National Test Facility

Civilian Agency Use of Supercomputers Not Feasible Gao ID: AIMD-95-28 December 9, 1994

On the basis of its interviews with the civilian agencies cited in the House Armed Services Committee report accompanying the National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 1995, GAO concludes that none of the agencies would be able to make effective use of the National Test Facility's (NTF) excess supercomputing capabilities. These agencies said that they could not use the resources mainly because (1) NTF's supercomputers are older machines whose performance and costs cannot match those of more advanced computers available from other sources and (2) some agencies have not yet developed applications requiring supercomputer capabilities or lack funding to support such activities. In addition, future support for the hardware and the software at NTF is uncertain, making any investment by an outside user risky.

GAO found that: (1) none of the agencies reviewed could make effective use of NTF supercomputing capabilities; (2) NTF supercomputers are older machines whose performance and costs cannot match those of more advanced computers available from other sources; (3) some agencies have not yet developed applications requiring supercomputer capabilities or do not have funding to support such activities; and (4) future support for NTF hardware and software is uncertain, making any investment by an outside user risky.



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