Performance Issues in a Real-Time True Color Data Display

We discuss the integration of visualization and supercomputing in a low cost environment. Computational requirements continue to increase dramatically as computational capabilities do. Yet most architectures still separate both processes. The computation is done on one system and the visualization on another. We describe an innovative architecture developed by the Supercomputer Research Center of the Institute for Defense Analysis within which the integration of visualization and supercomputation is realized. Immediate gains are obvious: program visualization, real-time computational steering, and rapid porting of current applications. We describe the issues in porting our experimental visualization software1,2,7 and issues we encountered. We describe limitations and advantages of the hardware/software coupling. We also discuss a proposed extension of that architecture.