Changes in user administration in January 2007

21.12.2006

Changes in CSC computing environment starting 1st Jan 2007

The new supercomputers which will be in customer use in spring 2007 will bring some changes in computing quotas and their user administration. With these changes we hope to simplify the follow-up of CSC's computing quotas and ease the utilization.
 
CSC and MPP class quotas will be merged and there will be only one CSC quota. The follow-up of used computing resources will be based on this quota on all computing servers. This means that CSC will give up the separate follow-up of the massive parallel MPP quota for IBMSC server.

At the same time the reference point of the academic billing units will change. The new billing unit will base on one CPU hour of the new Cray XT4 supercomputer (AMD Opteron 2.6 GHz, dual core). One CPU hour on the new supercomputer will spend one billing unit (bu). Since the new HP ProLiant super cluster consists of the same AMD Opteron 2.6 GHz processors, its computing factor will be also 1.0.  

The new computer factors of the present computing servers (IBMSC, Sepeli and Corona) will be between 0.50 and 0.70 when compared to new AMD Opteron processors. Hence they will consume academic billing units according to these computer factors below:

Bu consumption = computer factor * CPU hours

Computing server	Network name	New computer factors starting 1st January 2007
Cray XT4 (new supercomputer which will be in customer use in spring 2007)	louhi.csc.fi	1.0
HP ProLiant cluster 2.6 GHz AMD Opteron (new PC cluster which will be in customer use in spring 2007)	murska.csc.fi	1.0
IBM SuperCluster 1600	ibmsc.csc.fi	0.6
HP ProLiant cluster 2.2 GHz AMD Opteron	sepeli.csc.fi	0.7
SunFire 25K	corona.csc.fi	0.5

In 2007, all new computing projects will get a starting quota of 5 000 bu. The default quota of scientific service users will be 100 bu. Small and medium-sized CPU time applications (up to 10 000 billing units) may be applied by an e-mail to User Manager (usermgr_at_csc.fi). For CPU time applications larger than 10 000 billing units, one needs to fill in the CPU time web form and the applications are handled at CSC's Resource Allocation Meetings. You also have to fill in the CPU time application if your cumulative project usage exceeds 10 000 bu per calendar year. More information about Applying for CPU time.

How the scaling of billing units will show to customers?

Previously granted existing quotas are combined to one united CSC quota which is then scaled down to new billing units. The overall scaling factor between the old and new system is eight (8.0) meaning that the new CSC quota on 1st Jan 2007 is reduced to one eighth of the original quota at the end of 2006.

In the beginning of January we will also perform yearly initialization procedures meaning that we will calculate each computing project a new starting saldo and zero the cumulative yearly usage. All small projects will get the new default quota (100 bu) as their new starting saldo.

When you apply for more CPU time, remember to scale down your computing time application by the factor 8.0.  

NOTE: Due to the changes in CSC's customer database system in the beginning of January, the saldo command will not be in use during the first week of January 2007. These changes will not stop the computing on CSC's servers. However, the used resources are subtracted from the project accounts retroactively at the end of week 1 when the improved follow-up system is taken into use.
 

Christmas Greetings,

Sirpa Kotila
Customer Administration Manager, CSC