Phloxx.ai

How did we get here and what did we get?

The Gaia Consortium is a research company with a  focus on machine learning. Phloxx is the project name for a series of cutting edge developments oriented around blockchain technologies and machine learning, in particular in image enhancement and image generation. Whilst researching this field we developed various generative adversarial networks with a focus on developing discriminators that can identify patterns and generate imagery around those patterns.

We were utilising various low-end GPU models at the inception of the project for pure proof of concept and hard originally provided our own hardware which Coreix had supplied colocation for at the time.  We started to produce results and realised that we needed more powerful GPU processing, as such Coreix built out an OpenStack platform with the V100 series cards which we still use for testing and proof of concept. However, we began to release we just needed more GPU memory and processing and eventually jumped to the A100 series.

The beauty of the platform is that we can either cluster the cards or use a multi-instance GPU feature with PCI-passthrough and break down the single A100 card into multiple virtual instances for small scale tests. The OpenStack Private Cloud Solution is:

• Easy expansion - We can add storage or hypervisor nodes while the solution is live which can be a lifesaver when you need to expand fast!

• Cost-effective expansion - Due to the scale of deployment required, our solution works out far cheaper than the public cloud alternative.

• Flexibility in the type of expansion - We can add NVMe or SATA nodes depending upon whether we need fast or long term storage - This means we can be really granular with our budgetting.

Why we work with Coreix

A lot of providers don't offer all the services we required in one package. We started out with some shared colocation - moved to a dedicated cabinet and then over the public cloud and eventually our own private cloud solution. At the end of the day, we were a startup in an expensive research and development field - We didn't have the initial budgets that we do today!

Coreix gave us clear and concise options and upgrade paths.

At the end of the day flexibility and cost effectiveness is the key - We needed a solution to a problem and Coreix consultants worked with us to find the right solution.

Mark Adkins, Managing Director of The Gaia Consortium - Phloxx.ai