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High-Performance Computing Workload Management Solution at The Scripps Research Institute
Technology Category
- Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) - Cloud Computing
- Platform as a Service (PaaS) - Application Development Platforms
Applicable Industries
- Cement
- Life Sciences
Applicable Functions
- Product Research & Development
Use Cases
- Inventory Management
- Personnel Tracking & Monitoring
The Challenge
The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI), the world’s largest private non-profit biomedical research facility, faced a significant challenge in fulfilling compute cycles for its scientists. The institute's research, which spans across immunology, molecular biology, cell biology, chemistry, neurosciences, autoimmune diseases, cardiovascular disorders, and cancer, is highly compute-intensive. The Research Computing Department at TSRI operates three High-Performance Computing (HPC) platforms to deliver the compute cycles needed by the scientists. However, managing the workload across these platforms and providing a seamless interface for the scientists was a significant challenge. The institute needed a solution that could handle workload management for up to 500 account-holding users, of which 75-100 are most active, without requiring a lot of support.
About The Customer
The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) is the world’s largest private non-profit biomedical research facility. Located near San Diego, the institute has more than a million square feet of laboratory space, a staff of 2,800, a faculty of 290, 800 post doctoral fellows, 164 graduate students, and at least 1500 technical & administrative support personnel. TSRI is known worldwide for basic research in immunology, molecular biology, cell biology, chemistry, neurosciences, autoimmune diseases, cardiovascular disorders, and cancer. The institute's research focuses on the structure and functions of biological molecules, in which TSRI is an acknowledged world leader. The institute operates three High-Performance Computing (HPC) platforms to support its research.
The Solution
TSRI implemented Altair’s PBS Professional software to provide a consistent workload management infrastructure for its users across all three computing environments. PBS Professional handles workload management for the users, providing a uniform interface to the clusters. The software is a mature, stable product that does not require a lot of support. It is deployed without extensive customizations and is used basically out of the box. The software also gives TSRI control over priorities of use, which is crucial as every TSRI investigator is essentially an independent contractor responsible for securing grant dollars to support research projects. Researchers use a web page interface and PBS Professional to access a platform of choice based on their needs and the current level of utilization on each platform.
Operational Impact
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