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Developing a Research and Education Laboratory for High Performance Computing and Cyberinfrastructure

Abstract

High performance computing (HPC) and computational science are critical drivers of economic and research competitiveness in global science and engineering. The growth of open source software and the universal availability of low cost, high performance computer components make it possible to build powerful and inexpensive high performance computing systems. Fully exploiting the power of these systems, however, is a significant challenge. We are developing a high performance computing and cyberinfrastructure signature area, and as part of this effort, working to develop a flexible world-class laboratory that can be used for both research and education. The goals of this effort are to: (a) educate a cohort of students from backgrounds in computing and the domain sciences in the development, deployment, and use of high performance computing and cyberinfrastructure systems; (b) establish a research facility to support discovery in high performance computing, cyberinfrastructure, and bioinformatics among a group of faculty and graduate students; and (c) seek new ways to effectively and efficiently share and leverage limited space, equipment, and high-end computing resources. We are using the laboratory for two hands-on courses and four research projects, and have found that the flexible and reconfigurable concepts we have embedded into the design of the laboratory have already proven their worth. In this paper, we describe our efforts in developing this lab, the challenges we face, specific goals and objectives, and specific outcomes we have already observed in the process of developing and utilizing this lab. The results presented in this paper will be useful and interesting to groups seeking to develop curriculum and research programs in high performance computing and cyberinfrastructure.

1.0 Introduction

The department of Computer and Information Technology in the College of Technology at Purdue University is in the process of developing a new curriculum in the areas of high performance computing and cyberinfrastructure. This effort, which is a collaborative effort that includes faculty from across the College of Technology as well as researchers and faculty from Purdue University Discovery Park, and Rosen Center for Advanced Computing, is working to integrate research and development efforts in the area of cyberinfrastructure and high performance computing that are taking place across campus, which are focused on developing information technology solutions to address significant problems in science and engineering.

As part of this effort, two years ago the College initiated plans to develop a research and education laboratory that would aid these efforts, and become a focal point of activity that would allow students to become involved. Construction on the laboratory has been recently completed (August 2008), and the facility has been in use for one complete semester and two months of the second semester. This paper describes the motivation that led to the creation of the laboratory, the features of the facility that we designed to meet the competing needs of research, education,

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Hacker, T., & Madhavan, K. (2009, June), Developing A Research And Education Laboratory For High Performance Computing And Cyber Infrastructure Paper presented at 2009 Annual Conference & Exposition, Austin, Texas. 10.18260/1-2--5351