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Applications
The specific applications and codes that you will be running can have significant impact on your system configuration. This may be the first question your Sales Engineer asks you, as it affects every choice you will make. Processor architectures , choice of Interconnects , memory configurations, storage design , and distribution selection can all be affected by your application requirements, so please think about and be ready to discuss your application with your Aspen sales engineer.
Budget
Budgeting is an inevitable part of all new purchases. The absolute best technical solution for your particular requirements may not fit your budget, so your sales engineer needs to know what budget you wish to work within. Our Sales engineers know how to design the best possible solution for your requirements within your budgetary constraints. This can involve capability trade-offs, and your sales engineer will work with you to define your most important needs.
Processor Selection
Do you have a preference for your new systems processor architecture? If so, why? Often certain codes or applications perform better on a specific architecture. Do you want more processing power per node, or perhaps you run small processor quantity jobs and wish more cores per node to avoid communications latency. Do you have application licensing issues that might drive you to less systems that are equipped with more memory or processing power? Or would it be better for your budget and codes to operate on more systems and utilize a low latency interconnect? Your sales engineer will discuss these trade-offs with you.
Interconnect
If you're purchasing a cluster, what kind of Interconnect do you need? Most clusters utilize an internal Gigabit Ethernet network for data sharing and administrative tasks even if they have a low latency or high speed Interconnect network as well. Is a single Gigabit Ethernet network enough? Would it help to have a second Gigabit Ethernet network? Do you need a low latency Interconnect network? Again, your specific applications and budget will drive your selection.
Memory
The type and amount of memory specified in your systems is critical to your clusters performance.
- Amount of memory per compute core (1GB/core, 2 GB/core, 4GB/core...)
- Amount of memory in head or front end nodes for compilation and interactive user requirements
- Type of memory (DDR3 1333/1066 MHz, DDR2 800 ...)
Distribution
Aspen supports many different standard distributions. Do you have a specific distribution requirement? If so, tell your Sales Engineer. Your quote should also reflect your distribution choice.
Cluster Management
What type of cluster management do you need? What support infrastructure and peripherals are necessary to support your chosen options?
- IPMI Several IPMI configurations are possible. Your IPMI traffic can utilize the same Ethernet network your compute nodes use, or they can use a dedicated administrative network for security. You may utilize vampired connections to your BMCs where a single Ethernet cable connects both the node interface and be BMC, or a dedicated 3rd LAN Ethernet IPMI port can be installed on each node. Serial over LAN (serial console via the IPMI connection) is common, while KVM over LAN (to access your actual node VGA display via the IPMI connection) is available on some nodes. Virtual media, which allows you to connect ISO images to virtual floppies and CDROMs via the IPMI interface is also available in some cases. All these options are hardware specific, and depend on the nodes you select. Speak to your sales engineer about your options.
- Rack mounted TFT with long cable
- Rack mounted TFT and KVM solution (some or all nodes)
- Remote IP accessible KVM
- ABC (Aspen Beowulf Cluster Management Suite)
- Switched or Metered PDUs
- Serial Console Server
Cluster Warranty & Support
Do you require any additional on-site support options? What length of time do you wish your hardware warranty to be? Aspen also offers additional Managed Services that you may use to tailor your support package to your exact requirements.
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Cluster Racking
Aspen prefers to ship your cluster fully integrated into your racks. Does the Aspen standard rack configuration meet your requirements? Do you have any special facility or organizational requirements that would affect rack layout, power distribution, or node locations within the racks? Do you wish to rack your new purchase into existing racks at your location?
Cluster Logical Layout
How shall your cluster be networked and what nodes will be used to perform what functions?
- Cluster Type
- Single master node
- Fail-over master node
- Storage and IO Node(s)
- Interactive (login) node(s)
- Dedicated Administrative node
Master Node
How should you configure your master node?
Storage
How do you wish your cluster data storage to be configured?
Backup
Nodes
Do you have any special node requirements?
- How much memory per core do you need?
- Do you need fast scratch drives, or mirrored O.S. or data drives?
- Do you have specific unique node configurations (external connections, storage)
- RAID O.S. or data drives? (software or hardware) for Critical Code Execution or fast scratch space
- Memory
- Form Factor
- GPU Processing
Power
What are your power constraints in your facility? Do you need 120, 208, or other voltage connections? Do you need UPS systems?
Cooling
Do you need additional cooling for your new system?
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Commercial Software
Are your applications commercial? If so, they need licenses. What about your distribution, compilers, debuggers, MPI implementations, or other utilities? Is your parallel file system commercially licensed? If you have any questions, ask your sales engineer, they can help.
- Commercial Applications: Gaussian , Ansys CFX , StarCD , Mathematica , other
- Commercial Distributions : RedHat Enterprise , SUSE Enterprise
- Commercial Compilers
- Portland Group (PGI) Compiler (32,64) (C,C++,Fortran)
- Intel Compiler (32,64) (C,C++,Fortran), Intel Math Kernel Library
- Pathscale Compiler (32,64) (C,C++,Fortran)
- NAG Compiler (32,64) (Fortran)
- Absoft (32,64) (Fortran)
- Commercial Utilities and Libraries : TotalView Debugger
- Commercial MPI Implementations : Platform MPI (formerly Scali), HP MPI , Intel MPI
- Commercial Schedulers : Moab , PBS Pro , Platform LSF
- Commercial Parallel File Systems : Lustre , GPFS (IBM) , GFS and Cluster Suite (RedHat) (commercial support available for LUSTRE and GFS, file systems can be implemented as open source)
- Commercial Backup Software : Tivoli (IBM) , Storix , Veritas Backup
Scheduler
Do you require a resource manager / scheduler for your cluster? What kind? Do you have experience with one?
Account Management
How do you intend to manage users on your new system? Is LDAP, NIS, or Kerberos used at your organization?
Security
Aspen normally configures all systems with network interfaces external to the cluster with packet filtering firewalls configured in a standard way. Do you have specific security requirements for your new system?
- NAT (head node(s) provide NAT gateway for nodes)
- Disable security (you have a organizational firewall)
- Custom firewall rules
- NISPOM , Auditd / SNORT
- External facing IPMI BMC on head node(s)
Windows Integration
Do you need to share data from the cluster to Windows or Macintosh workstations? Do you need to mount Windows shares to your new system? If so, Aspen can configure your new system with SAMBA, but this may cost more money, or require on-site integration.
Shipping / Delivery
Do you have any special shipping or delivery requirements? Do you have a loading dock, pallet jack, room to unpack your system?
- Delivery Options, coordination
- Rack Packaging
- Lift Gate
- Pallet Jack
- Unpacking Space
- Overhead clearance between unloading area and installation location
- Low doors or other obstacles
- Aspen on-site installation team
On-Site & Training
Do you have any special requirements or integration tasks that might require an Aspen on-site visit?
Next Steps
Your sales engineer will work with your requirements and budget to design your system(s).
- You'll need an Aspen Support Account .
- Do you need to benchmark a code?
- Additional Consultation with your sales engineer
- Perhaps your requirements merit a full engineering conference with Aspen Sales and Production engineers. Ask for one!
- Quote(s)
- Statement of Work (SOW)
- You may have questions on your SOW, call us. We're here to help!
- We need the SOW returned by the time you submit your Purchase Order.
- The SOW is used to do a final engineering review of your order.
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