ARL DSRC

The Army Research Laboratory (ARL) has a deep, ingrained heritage of supporting U.S. warfighters, a tradition predating World War II. Since 1943, the ARL (then known as the Ballistic Research Laboratory or BRL) has been at the vanguard of modern computing, providing ballistic calculations and firing tables that were vital to the Allied victory in World War II and ultimately becoming the first permanent installation of a strategic asset for battlefield computations and weapons development.

Today the ARL DSRC is one of five world class computational science facilities supporting the DoD research, development, and test and evaluation communities. For decades, the ARL DSRC has been a leader in providing advanced high performance computing resources and cutting-edge computational solutions, to scientists and researchers across the DoD. This has fueled a steady increase in modeling and simulation quality, supporting complex computational science and engineering applications and enabling DoD researchers and scientists to design and develop better weapons systems at a faster pace and increase the security of our nation.

In partnership with the High Performance Computing Modernization Program (HPCMP), the ARL DSRC makes available powerful HPC systems, provides advanced software packages, enables high-speed secure network access, provides accessible mass storage for data, and supplies expert staff to assist users with the complexities of these resources. All at no cost to users or their programs.

Systems

Our unclassified HPC systems are accessible through the Defense Research and Engineering Network (DREN) to all active customers. Our current systems include:

SCOUT - an IBM Power 9 system with 22 nodes for machine learning training workloads, each with two IBM Power 9 processors, 690 GB of system memory, 6 NVIDIA V100 GPU processing units with 32 GB of high-bandwidth memory each and 12 TB of local solid-state storage. Scout also has 128 GPGPU-accelerated nodes for inferencing workloads, each with two IBM Power 9 processors, 4 NVIDIA T4 GPU's, 246 GB of system memory, and 2.1 TB of local solid-state storage. There are also 2 visualization nodes with two IBM Power 9 processors, 502 GB of system memory, 2 NVIDIA V100 GPU Processing units, and 5.9 TB of local solid-state storage.

For information on restricted systems, see the Restricted Systems page (PKI required).

Services

For assistance with unclassified systems, please contact the HPC Help Desk.

For other issues, Click to view more information.

Data Transfer Requests

Before requesting a data transfer, please read the instructions. Then download, complete, and submit the appropriate form.

Software Requests

General: To request general software installation without a procurement, please contact the HPC Help Desk.

Special Procurements: To request the purchase of software that will utilize considerable hours on ARL DSRC resources, users may contact the ARL DSRC Help Desk.

ARL DSRC Service Requests

For requests related to restricted systems or accounts, or for services not provided by the HPC Help Desk, please email the ARL DSRC Help Desk or call 1-800-ARL-1552 (1-800-275-1552) or 410-278-1700 between the hours of 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM Eastern, Monday - Friday (excluding federal holidays).

Requesting a Classified Account

In addition to the normal requirements for getting an HPCMP account, as found on Obtaining an Account , users requesting classified accounts must also send a Visit Request (VR) to ARL. You may save time by asking your security office to send a VR to both ERDC and ARL DSRC security offices at the same time. For questions about sending a VR for classified access, contact the ARL DSRC S/AAA:

The ARL DSRC Outreach team can be reached by emailing outreach@arl.hpc.mil

Visit

If you're planning a visit to the ARL DSRC, we would like to help make your visit go as smoothly as possible. Before finalizing your travel plans, please review the following information and coordinate with your ARL DSRC POC and your organization's HPC Service/Account Approval Authority (S/AAA) to ensure that all of your credentials are in place and all visit requirements are met.
Click to view more information

Pre-Trip Instructions

Please contact Ms. Tameka Jones, at: tameka.n.jones7.ctr@mail.mil if you need guidance regarding how to contact your organization’s S/AAA.

  • All security clearances should be submitted in advance of the visit to the ARL Security Office.
    U.S. Army Research Laboratory
    ATTN: RDRL-CIH-M
    Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD 21005
    DISS SMO Code W26218
    Phone: 410-278-5574
    Fax: 410-278-6252
  • All security clearances must also be faxed to the U.S. Army Research Laboratory (ARL) Visitor's Desk at 410-278-6362.
  • Non-U.S. citizens representing a foreign government, industry, or academic institution must do the following:
    • Submit a visit request to the Security Specialist at 301-394-4977, or fax at 301-394-4583
    • Submit this request via the correct official diplomatic channels prior to the visit.
  • U.S. Citizens representing industry or academic institution must contact their ARL point of contact at least 48 hours prior to arrival.

On-Arrival Instructions

  • Visitors WITH a Government ID (CAC or other Government ID) can enter APG using either the MD 22 Harford Gate OR the MD 715 Maryland Gate. Show the guard your ID as you enter.
  • Visitors WITHOUT a Government ID MUST enter APG using the MD 715 Maryland Gate. These visitors will need to sign in at the VISITOR CENTER, located off of Maryland Blvd. A Visitor Pass good for 6 months will be issued. They must then backtrack to Maryland Blvd. to continue towards the gate.
  • Visitors WITHOUT a Government ID in the same vehicle as a visitor WITH a Government ID can enter at either gate.
  • To obtain a vehicle security pass, provide driver's license, vehicle registration and proof of insurance.
  • All visitors to the Army Research Laboratory DoD Supercomputing Resource Center are required to register at the main ARL visitor desk in Building 3410. Those visitors not having a current security clearance on file at ARL will be escorted at all times.

Local Information

The ARL DSRC is located on the Aberdeen Proving Ground. Visitors to the DSRC can download and print the Aberdeen Proving Ground Visitors Guide, which contains important contact information, security reminders, a list of local hotels, and a map of the base. This guide also has the latest COVID information and restrictions.


Security Contact Information

  • Security Specialist - 301-394-4977 fax: 301-394-4583
  • ARL Visitor's Desk - phone: 410-278-5217 fax: 410-278-6362
  • ARL Security Office
    U.S. Army Research Laboratory
    ATTN: RDRL-CIH-M
    Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD 21005
    DISS SMO Code W26218
    Phone: 410-278-5574
    Fax: 410-278-6252

DAAC

The ARL Data Analysis & Assessment Center (DAAC) is focused on providing the facilities, software tools and the experience to enable the understanding of physics-based computations by researchers.

Learn more, Click to view more information.

ARL Data Analysis and Assessment Center

HPCMP Data Analysis and Assessment Center (DAAC)

What is data analysis?

Visualization Data analysis is an evolving technology that allows scientists to comprehend large, transient datasets visually. Using multi-dimensional, data animations, researchers can literally see previously unobservable information in the results of gridded numerical computations, non-geometric calculations, or experimental data. The ability to share these results with disparate groups motivates the development of new display technologies, including research initiatives in a variety of hardware and software technologies.

Data analysis serves two very different purposes: First, it helps scientists and engineers solve problems by enabling detailed examinations of data, though the results may not be intuitive to a general audience. Second, it helps to explain and promote a particular science to a wider audience by making complex topics more easily understood.

Visualization Data analysis, assessment, and visualization are key components of the ARL DSRC. Along with high performance computers, advanced networking, and staff infrastructure, they provide a methodology to explore, define, and present the results of computations from HPC systems. The ARL Data Analysis & Assessment Center (DAAC) develops, maintains, and supports robust client-server based applications that enable computational scientists to fully utilize the power of the DoD HPCMP resources from their desktop as a natural and intuitive part of their analysis effort. ARL DAAC team members work directly with customers to guide and assist in the use of application software and develop custom applications and animations in support of unique customer requests.

The DAAC Mission

  • Develop new techniques for exploiting high-performance computing technology
  • Promote the use of data analysis and visualization within ARL and the DoD
  • Provide stable, production-quality analysis applications and computing environments
  • Develop and distribute visual analysis applications to critical HPCMP resources
  • Serve as a focal point to compile visualization work for use in promoting the DoD

Working with researchers within ARL, other DOD facilities, national laboratories, and commercial partners, the ARL DAAC has accomplished work in virtually every major Computational Technology Area (CTA). The team has numerous initiatives that extend the boundaries of visualization, including the use of HPC resources, both locally developed and supported through various technology programs.

Software Downloads, Tutorials, Documentation

The ARL DAAC has focused on the support of the most widely used visualization and analysis tools used within the HPCMP.

Support

For assistance with data analysis and visualization, contact the HPC Help Desk or contact the DAAC team directly.

Facilities

Laboratory (Red Cell)

Man standing in front of display wall The ARL Visualization Laboratory known as the "Red Cell", is a dedicated room in the ARL DSRC with numerous interactive display technologies. Most notably, a curved 24-panel display wall with twenty-four 55" thin bezel monitors and a control system to provide high resolution output (11520 x 4320 pixels) from a dedicated visualization cluster or various other inputs. 12 tracking cameras allow interaction with applications and user data.

The lab includes various immersive technologies. The DAAC Team here at ARL are developing software and extensions to use these technologies in novel ways to immerse the users in their datasets.

The team also uses mixed-reality devices to heighten the visualization experience, allowing the dataset visualization to appear in the room to a user wearing the device. The user can then walk around and examine the data as if it is right in front of them.

Hardware

Red Cell visualization display wall The ARL DSRC has numerous systems for visualizing your data, including all of our production HPC systems via the Secure Remote Desktop (SRD). This is particularly convenient as the data does not need to be moved to a different system.

The lab also has a dedicated visualization cluster with twenty-four 1920 x 1080 outputs that feed the Red Cell tiled display.

Publications

Current and past editions of the ARL Newsletter and other publications are available on the publications page.