HPCMP’s Defense Research and Engineering Network (DREN) provides the Department of Defense with a fast, secure, and powerful connection across the United States. It enables HPCMP users to connect to our supercomputers remotely, but also facilitates a multitude of science and technology, test and evaluation, and acquisition engineering projects.
Recently, the DREN played an essential role in the creation of a digital twin of Tyndall Air Force Base. When Hurricane Michael destroyed 60 percent of Tyndall in 2018, the United States Air Force partnered with the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center to rebuild the base as an Installation of the Future, complete with a digital twin. This virtual replica of Tyndall serves a multitude of purposes, including guiding the construction process, planning future maintenance, and assessing potential threats to the installation. Bringing together all the data needed to make a digital twin is a steep challenge. The DREN’s high speeds and low latency make it possible.
In 2023, HPCMP finished its transition from DRENIII to DREN4, which features a dedicated backbone, an increase the minimum bandwidth, and more advanced security.