[ale] Supporting Linux on super computers?

[Scott McBrien]

High Performance Compute (HPC), or supercomputers, are custom built to pool compute resources.  Generally their workloads are scheduled and execute batch.  So in addition to the compute node management, the scheduling software is also critical for the cluster.  Traditionally, one manipulates the node to have all the application and data required for its allotted time, however I have a lot of conversations with people in this segment about containerization of their applications, models, and data.  This makes the cleanup from removing a job from the cluster pretty trivial as you just kill off the containers, and pull and run the next containerized job for the next work cycle.

An example of a job in this realm would be things like:
Animation render farming
Cryptocurrency mining
Scientific compute (like gene sequencing or statistical modeling or prediction)
Geospatial analysis
Geologic survey analysis
Graphic prediction and modeling (such as simulated crash results for automotive engineers)
Simulated wind tunnel testing (aeronautics and automotive)

Etc.

-STM 

> On Jun 3, 2024, at 4:05 PM, Leam Hall via Ale <ale at ale.org> wrote:
> 
> For those of you who know, what's different about supporting Linux on supercomputers?
> 
> Thanks!
> 
> Leam
> 
> 
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