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Introduction
The Cambridge Cranfield High Performance Computing Facility (CCHPCF) began in the early 90's by the efforts of a consortium of scientists from different departments who found themselves unable to obtain sufficient computing resources either locally or nationally.
The consortium was successful in obtaining financial support from Cambridge University, the Newton Trust and grant applications including bids to JREI. The CCHPCF is not a computing service but is a facility that is maintained by users for users to supply flexible high performance computing resources to researchers in both Universities and their teams. It is not intended to service jobs that could be run on departmental workstations.
About this Guide
This guide gives a basic overview of the CCHPCF systems and covers topics such as logging into the machines and submitting jobs. It is assumed that you have experience with simple Unix commands and access to precompiled binaries suitable for the CCHPCF machines. The University Computing Service runs regular courses on basic use of Unix. (see http://www.cam.ac.uk/cs/)
Information on compilation, debugging and tuning can be found at http://www.hpcf.cam.ac.uk.
Code of Conduct
The CCHPCF machines are multi-user systems. Although we try to set them up in such a way that everyone has fair access to the resources available, we depend to a very large extent on the goodwill and cooperation of all the users.
- The CCHPCF is intended to be a very open system, with users helping each other and checking for accidents and inefficiencies. If you notice a problem with the system you will probably need to do the initial checking yourself. However report all problems to support@hpcf.cam.ac.uk
- Most files will be readable to all users. Please use this appropriately, and respect the confidentiality of other people's files and the work that they are doing.
- Users are encouraged to keep well within their disk quota on their homespace and to avoid filling the temporary disks.
- We suggest that users limit themselves to no more than five simultaneous jobs on each machine (either running or queued, but excluding the shorter test and development queues). Users who need to submit significantly more than this should discuss their requirements with HPCF support (Email: support@hpcf.cam.ac.uk). It is reasonable to submit a few more before a long break (e.g. Christmas), but it is essential to check that you are not obstructing other people from using the system.
- However you work, please do NOT submit many jobs to the test and development queues, have a job on those queues that automatically submits its successor, or have a script that submits multiple jobs to them. Those queues are for testing and development, and must not be used to run production jobs ahead of ones on the production queues.
We remind you of the undertaking you have given when signing up to use the facility:
I have read the Rules and understand that allocations of computing resources are made and may only be used subject to the Rules issued from time to time by the University of Cambridge Information Technology Syndicate and the Management Committee for the Cambridge-Cranfield HPCF. I agree to abide by such Rules. I understand that National and International networks may be used for academic purposes only.
Data Protection Act: I will not hold or process personal data without first seeking permission from the Management Committee for the Cambridge Cranfield HPCF. Please note that and infringement of this undertaking would lead to disbarment from using the CCHPCF.
Publications
It is important that we keep a record of all publications arising from work carried out on the CCHPCF. Please send details of any relavent publications to the CCHPCF administrator email admin@hpcf.cam.ac.uk. When apropriate the CCHPCF should be acknowledged in any published work, eg Computational resources were provided by the Cambridge-Cranfield High Performance Computing Facility.
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