DOCUMENT RESUME ED 336 092 IR 015 204 TITLE Department of Energy High-PerformanceComputing Act of 1991. Hearing before the Committee onEnergy and Natural Resources, United States Senate,One Hundred Second Congress, First Session, onS. 343, To Provide for Continued United States Leadershipin High-Performance Computing. INSTITUTION Congress of the U.S., Washington, D.C.Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. REPORT NO Senate-Hrg-102-60 PUB DATE 11 Apr 91 NOTE 87p.; For related documents, see ED332 693-694. IR 015 102-103, IR 015 105, and IR015 125. AVAILABLE FROMSuperintendent of Documents, CongressionalSales Office, U.S. Government Printing Office,Washington, DC 20402. PUB TYPE Legal/Legislative/Regulatory Materials (090) -- Viewpoints (Opinion/Position Papers,Essays, etc.) (120) EDRS PRICE MF01/PC04 Plus Postage. DESCRIPTORS *Computer Networks; Databases; FederalLegislation; *Federal Programs; Hearings; HigherEducation; *Information Technology; Microcomputers;National Programs; *Research and Development;*Technological Advancement IDENTIFIERS Congress 102nd; *High PerformanceComputing; *National Research and EducationNetwork; Supercomputers ABSTRACT This report of a hearing beginswith an opening statementloy Senator J. Bennett Johnston,Chairman of the Committee, and prepared statements from Committeemembers Larry E. Craig and Pete V. Domenici. The text of the bill,which provides for continued U.S. leadership in high-performancecomputing, is then presented, followed by additional statements fromSenators Wendell H. Ford, Albert Gore, Jr., Jeff Bingaman, andMalcolm Wallop Testimony is also included from Siegfried S. Hecker,Director of the Los Alamos National Laboratory; Kenneth M. King,president of EDUCOM; David B. Nelson, Executive Director of theOffice of Energy Research, Department of Energy; Glenn Ricart,president of FARNET; Lloyd M. Thorndyke, chief executive officer ofDataMax, Inc.; and Eugene Wong, Associate Director of Physical Sciencesand Engineering, Office of Science and Technology, ExecutiveOffice of the President. Responses to additlonal questions andadditional materials submitted forthe record are also provided. (DB) **********************3*********************************************** Reproductions supplied by EDRS arethe best that can bu made from the origins.? document. *********************************************************************** S. HRG. 102-60 DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY HIGH-PERFORMANCE COMPUTING ACT OF 1991 U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Office of Educational Research end Improvement EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES iNFORMATION CENTER (ERIC; O This document has been reproduced as received from the person or organization originating it O Minor changes have been made to improve reproduction quality Points of view or opinions stated in this docu- HEARING mew do not necessarily representofficial OERI position or policy BEFORE THE COMMITTEE ON ENERGY AND NATURAL RESOURCES UNITED STATES SENATE . (.. ONE HUNDRED SECOND CONGRESS )L FIRST SESSION ON JITJai S. 343 rmsemit TO PROVIDE FOR CONTINUED UNITED STATES LEADERSHIP IN HIGH- PERFORMANCE COMPUTING APRIL 11, 1991 Printed for the use of the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 42-819 t7. WASHINGTON ; 1991 For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, Congressional Sales Office U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, DC 20402 9 REST COPY AVAILABLE COMMITTEE ON ENERGY AND NATURAL RESOURCES J. BENNETT JOHNSTON, Louisiana, Chairman DALE BUMPERS, Arkansas MALCOLM WALLOP, Wyoming WENDELL H. FORD, Kentucky MARK 0. HATFIELD, Oregon BILL BRADLEY, New Jersey PETE V. DOMENICI, New Mexico JEFF BINGAMAN, New Mexico FRANK H. MURKOWSKI, Alaska TIMOTHY E. WIRTH, Colorado DON NICKLES, Oklahoma KENT CONRAD, North Dakota CONRAD BURNS, Montana DANIEL K. AKAKA, Hawaii LARRY E. CRAIG, Idaho WYCHE FOWLER, JR., Georgia JOHN SEYMOUR, California A) C. SHELBY, Alabama JAKE GARN, Utah PAUL WELLSTONE, Minnesota BENJAMIN S. COOPER, Staff Director D. MICHAEL HARVEY, Chief Counsel G. ROBERT WALLACE, Staff Director for the Minority GARY G. ELLSWORTH, Chief Counsel for the Minortty 3 CONTENTS Page S. 343 STATEMENTS Bingaman, Hon. Jeff, U.S. Senator from New Mexico 13 Craig, Hon. Larry E., U.S. Senator from Idaho 14 Domenici, Hon. Pete V., U.S. Senator from New Mexico 2 Ford, Hon. Wendell H., U.S. Senator from Kentucky 13 Gore, Hon. Albert Jr., U.S. Senator from Tennessee 15 Hecker, Siegfried S., Director,.Los Alamos National Laboratory 42 Johnston, Hon. J. Bennett, U.S. Senator from Louisiana 1 King, Dr. Kenneth M., prebieent, EDUCOM 53 Nelson, David B., ExecutIve Director, Office of Energy Research, Department of Energy 32 Ricart, Dr. Glenn, president, FARNET 59 Thorndyke, Lloyd M., chief executive officer, Data Max, Inc 63 Wallop, Hon. Malcolm, U.S. Senator from Wyoming 2 Wong, Dr. Eugene, Associate Director, Physical Sciences and Engineering, Office of Science and Technology, Executive Office of the President 27 APPENDIXES APPENDIX I Responses to additional questions 75 APPENDIX II Additional material submitted for the record 79 4 s-10 /YA Yo/ DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY HIGH- PERFORMANCE COMPUTING ACT OF 1991 THURSDAY, APRIL 11, 1991 U.S. SENATE, COMMITTEE ON ENERGY AND NATURAI, RESOURCES, Washington, DC. The committee met, pursuant to notice, at 2:03 p.m. in room 317, Dirksen Senate Office Building, Hon. J. Bennett Johnston, chair- man, presiding. OPENING STATEMENT OF HON. J. BENNETT JOHNSTON, U.S. SENATOR FROM LOUISIANA The CHAIRMAN. The hearing will come to order. We are pleased today to have this hearing on S. 343, the Depart- ment of Energy High-Performance Computing Actof 1991. I want to thank Senator Ford for his leadership in this area,and, particu- larly, Senator Gore for his leadership. Senator Gore has worked many, many years in the area of supercomputersand has helped push this country forward LI this area. While the United States continues to lead the world in the devel- opment of high-performance computing, that lead is being chal- lenged. Some estimate that the Japanese will dominate the super- computer market within the next few years. Yet, the Japanesedid not enter the field cf high-performance computing until 1983. Today, outside of the United States, Japan is the single biggest market for, and supplier of, supercomputers. The United States needs an integrated, cooperative effort among industry, universities, and Government in supercomputing to meet the challenge of foreign competition. The purpose of my bill is t., establish just such an effort. The Department of Energy has always had a key role in high- performance computing research. In 1976, when Seymour Cray de- veloped the world's first real supercomputer, it was the Los Alamos National Lab that purchased the new computer for $13 million. Since that time, the Department's laboratories have become the world's most demanding, sophisticated, and experienced users of supercomputers. Manufacturers of high-performance computers routinely send new prototype computers to the national labs for testing. The labs help the manufacturer identify and solve prob- lems, and write unique software packages. The Department and its laboratories are in a position to help the United States maintain its leadership, strengthen the U.S. computer industry, and encourage the use of supercomputers throughout U.S. industry. (1) 2 bill builds on that provenrelationship because I believe that this the national lab- it encourages even morecollaborations between oratories and otherFederal laboratories,universities, and industry. The bill also calls forthe establishmentof a nationalhigh-speed This network willlink Government,industry, computer network. have access to super- and education. Users acrossthe country will computers, computerdatabases, and otherresearch facilities. Secretary of Energy toestablish the netwerk. The bill directs the their ca- I have selected theDepartment becauseI am confident of pability to run such anetwork. But perhapsthat is not the best approach. I hope thewitnesses today willcomment on the proper management structurefor the network. Department of Energyhas an importantrole to I believe the the play in this issue, andI hope today we canbetter learn where its greatestcontribution. Department will make and Domenici and [The prepared statementsof Senators Wallop the text of S. 343follow:] SENATOR FROM WYOMING PREPARED ST.1TEMENT OF HON.MALCOLM WALLOP, U.S. hearing on S. pleased that the Committeeis holding today's Mr. Chairman, I am Computing Act of 1991, ofwhich 343, the Department ofEnergy High Performance I am a cosponsor. networking is not onlyessential to our Nation's High-performance computing and competitiveness of our econo- defense activities, it is alsoincreasingly critical to the my and thisNation's economic well being. product design, testingand Industry is turning to the useof supercomputers for decade from now therewill be a single productinvented production. I doubt that a military productwithoutthe use of high-per- or producedbeit a consumer or a only question in mymind is formance computers andhigh-speed networks. The will be made here in theUnited States, or producedabroad. whether those products high-performance computingand In the academic andresearch communities,There is not a line ofscientific in- networking is likewiseincreasingly important. could not benefit fromtheir quiry that is either not nowusing supercomputers, or use. develop and implement,with the Thus, it is important thatthe Executive branch legislation, an appropriate full backing of the Congressthrough