TACC Overview

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.

LONESTAR6:                                               

  • 560 nodes (computers) with 128 cores per node
  • 71, 680 cores (processors)
  • 256 GB RAM
  • Max run time:  48 hours 
  • USE: For running large, parallel computation jobs.

STAMPEDE2:

  • 4,200 KNL nodes (computers with 68 cores per node); 1736 SKX nodes (computers), 224 ICX nodes (computers)
  • 285,600 cores (processors); 83,328 cores (processors)
  • Max run time: 48 hours (without approval), 120 hours (with approval)
  • 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 lonestar6 cluster...