into the software stack. A defined system will have to deal with these specific applications or middleware.

Dell (systems vendor) has teamed with Intel (CPU vendor) to create an optimized solution that takes advantage of the latest technology to deliver an efficient and easy-to-use set of technologies. This solution has been architected, benchmarked and packaged to deliver a solution to a range of users. More patients’ scenarios can be diagnosed and treated due to the following selection of best-in-class components and technologies:

  • Intel processors, which become more powerful and energy-efficient with every generation
  • HPC servers designed by Dell to deliver fast compute at a lower energy footprint
  • Storage hardware from Dell combined with leading software for maximum throughput and data retrieval
  • Standardized software, which has been tested and tuned to the hardware selected
  • Dell services to work with scientists and clinicians to implement and maintain the solution as needed or act as consultants

The Dell GDAP is a complete, integrated genomic processing infrastructure. It is designed to meet the needs of researchers and clinicians, and includes all of the components necessary to reduce turnaround time from days to hours.

For system specifications visit Dell, or download the insideHPC Guide to Genomics, compliments of Dell and Intel.