SlideShare a Scribd company logo
Update: What’s Missing from
HPC?


       John West
       DoD HPC Modernization Program
If you’re in this room, you
probably think HPC is a great idea.
                                 HPCC Newport 2013
                                           Page-2
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
                                                                                 Page-3
Technical Computing

 Supercomputing                         Few users




High Performance                       Few users
       Computing
                    “Missing Middle”




       Individual                      Many users
      Computing


                                                    HPCC Newport 2013
                                                              Page-4
So…where are they?


                     HPCC Newport 2013
                               Page-5
HPCC Newport 2013
          Page-6
HPCC Newport 2013
          Page-7
HPCC Newport 2013
          Page-8
The HPC and
supercomputing
users we have
today didn’t have a
choice.




                      HPCC Newport 2013
                                Page-9
The choice was
obvious for
individual computer
users.


And the middle,
stayed at the
bottom.


                      HPCC Newport 2013
                               Page-10
The journey from the bottom.
                               HPCC Newport 2013
                                        Page-11
HPC User

                        • Incomplete toolchain

                         • Little expertise and no social support

                       • Primitive interfaces

                         • Complex management

                       • Expensive hardware and software
Individual Computing
User                                                        HPCC Newport 2013
                                                                     Page-12
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.”
                                  HPCC Newport 2013
                                           Page-13
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!”

                                                 HPCC Newport 2013
                                                          Page-14
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.
                                                    HPCC Newport 2013
                                                             Page-15
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
                                                                     HPCC Newport 2013
                                                                              Page-16
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




                                                                    HPCC Newport 2013
                                                                             Page-17
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.
                                                                              HPCC Newport 2013
                                                                                       Page-18
The NITRD Principles
 An effective program
  – Increases the impact of HPC/HEC
  – Must address the entire spectrum consumer  provider




                                                           HPCC Newport 2013
                                                                    Page-19
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, …)




                                                                           HPCC Newport 2013
                                                                                    Page-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
 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




                                                                             HPCC Newport 2013
                                                                                      Page-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
 …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…)




                                                                           HPCC Newport 2013
                                                                                    Page-22
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
                                                      HPCC Newport 2013
                                                               Page-23
Read it at goo.gl/e03fU
Comment at john.west@hpc.mil
                               HPCC Newport 2013
                                        Page-24

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What’s Missing from HPC?

  • 1. Update: What’s Missing from HPC? John West DoD HPC Modernization Program
  • 2. If you’re in this room, you probably think HPC is a great idea. HPCC Newport 2013 Page-2
  • 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 Page-3
  • 4. Technical Computing Supercomputing Few users High Performance Few users Computing “Missing Middle” Individual Many users Computing HPCC Newport 2013 Page-4
  • 5. So…where are they? HPCC Newport 2013 Page-5
  • 9. The HPC and supercomputing users we have today didn’t have a choice. HPCC Newport 2013 Page-9
  • 10. The choice was obvious for individual computer users. And the middle, stayed at the bottom. HPCC Newport 2013 Page-10
  • 11. The journey from the bottom. HPCC Newport 2013 Page-11
  • 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 Page-12
  • 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.” HPCC Newport 2013 Page-13
  • 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!” HPCC Newport 2013 Page-14
  • 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. HPCC Newport 2013 Page-15
  • 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 HPCC Newport 2013 Page-16
  • 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 HPCC Newport 2013 Page-17
  • 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. HPCC Newport 2013 Page-18
  • 19. The NITRD Principles  An effective program – Increases the impact of HPC/HEC – Must address the entire spectrum consumer  provider HPCC Newport 2013 Page-19
  • 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, …) HPCC Newport 2013 Page-20
  • 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 HPCC Newport 2013 Page-21
  • 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…) HPCC Newport 2013 Page-22
  • 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 HPCC Newport 2013 Page-23
  • 24. Read it at goo.gl/e03fU Comment at john.west@hpc.mil HPCC Newport 2013 Page-24