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SCALE.sdm on AWS: Fast, Reliable Simulation and Testing Data Access for Global Engineering Teams

Simulation data is growing rapidly – and so is the need to access it from anywhere, fast and securely. In engineering, speed matters – not just in simulation runtimes, but also in how quickly teams can access, process, and share results across locations. That’s why SCALE has partnered with AWS to bring its proven simulation and physical test data management platform – SCALE.sdm – to the cloud.

With SCALE.sdm on AWS, engineering organizations benefit in two keyways:

1. Analysis workflows run directly in the cloud – computing resources scale dynamically as needed
2. Simulation and physical test data is accessible from all locations – with low latency and high transfer rates, even for very large data.

In this post, we take a closer look at the second point: How SCALE.sdm on AWS helps distributed engineering teams around the world access and collaborate on simulation data without delay.

This is where SCALE.sdm on AWS makes a difference.

The Challenge: Complex Simulation Workflows and Distributed Teams

At the NAFEMS DACH Conference 2024, Audi shared insights into how the Volkswagen Group collaborates across brands, engineering sites, and external partners – from Germany to Mexico, Brazil, and China.

Vehicle development involves:

sharing standardized CAE models and methods,

synchronizing scripts, process chains, and material data,

integrating engineering service providers in real time.

These activities demand global data availability with consistent performance and reliability. Teams expect to:

upload and retrieve simulation data with minimal latency,

avoid unnecessary data replication across local servers,

keep data structures consistent even when multiple brands and suppliers contribute in parallel.

Traditional solutions – like local VDI clients, point-to-point file sharing, or partner-owned replication servers – reach their limits when data volumes climb into the petabyte range and teams are truly global.

The Solution: SCALE.sdm with AWS

By running SCALE.sdm in the AWS environment, companies can provide centralized, globally available simulation data while still delivering low latency and high throughput for engineering teams around the world.

Key benefits include:

Security & Compliance – With SCALE.sdm and AWS services, organizations can securely manage sensitive product data, ensure compliance with regional certification requirements, and maintain confidentiality, integrity, and consistency across the entire product lifecycle.

Data Efficiency – Standardized data structures and optimized transfers via AWS’s global infrastructure significantly reduce latency compared to on-premises hosting.

Reliability – AWS’s multiple Availability Zones provide high availability and data replication. Deploying SCALE.sdm in a high-availability architecture safeguards against hardware failures and outages, ensuring continuous access to critical simulation data and workflows. Cross-region replication further supports enterprise-grade disaster recovery.

Cost & Performance Optimization – Running SCALE.sdm on AWS eliminates upfront capital expenditures and lowers total cost of ownership. Organizations pay only for the services consumed (compute, storage, streaming, ML & analytics), with resources scaling dynamically to meet fluctuating workloads.

We are excited to partner with SCALE SDM to deliver secure, scalable and flexible infrastructure solutions to help customers accelerate their product engineering outcomes.

Vedanth Srinivasan, Head of Solutions, Engineering & Design, AWS

The showcase from VW Group at the NAFEMS DACH Conference 2024 illustrates just how complex these collaboration networks can be. When simulation data travels across a global engineering network like the Volkswagen Group – involving numerous brands, partners, and toolchains – latency, throughput, and data integrity become mission-critical. SCALE.sdm on AWS delivers exactly this backbone.

With SCALE.sdm, we can efficiently manage the wide variety of our vehicle models and load cases, and significantly improve collaboration with service providers, suppliers, and between the brands of the VW Group.

Richard Luijkx, AUDI AG

For SCALE, AWS enables agility – faster onboarding of new customers, partners, or engineering service providers with resources tailored to their needs.

Why Low-Latency Access Matters

Simulation results are not only large in size but also vital for decision-making – for example in crash safety, lightweight design, or sustainability optimization. Waiting hours for uploads or experiencing version conflicts across global sites slows down vehicle programs and increases costs.

By centralizing SCALE.sdm on AWS, engineering teams benefit from:

High data throughput across continents

Minimal latency for accessing even large simulation result sets

Consistent, audit-ready data structures that enable AI/ML use cases

Flexibility to grow storage and compute capacity on demand

This turns simulation data from a potential bottleneck into a scalable enabler of digital engineering – for globally distributed teams working on future mobility.

SCALE.sdm has been trusted for years by top OEMs and thousands of engineers. With AWS, we’re taking the next step – enabling cloud-first workflows that empower our customers to innovate faster and manage simulation data smarter.

Dr.-Ing. Martin Liebscher, Managing Director SCALE Germany

Want to learn more?

By moving SCALE.sdm to AWS, engineering teams gain a fast, reliable, and scalable backbone for simulation and physical test data – without compromising structure, security, or performance. Especially in globally distributed organizations, this enables smoother collaboration, reduced duplication of effort, and shorter development cycles.

To explore SCALE.sdm in more detail, visit our product site.

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SCALE.sdm on AWS: Fast, Reliable Simulation and Testing Data Access for Global Engineering Teams

This is where SCALE.sdm on AWS makes a difference.

The Solution: SCALE.sdm with AWS

Why Low-Latency Access Matters

Want to learn more?

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