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The project „hpc.bw – Competence Platform for Software Efficiency and Supercomputing“ is funded within the framework of dtec.bw and is part of the KoDiA research cluster.

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Project Description - HPC Portal

 

The HPC portal is a competence platform that enables interested people to learn HPC competences according to their needs using various learning and training materials. A variety of formats will be employed to enhance competences, facilitate knowledge transfer, foster discussion, promote exchange, and offer HPC consulting services.

 

  • training materials,

  • e-learning courses,

  • cheat-sheets,

  • workshops,

  • Open Educational Resources,

  • seminar series

 

The content on the competence platform reflects the multifaceted nature of HPC. This encompasses fundamental HPC knowledge, proficiency in utilizing HPC systems and software engineering, as well as awareness of the diverse capabilities of HPC, comprehension of manuals, and strategies for resolving technical challenges. These formats will be delivered through diverse channels, including digital platforms, hybrid models, blended learning approaches, and on-site sessions, ensuring accessibility and flexibility for all participants. We are currently in the ongoing process of creating such learning formats and add them to the HPC Portal step by step.

Therefore we try to stay in close contact the the scientific research community of HPC users and collect data from surveys to get to know the needs and requirements of HPC users. We also established a basic category system of competences and defined target groups based on self perception. If you want to know more about HPC competences visit our explanation at HSU.

Stay tuned and keep visiting the HPC Portal for the latest learning content. At the moment you will find basic training materials, blog posts and documentation of HSUper and ISCC at HSU as well as supporting information. Another special feature of the portal is the acquisition of knowledge through trainings. In this way, HPC skills can be acquired in a structured and didactic way and continually updated. For the future we are planning to make the HPC Portal even more accessible.

 

Project Description - hpc.bw

 

High Performance Computing (HPC) deals with the development of efficient software, taking into account algorithms, the use of appropriate programming languages and programming environments, as well as the code-specific optimization of computing instructions. As a result of advancing digitalization, HPC now represents an essential building block of science, research, and development, which many disciplines — both within and outside the armed forces — depend upon. Combinatorial optimization problems in logistics and production, numerical simulations in engineering or image analysis, and machine learning methods with real-time requirements in medical diagnostics are just three examples with high HPC relevance.

However, the potential of existing software solutions is often not fully exploited because computing resources are not always used efficiently. There could be various reasons for this, such as the time required for corresponding software optimizations, or the lack of HPC expertise. Ergo, there are gaps between the actual availability of computing power, the knowledge of computing potentials and the usability of the underlying systems. This results in reduced productivity when using digital research methods.

The aim of the hpc.bw project is to strengthen innovative cross-site HPC research at the universities of the armed forces and to accelerate the transfer of HPC knowledge to a wide range of disciplines in order to

 

  • sustainably strengthen research and development in the respective disciplines,

  • to promote interdisciplinary exchange between HPC-related problems,

  • derive new research questions for HPC from the various discipline-specific problems and answer them, and

  • to establish a joint HPC competence platform for users within and outside the armed forces.

 

This program focuses on disseminating information on HPC and offering contact points to HPC experts at the armed forces universities. This is supplemented by further training on the use of HPC resources. In order to increase (research) productivity, software packages used by hpc.bw personnel are to be made more efficient and prepared for use on HPC platforms such as supercomputers.

For more information see the official website at dtec.bw and the description from the perspective of adult education and lifelong learning.

 

HSUper at HSU

The supercomputer HSUper stands as a significant achievement at HSU, representing an integral component of the hpc.bw project and its diverse research domains. This cutting-edge technology catalyses progress in various research directions, fostering innovations across disciplines such as material sciences, fluid mechanics, machine learning and more. In this video interview, Prof. Neumann at the HSU elaborates on the story behind HSUper. Enjoy!