Common Node Resource Specification

BC Project: FY14-01
Date of Policy: 13 Mar 2014
Last Updated: 30 May 2024 (see Revision Log)

This project defines a common method for specifying the type of nodes required on all allocated HPC systems with heterogeneous node configurations.

Definition of a common method will facilitate commonality across DSRCs and systems.

Currently, the centers use Workload Management System directives to specify resources. Examples of node resources are memory size, or presence of an accelerator such as a Graphics Processing Unit (GPU). The following generic names will be used to specify the listed resources:

Node Attribute Specification
Attribute Node Attribute Spcification
PBS SLURM Description
bigmem bigmem A node which has more memory than other nodes.
ngpus gpu Number of GPU devices per node or presence thereof
nmlas gpu Number of Machine Learning Architecture devices per node or presence thereof
highclock highclock A node type intended workloads requiring high CPU Clock speed such as commercial codes licensed on a per-core basis
visualization viz A node type intended for visualization
nvme nvme A node resource that specifies Non-Volatile Memory local storage on the node

The list of resources may change as needed to accommodate new capabilities.

DSRCs will coordinate with the Baseline Configuration Team prior to introducing any new node resource types.

A summary of usage for each system can be found on HPC Centers in the Scheduler guides for the system.

Notice: Future HPCMP allocated HPC systems may make use of a diversity of HPC job schedulers (PBSpro, SLURM) to submit batch jobs.


Revision Log
Date Revision
30 May 2024Add column for SLURM, revise text
06 Jan 2022BC Team Audit - Policy Name modification
08 Dec 2020Replaced PBS scheduler by a generic HPC job scheduler
26 Apr 2018BC Team Audit
16 Jun 2016BC Team Audit
13 Mar 2014First release of policy