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TACC Overview 2014

TACC Overview 2014

May 20, 2015

What is TACC?

Texas Advanced Computing Center provides:

  • High performance computing systems- large clusters, capable of running highly parallel computation and advanced visualization.

  • Large data storage and data archival capabilities.

  • Software packages already installed on the clusters.

To find documentation/training on TACC systems: User guides, training courses offered by TACC and CCBB. 

Stuck with TACC specific errors or need a specific tool installed on TACC? Submit a ticket to TACC consulting.  

 

TACC's Cluster Systems

Cluster systems are made up of multiple computers, connected together to act as one. Each computer is called a node in the cluster and can have multiple processors (called cores).  Users log in to the cluster through a limited number of head nodes and submit jobs to the many compute nodes.  These systems are inherently parallel and can be greatly beneficial when your jobs are also parallelized.

LONESTAR:                                               

 

  • 1888 nodes (computers)

  • 22,656 cores (processors)

  • Max run time:  24 hours 

  • USE: For running large, parallel computation jobs.

STAMPEDE:

  • 6400 nodes (computers)

  • 102,400 cores (processors)

  • Max run time: 48 hours

  • 7th most powerful cluster in the world

  • USE: For running large, parallel computation jobs


TACC's Data Storage Systems

CORRAL:

  • Replicated storage

  • 6 Petabytes of storage

  • Accessible on lonestar and stampede systems

  • $250 per terabyte (First 5 terabytes free for UT users)

  • USE: Backup data, analysis results.

RANCH:

  • Tape storage

  • Archival storage- not replicated or backed up.

  • 60 Petabytes of storage

  • Immediate access can be difficult.

  • USE: Long term archival of data. One of two copies.

 

Now on to how to use the lonestar cluster...