OVERVIEW
In February 2024, Team CHPC travelled to Texas for an intensive week of HPC training in preparation for the ISC Student Cluster Competition. Hosted by Dell Technologies and the Texas Advanced Computing Center (TACC), with additional visits to Texas A&M University and the University of Houston Clear-Lake, the program provided invaluable exposure to real-world HPC systems and insights from industry experts.
The training covered technical skills, system analysis, and strategies for optimizing HPC application performance. Below is an outline of the key activities:
Dell Technologies
On Days 3, 5, and 7, the team explored Dell’s research and development clusters, learning about cutting-edge advancements in hardware such as liquid cooling and network configurations. The training included access to Dell’s systems for competition preparation, as well as guidance on using networking and modulization.
Texas Advanced Computing Center (TACC)
On Day 4, the team visited TACC, part of the University of Texas, to tour the state-of-the-art Stampede 3 and Lonestar 6 systems. A standout moment was seeing nodes entirely immersed in coolant for advanced thermal management. The TACC team also provided technical training sessions, focusing on application optimization techniques.
Texas A&M University
Day 6 featured a visit to Texas A&M University, where the team toured their highly organized cluster systems. They were introduced to GPU virtualization techniques, which allow users to create custom hardware compositions. The visit also included a tour of the university’s impressive facilities, we had the honour of being hosted by Elizabeth Leake (Advanced CI Project Manager IV) and Sandra Nite (Research Scientist – K-20 HPC outreach).
University of Houston-Clear Lake
The team also toured the University of Houston-Clear Lake, where they met Dr. Shih and Dr. Lee Morin, a former astronaut. Discussions ranged from quantum computing to space exploration, providing a unique perspective on interdisciplinary innovation.
In addition to their technical training, the students had opportunities to experience Texas culture, cuisine, and landmarks, including visits to the Texas Capitol building and NASA’s Johnson Space Center.
