class: center, middle <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/nordichpc/talk-meeting-intro@11ce53cb835eab2132b1446333e2cc10d42e2546/img/koch.png" style="width: 150px;"/> # NordicHPC: Welcome and introduction Text is free to share and remix under [CC-BY-4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) Richard Darst and Radovan Bast --- # How we got here .left-column[ - Early 2019: Richard visits Tromsø - May 2019: Workshop at NeIC conference [Reimagining Research Computing](https://nordichpc.github.io/2019-05-15-neic/) - In the evening: restaurant visit and discussion - Decision to organize this event ] .right-column[ <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/nordichpc/talk-meeting-intro@11ce53cb835eab2132b1446333e2cc10d42e2546/img/inauguration.jpg" style="width: 80%;"/> ] --- class: center, middle ## What do we want to get out of this? --- # Networking Our program is designed with lots of breaks to talk and enjoy our time. ## Let's introduce ourselves! .left-column[ - Denmark - SDU 1 - KU 1 - DeiC 1 - Estonia - Tartu 1 - Finland - Aalto 5 - CSC 3 - Helsinki 3 - Tampere 1 - Oulu 3 ] .right-column[ - Iceland - UI 1 - Norway - UiO 1 - UiT 1 - Sweden - KTH 1 - Linköping 1 - Lund 3 - Uppsala 3 ] --- # More goals - Want to run your infrastructure better by **sharing ideas and projects** - Want a **network of like-minded people** - Want to ensure the future of "HPC" by **adapting to the present** - **Solve problems** --- # Why NordicHPC? - We could have more interaction - Some national interaction, more international - We all have similar problems, but invent our own solutions - The whole concept of HPC needs development - People are turned off because of usability and old-fashioned mindset --- # Accessibility and usability - "HPC" often means "big stuff" - Clusters should be an appropriate place also for medium sized jobs - Too much focus on https://www.top500.org? - Some academic domains are better served than others - Documentation is often not adapted to user needs - Often too much bureaucracy to get on a machine - Interfaces often limited to terminal - Clusters aren't adapting to the needs of users - Usability is driving people out - Often it's easier to spend your own money on commercial cloud services --- class: center, middle ## What can we do? --- # Share good ideas - We all have the similar problems, but different unique solutions. Why not share? - Let's also share the "bad" ideas: things that did not work out. - We have the talk "Cool things and problems" and lightning talks. --- # Shared maintenance of projects > *If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.* [African proverb] - It's fun to work alone, but can be even more fun to work together - https://github.com/NordicHPC/ is a shared repository for "stuff" - anything that could be useful. - Donating to shared maintenance means more eyes, more use, and more visibility. - More info in a lightning talk. --- class: center, middle ## Open questions --- # NordicHPC is not a good name - "HPC" means "big stuff". It can be perceived as exclusive and excluding. Our clusters are appropriate for more than the big stuff. - We want everyone to see the value of our services. - Including "HPC" in our name isn't exactly the way to do that. --- # More meetings? - There are plenty of Nordic computing meetings and projects, but few focused on our specific type of problem. - The Nordic e-Infrastructure Collaboration (NeIC) will probably fund more meetings like this if we make a good case. - To be discussed at the end of the meeting, under "future". --- # This meeting? - We need to set the stage behind what we are doing. - Richard will present practical info next. ## Thanks to Aalto Science-IT for sponsoring this event!