hpc-ch forum on HPC Workflows and Batch Systems

Thursday 15 May 2025, 09:30 → 16:45 Europe/Zurich

HG D 16.2 (ETH Zurich)

Christian Bolliger (ETH Zurich), Maria Grazia Giuffreda (ETH Zurich / CSCS)

Overview:
The HPC-CH Forum is an annual gathering dedicated to exploring the latest advancements in High-Performance Computing (HPC) workflows and batch systems. This year, the forum will bring together experts from academia, industry, and research institutions to discuss cutting-edge technologies and share insights into the future of HPC workflows, batch systems and scheduling in general. Attendees will have the opportunity to engage with thought leaders and participate in interactive sessions designed to foster collaboration and innovation in the HPC community.

Key Topics:

• Optimization of HPC workflows for enhanced performance
• Integration of emerging technologies in batch systems
• Integration of interactive user interfaces in batch systems
• Case studies on successful HPC workflows implementations
• Challenges and solutions in managing HPC resources
• Future trends in HPC workflows and their impact on research and industry

  
  

Who Should Attend?
This forum is tailored for professionals involved in HPC, including researchers, system administrators, software developers, and industry experts. It's an ideal platform for those who are interested in enhancing their knowledge of HPC workflows and batch systems, and for those looking to build a network with leading experts in the field.

HG_D_VF_20240601.pdf

Welcome Coffee & Registration

1 Welcome and Introduction

Speakers: Christian Bolliger (ETH Zurich), Maria Grazia Giuffreda (ETH Zurich / CSCS)

2 A Short History of Batch Systems

Batch systems are dating back to the time of punch cards. For most of the computer users are not confronted with them anymore, the processing of tasks is hidden from them. But in the world of high performance computing they play still a crucial role.
The history of batch systems is in fact also a history of supercomputing.

Speaker: Christian Bolliger (ETH Zurich)

3 Hyper-Converged Cloud Infrastructure at CSCS

This presentation covers the hyper-converged cloud infrastructure at the Swiss National Supercomputing Centre (CSCS), focusing on the integration of Kubernetes (RKE2), ArgoCD, and Rancher for managing and deploying clusters.

Rancher handles deployment on bare-metal and HPC nodes, while Harvester manages virtual clusters. ArgoCD automates deployments and ensures consistency, enabling continuous delivery. The combination of Kubernetes, ArgoCD, Rancher, Harvester, and Terraform creates a scalable, adaptable cloud infrastructure.

This case study outlines the architecture, workflows, and benefits of this approach.

4 Technical Talk

Technical Talk

12:30 Lunch and Networking

5 Managing Slurm on Clusters with Emerging Technologies

User expectations of clusters are changing, meanwhile modern HPC clusters contain resources that are not fully captured by the batch system's cluster model. We present the challenges and developments of bridging the batch system and the cluster to improve the user experience.

Speaker: Urban Borštnik (ETH Zurich)

6 Technical Talk

7 Technical Talk

Transfer to Guided Tour location

8 Guided Tours

We offer two different guided tours:

1. focusTerra - Earthquake Simulator

In the permanent exhibition of focusTerra, we explore the causes of earthquakes, watch tectonic plates move throughout our planet’s history and talk about the scientific value of quakes. In the simulator you will experience earthquakes in a safe environment and learn what to do in a case of emergency.

1. Robotics at ETH

16:30 Farewell and End of the Meeting