Introduction

What this talk is

• Brief overview of the resources offered by the High Performance Computing Core Facility and the Bioinformatics Core

• How to get access

• Very brief introduction to cluster terminology and concepts

What this talk isn’t

• In-depth discussion of UNIX, clusters, or computing in general

• Finished! (Welcome to the beta)

  “Talks are never finished, only due”

Who are we?

• Nikhil Joshi
• Bioinformatics Programmer/Analyst, UC Davis Bioinformatics Core

• 30+ years programming experience, 15+ years at the Bioinformatics Core, software installer for Genome Center cluster.

• Mike (Casper) Lewis
• Systems Architect, HPC Core Facility (previously of the Genome Center)
• 25 years of experience managing UNIX at scale, 20 years of HPC cluster design and administration.

If you were plowing a field, which would you rather use: Two strong oxen or 1024 chickens?

–Seymour Cray

What is a cluster?

• A collection of machines that work together

Why use a cluster?

• Chickens are cheaper than oxen
• There is a limit on the size of a single ox
• … but try getting 1024 chickens to move in the same direction