John West from the DoD HPC Modernization Program presents an Update on What’s Missing from HPC?
You can watch the presentation here:
http://insidehpc.com/2013/03/26/update-john-west-on-whats-missing-from-hpc
2. If you’re in this room, you
probably think HPC is a great idea.
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3. Peak Computational Capability by Country
And as we heard last year 1993
countries all over the
world are racing to close
the leadership gap in
capabilities once held by
just a small number of
nations.
2012
Data : top500.org HPCC Newport 2013
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4. Technical Computing
Supercomputing Few users
High Performance Few users
Computing
“Missing Middle”
Individual Many users
Computing
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12. HPC User
• Incomplete toolchain
• Little expertise and no social support
• Primitive interfaces
• Complex management
• Expensive hardware and software
Individual Computing
User HPCC Newport 2013
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13. Why do they stay at the bottom?
They already have something
that works, and it’s too hard to
just “take ‘er for a spin.”
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14. How do we increase the reach of HPC?
Hardware has gotten cheaper and better
There are system management options that
reduce deployment complexity
Interfaces are primitive (some work needed)
Incomplete toolchain (hand to hand combat)
Little expertise and no social support
“I don’t know how, and there’s no one around here
I can ask!”
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15. Makers and Takers
HPC Consumer
– Use high performance computers
– Run applications
– Understand computing principles
HPC Provider
– Run and design high performance computers
– Write and extend applications
– Master computing principles
In practice this is a continuous spectrum, and
workers may move in either direction during their
career.
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16. An interagency (NITRD) position
The NITRD High End
Computing Interagency
Working Group (HEC-IWG)
position on education and
workforce development
(Mar 2013)
Articulates foundational
principles
Starting place for coordinated
agency programs that will
build a workforce
NITRD is not a funding
agency
The Networking and Information Technology Research and Development
Program, www.nitrd.gov
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17. NITRD Position Overview
Affirms the importance of HPC/HEC in national
security and competitiveness terms
Reviews DOE/NNSA-funded survey on
characteristics of the HEC workforce
– Statistics remain a problem for this segment of the workforce
Articulates foundational principles that must be
addressed for success
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18. DoE HPC Provider Study
IDC HPC User Forum: Special Study (July 2010). A Study of the Talent
and Skill Set Issues Impacting HPC Data Centers.
Staffing is hard
– 93% of HPC centers surveyed said that hiring qualified staff is
“somewhat hard” or “very hard” with the majority reporting that it is “very
hard” to find qualified staff.
Where do staff come from?
– STEM grads
– Other HPC centers
– HPC vendors
What skills are needed on the provider side?
– Combined understanding of a scientific discipline and computational
science and/or computer science; parallel programming and code
optimization, especially for scaling to large processor/core counts;
algorithm development; HEC system administration; and understanding
of parallel file systems.
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19. The NITRD Principles
An effective program
– Increases the impact of HPC/HEC
– Must address the entire spectrum consumer provider
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20. The NITRD Principles
An effective program
– Increases the impact of HPC/HEC
– Must address the entire spectrum consumer provider
Career transition for those already in the workforce
just as important as increasing STEM grads
– Many of us came to HPC after practicing in a discipline that uses it
– Steal whenever possible (executive MBAs, certificates, …)
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21. The NITRD Principles
An effective program
– Increases the impact of HPC/HEC
– Must address the entire spectrum consumer provider
Career transition for those already in the workforce
just as important as increasing STEM grads
If we want to teach it we have to define it
– Enumerate the skill vectors that span our space (steal when possible):
admins, architects, developers, …
– Then work with traditional and non-traditional education partners on
curricula
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22. The NITRD Principles
An effective program
– Increases the impact of HPC/HEC
– Must address the entire spectrum consumer provider
Career transition for those already in the workforce
just as important as increasing STEM grads
If we want to teach it we have to define it
…and reinforce it
– (Continue to) fund research that gives academic community experience
with real world (ish) problems
– Internships, fellowships, awards, etc.
– Establishing and illuminating HPC career paths will help with recruitment
and retention (certifications? Maybe eventually…)
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23. Next Steps for NITRD HEC Members
Define a set of career paths and skillsets
Map the union of current efforts, identify gaps
With educators, describe and develop curricula that
will produce new Providers and Consumers
Pilot new, more flexible methods of education and
workforce development that enable in-career
transitions
Continue to fund relevant academic research
problems, internships, graduate and post-doctoral
fellowships, and partnerships with industry and
academia.
...and share, share, share
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24. Read it at goo.gl/e03fU
Comment at john.west@hpc.mil
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