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The
strategy behind High Performance
Computing (HPC) is
to “divide and
conquer.” By dividing a complex problem
into smaller component tasks that can be worked on simultaneously, the
problem
can often be solved more quickly. This can help save time and
resources, as
well as monetary costs. A typical HPC computing system consists of one
master
node and multiple compute nodes connected via standard network
interconnects. All of the nodes in a
typical HPC run an
industry standard operating system, which typically offers substantial
savings
over proprietary operating systems. The master node of the cluster acts as a server for the
Network File System (NFS), job-scheduling, security, and acting as a
gateway to end-users. The master node assigns each of the compute nodes
with one or more tasks to perform as the larger task is broken into
sub-functions. As a gateway, the master node allows users to gain
access to the compute nodes. The sole task of the compute nodes is to execute
assigned tasks in parallel. A compute node does not have a keyboard,
mouse, video card, or monitor. Access to client nodes is provided via
remote connections through the master node. ILRI HPC Specifications The ILRI HPC facility consists of a Dell PowerEdge R910 Server with:
The operating system is Rocks v5.4 (Maverick). The nodes are connected via
gigabit Ethernet connectors to a 48 port GigE switch. Backups are handled by an
Exabyte 221L tape library.  ILRI HPC server |
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