Welcome to the HPC Help Desk Video Series.
Introduction to Baseline Configuration.
This presentation describes
the High Performance Computing Modernization Program
or HPCMP, Baseline Configuration Initiative,
which establishes
a common set of capabilities across HPC computer centers
so users can work and collaborate more efficiently.
In a link to supplemental materials accompanying this video,
you will find a job that includes all the URLs, phone
numbers and email contacts referenced in this video.
When you see this graphic and hear this sound,
it means the information is contained
in the accompanying Job Aid.
As the HPCMP evolved,
user surveys and feedback revealed the HPC scientific community
needed better tools
to facilitate cross-center collaboration and research.
With over half of the users having accounts at multiple
HPCMP centers, differences in computer
hardware, software and services were hindering
cross-center efforts.
In 2005, the Baseline Configuration Initiative
was established with the goal
of defining a common set of capabilities
so users could more effectively collaborate using HPC resources.
The initiative would also avoid negative impact
by layering new capabilities with backward compatibility
and would be audited
regularly to assess its effectiveness
and identify areas for improvement.
The HPCMP currently supports five
DOD Supercomputing Resource Centers, or DSRCs.
They are the Air Force Research Laboratory
or AFRL, Army Research Laboratory, ARL,
Army Engineer Research and Development Center,
commonly known as ERDC,
The Navy DOD Supercomputing Resource Center,
Navy DSRC,
And Maui High Performance Computing Center, MHPCC.
The Baseline Configuration Initiative standardizes
important services such as login shells,
common user group naming, uniform user notices,
advance reservations, common DSRC commands and tools,
cross-center file transfers and consistent security processes.
The baseline configuration team
has established common capabilities to help HPCMP
customers get needed information quickly and easily.
These include math-scientific libraries, performance and
profiling tools, programming languages, utilities,
source code repositories,
and the computational science environment, CSE.
The MPI Test Suite results,
Consolidated Hardware and Common
Programming Environment capabilities together
provide the user vital information on the allocated DSRC systems,
the software residing on each system, and
assessments of the effectiveness of the MPI implementation.
The baseline configuration team offers
a collection of ten common commands
intended to improve productivity
and effectiveness of users of HPC systems at the five DSRCs.
The compliance matrix shows a quick view
of baseline configuration compliance from center to center.
The compliance matrix is also the easiest way to get information
about any policy by clicking on the policy topics link.
If needed, you can drill down to individual system
compliance and get details on any noncompliance.
This feature is kept up to date and provides automatic compliance
checking for many policies.
Again, a link to the compliance matrix is provided
in the accompanying job.
The Baseline Configuration Initiative
is designed specifically to improve the user experience.
The team urgently needs your input on any capability or function
that has hindered your productivity
when using the HPCMP HPC resources at multiple centers.
Please take a moment to share your concerns and ideas
by sending an email to the team leadership
or by completing and submitting the provided user input form.
Email address and URL are available in the Job Aid.
Thank you for taking the time to view this instructional video.
If you have any questions or experience any problems,
please contact the HPC Help Desk.
The phone numbers, email address and
HPC Help Desk Service Portal URL information are shown here,
and can also be found in the accompanying Job Aid.