E4 using Docker to simplify HPC app deployment. Problem solved: deploy several version of one app on the same node (e.g. Ansys 15 and Ansys 14), Deploy an old version of an HPC app based on legacy environment, keep cluster nodes aligned with the same version of libriaries and binaries.

1. Docker for HPC

2. Docker enables to build, ship and run any app, anywhere:
• HPC apps
• Web apps
• DBs
• Others
Very useful in HPC environment to align and simplify
deployment of HPC apps on clusters.

3. Problem solved:
- Deploy several version of one app on
the same node (e.g. Ansys 15 and
Ansys 14)
- Deploy an old version of an HPC app
based on legacy environment
- Keep cluster nodes aligned with the
same version of libriaries and binaries
3

4. • When images are updated, only ship relevant layers
• Easy of move HPC apps thanks to Image distribution protocol
• Images are broken down into layers
• Dependency between images (eg: web app depends on DB)

5. • On VMs or physical machine (or on your laptop!)
• Available on OS X and Windows (boot2docker)
• Benchmarks show no difference between containers and bare
metal
Development
VM
QA server Public Cloud Contributor’s
laptop
Multiplicityof
hardware
environments
Production
Cluster
Customer Data
Center
CanImigrate
smoothlyandquickly
Configure Once, Run Anything

6. Static website
MPI libraries
CFD code
User DB
Ansys
HPC solver
V1 V1.5 V2 V2.5 V3 V3.5 V4
• Containers are created
from an image
• Image creation is easy
• Image upgrade is fast
• Immutable infrastructure is
easy to implement
• Legacy App image library

7. App
A
Hypervisor
Host OS
Server
Guest
OS
Bins/
Libs
App
A’
Guest
OS
Bins/
Libs
App
B
Guest
OS
Bins/
Libs
AppA’
Docker
Host OS
Server
Bins/Libs
AppA
Bins/Libs
AppB
AppB’
AppB’
AppB’
VM
Container
Containers are isolated,
but share OS and, where
appropriate, bins/libraries
Guest
OS
Guest
OS

13. • Simplify HPC app deployment in cluster environment
• Standardize HPC configuration among nodes in a cluster
• Isolate HPC apps to eliminate inconsistency
• Run legacy HPC app and keep a library of images
• No virtualization overhead