Towards Developing a Guide to Choosing National High-Performance Computing Resources
Darshan Sarojini, Cyd Burrows, Kimberly Thomas, Claire Mizumoto · Practice and Experience in Advanced Research Computing · 2023
This work aims to identify key barriers to the widespread adoption of high-performance computing (HPC) and develop a framework to help new users onboard to HPC resources. HPC systems have become an essential tool for scientific research, engineering, and machine learning. However, many users are unsure when to switch from traditional computing hardware to HPC, face a steep learning curve, and struggle to get access to HPC resources. The Advanced Cyberinfrastructure Coordination Ecosystem: Services & Support (ACCESS) program helps reduce barriers to obtaining HPC allocation and promotes the democratization of HPC. This study used a data-driven approach and engagement with the HPC community to identify the benefits of moving to HPC, expected speed-ups, data-driven guidelines for choosing the appropriate HPC resource, and the challenges users face. The authors hope that as more users contribute to the dataset, the quality of the guidelines will improve, making it easier for new users to onboard to HPC resources.