Kempner Computing Handbook

Welcome to the Kempner Institute Computing Handbook, a comprehensive resource designed to empower researchers and students with the knowledge and tools necessary to leverage High-Performance Computing (HPC) for advanced computational research. This guide covers everything from the basics of getting started on the Kempner AI cluster, understanding its architecture, and navigating its environment, to more advanced topics such as job scheduling with SLURM, optimizing computational workflows, and harnessing the power of GPU computing. Through detailed sections on development and runtime environments, scalability, data management, and performance monitoring, users are equipped to efficiently manage resources, develop and run sophisticated applications, and analyze performance to ensure optimal outcomes. Whether you are new to HPC or looking to enhance your computational research projects, this guide provides the foundational knowledge and practical insights to effectively utilize the HPC resources available at the Kempner Institute.

Harvard’s Kempner AI cluster ranks 32nd on the Green500 and 85th on the TOP500, making it one of the fastest and most energy-efficient supercomputers for advancing AI and neuroscience research.

The Kempner Institute AI cluster’s graphics processing units are networked together to allow for incredibly fast parallel processing. Credit: Harvard University.

Read more about the Kempner AI cluster’s ranking and performance in the Harvard Gazette article: Kempner AI cluster named one of world’s fastest ‘green’ supercomputers