The University of Delaware first two high-performance computing (HPC) community clusters: Mills and Farber, both retired were clusters built on the recommendation of a 2011 UD Research Computing Task Force that suggested the University create a large, broadly available HPC cluster. The third and most recent HPC community cluster Caviness was built based on a rolling-upgradeable model for expansion and replacement of hardware over time.
There are currently no nodes available for purchase on Mills or Farber, however we are accepting interest for shares (nodes) to purchase on Caviness.
What is a community cluster?
UD’s community cluster is designed to be a resource to the entire UD research community. Information Technologies (IT) provides the infrastructure, absorbs 50% of the cost of the cluster, and consolidates the purchasing to save the investors’ money. Investors only buy the computing power that they need without the ongoing financial liability of running and maintaining their own clusters.
What are the benefits of participating in a community cluster?
Becoming a stakeholder in the community cluster will give you flexibility in several aspects of your research. You can choose the level of participation that is right for you and you only pay for what you need. Additionally, since IT manages the cluster, you, and your research group are freed from system administration and from the cluster’s physical needs. See all the benefits.
What are the specifications of the community clusters?
How can I purchase nodes (shares) on the cluster?
You can purchase nodes (shares) on the Caviness cluster. If you are unable to purchase nodes on Caviness due to lack of funding, please contact UD’s Campus Champion for questions regarding access to other HPC resources such as ACCESS.