During the first half of 2021, staff from PDC, KTH and HPE worked hard to prepare the PDC computer hall so that the first phase of PDC's new supercomputer system, Dardel, could be installed.
The initial plan was that Dardel would be installed in April 2021, however there were various delays outside of PDC's control which meant that the actual installation started in early August. The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic at the time, and the associated restrictions on the number of people who could be in the same room together, meant that coordinating the preparation procedures was more complicated than for previous systems at PDC. (For anyone reading this years after the pandemic, staff are wearing masks in many of the early photos because that was a requirement at the time to hinder transmission of the virus.)
Dardel is a directly liquid-cooled machine - we need some pipes!
The pipes are masterfully connected together...
...very masterfully...
...and the pipe maze continues under the floor tiles!
Computational power does not come for free: electric cables, unite!
The cables are routed under the floor...
...and the relevant electrical measuring instruments are updated as well.
Lots of water and lots of metal: Dardel is heavy! We must put some extra supporting legs under the floor tiles.
And after marking where all the cabinets should go...
...cutouts are made!
Renovation time in the computer hall! Let's take the chance to update the fire detection system...
...and yes, these red pipes must go under the floor all the way through the room!
No system is good without some testing: let's burn an insulated wire, it'll smoke as much as your typical power supply capacitors!
New pipes, new electric cables, cutouts, fire alarm... after all the mess we have made, we're lucky to have Micke who makes everything sparkling clean and tidy again!
With the inside of the computer hall ready, it is time to prepare the road to the computer hall. Red carpet is so last century though... so let's roll out the (single shade of) grey carpet for Dardel!
Some sand to distribute the enormous weight of the Dardel cabinets and the trucks that will bring the cabinets...
...a couple of steel plates and a roof in case it rains, and we're now ready to welcome Dardel!
And on to the next day when the compute racks are delivered and installed...
