TACC Overview 2014

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...