Choosing the Right HPC Option
MSPH offers access to local HPC through the cluster at Systems Biology and to cloud-based HPC through vendors like Amazon Web Services (AWS). Both options provide significant compute and storage capabilities as well as access to the most widely used software environments.
In choosing which option is right for you, you should consider:
- Support – Systems Biology offers personalized support through Mailman IT’s HPC liaison. Users can get help with selecting appropriate resources, optimizing their code for HPC, and troubleshooting. AWS supports products tailored for a wide range of use cases but may be better suited for more experienced users with a clear understanding of their configuration needs.
- Cost - MSPH provides per-semester subsidized credits for HPC use that can be applied to either local HPC or AWS services. The complete compute and storage costs can differ greatly across these two options, and are highly dependent on your specific configurations and resource use. While the HPC cluster at Systems Biology will monitor your use and alert you when you approach exhausting your credit, AWS has no such mechanism, and users can potentially incur significant costs.
Please note: All costs that exceed the allotted credits will be charged to the faculty member’s ARC string.
- Availability - The System Biology HPC cluster is a shared environment and requires coordinating jobs through a queue system based on availability of resources. AWS offers immediate availability to almost any amount of computing power.
- Flexibility - If your resource demands vary, AWS allows for more range to increase or decrease your resource use as needed.
It can be helpful to consider how you intend to use HPC to support your research. Understanding common use cases for both Compute and Storage options can help you decide what options are right for you.