Overview

The UCSB Center for Scientific Computing at CNSI was formed to promote the effective use of High Performance Computing in the research environment. The CSC already provides a broad range of resources for campus researchers, and we are expanding the available hardware with a recent NSF/MRI funded system. Beyond simply providing the computing resources themselves, part of our mission is to provide training in the best use of computing resources; whether they are at UCSB, or beyond. The CSC sponsors classes, tutorials, and individual training in general Unix/Linux, compiling, and optimization of codes. The CSC also actively engages IT staff at research units across campus so that researchers can get help from their local IT staff, who often understand best what they need to do their projects.

Collaborations

CNSI and MRL

During the summer of 2009 CNSI and MRL: an NSF MRSEC (DMR-2308708) joined forces to provide a more powerful, and unified, HPC computing infrastructure for our researchers. Data files will be easily accessible between clusters, you'll have a single login to access resources in both institutes, and a new cluster is being planned to add even more computing capacity.

UCSB and UCLA

In addition to computing resources at UCSB, the CNSI facility at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) provides computing systems such as the HP CNSI-Beowulf Clusters. Computing facilities at both locations of CNSI can be accessed via the web through a single sign on at the UC Grid Portal, and many UCSB clusters can be accessed at UCSB Grid. Working with the Computer Science department, we are also working on enabling computing via the Grid on idling workstations and clusters.

UCSB and SDSC

Through several programs including HPC@UC and TSCC, San Diego Supercomputer Center (SDSC) provide computational recourses to UCSB. In addition, SDSC provides occasional training opportunities, see for example the Big Data Science Workshop.