About HPCI Project

About HPCI

HPCI ( High Performance Computing Infrastructure )  is a shared computing environment infrastructure that links the computing systems and storage of universities and research institutions in Japan via a high-speed network.

The Research Organization for Information Science and Technology (RIST) serves as the representative organization for project selection and help desk services.

Through the operation of HPCI, groundbreaking research results are produced, contributing to the development of science and technology and strengthening industrial competitiveness, while also contributing to the development of human resources and the expansion of the base of supercomputing.

For HPCI project, you can see “Using HPCI“ on the HPCI portal site.

HPCI portal site (external site)

Aims of HPCI resource provision

In order to diversify the computational resources available to RIKEN researchers and to collaborate with various researchers in advancing the TRIP initiative, it was decided to provide HPCI resources for HBW2 with the following objectives.

• Enable HPCI computational resources to be considered as a choice of computational
resources.
• Not only to use them unilaterally, but also to be actively involved in HPCI, including
providing resources.

About HPCI Project

  • RIST will manage the call for projects, project selection, etc.
  • Projects can be submitted from inside and outside RIKEN
  • Apply once a year via the HPCI application system (application period is around September-October of the previous year)
  • There are several types of projects, and HBW2 invites “General Projects”, “Young Researchers’ Projects” and “Industrial Projects”
  • Projects are reviewed and selected by experts in their fields
  • Free, large-scale (up to about 10% of all computing resources) use is possible.
  • Requires submission of a usage report in HPCI format

For the beginning of the project

Please be sure to read and comply with Usage Agreement and Operation Procedure on the HBW2 page before use.

Security export control

Projects that include non-residents or specific categories of project members are subject to a security export control review before use can begin.

(Details will be provided to the project representative after the project has been approved.)

*If the screening process takes a long time, the start of use may be delayed.

Local account (HBW2 account) issuance procedure

The issuance procedure of a local account (HBW2 account) after identity vetting is as follows.

◆(Including visiting members) who have a RIKEN status

  1. User receives an email from the administrator (Information Systems Department) requesting your HBW2 Portal user registration.
    • If you are already registered as a HBW2 Portal user, you will not receive an email.
  2. User logs in to HBW2 Portal using Shibboleth authentication.
    • After logging in, enter user information and register.
  3. The administrator creates the HPCI project and HBW2 account and sends an email to the user.
    • If the user already has an HBW2 account, it will be reused.
  4. The user logs into the HBW2 portal again and registers his/her public key.
    • Once the public key registration is completed, the user can log in to HBW2 via SSH.

◆Who do not have a RIKEN status

  1. The administrator (Information System Department) will register the HBW2 portal user, create a new project, and create an HBW2 account, and send an email to the user.
    • If you already have an HBW2 portal user or HBW2 account, we will reuse it.
  2. If a new HBW2 account is created, please follow the instructions in the email sent to you to change the password for your HBW2 account.
  3. The user should log in to the HBW2 Portal again and register the public key.
    • The user can log in to the HBW2 Portal with the changed HBW2 account password.
    • Once the public key registration is completed, users will be able to log in to HBW2 via SSH.

In using the authentication infrastructure provided by HPCI

When using HPCI shared storage, it is necessary to authenticate using the authentication infrastructure provided by HPCI.

HPCI provides both the conventional authentication infrastructure (GSISHH) and the new authentication infrastructure (OAuthSSH), but only the new authentication infrastructure (OAuthSSH) can be used for HBW2.

Please note that only the OAuthSSH is available for use with HBW2.

*The functionality of the new authentication infrastructure (OAuthSSH) has not yet been released (as of April 16, 2024). The HPCI office will contact you as soon as it is released, so please wait to use Gfarm until then.

Differences between HPCI projects and RIKEN projects

Role of the Project User

HPCI project users cannot be assistant project representatives or observers.

HPCI project application and management

As mentioned above, applications for HPCI projects cannot be submitted through the HBW2 Portal. Please contact the HPCI Help Desk (external site) if necessary.

Computing resources for HPCI projects

If the computing time applied for in an HPCI project is not divisible by 720 core hours, the computing time will be allocated by rounding up the computing time so that it is divisible by 720 core hours.

Priority control

Priority will be adjusted so that the computing time allocated for HPCI projects will be used up as long as it is used in a planned manner throughout the usage period.

Storage for HPCI project

If a user belongs to a RIKEN project or another HPCI project, the account and the 4 TB of home area will remain the same. In the case of an HPCI project where the data space applied for is not divisible by the TB unit, the data space will be rounded up to the nearest TB unit. Data storage after the end of use will be in accordance with the rules and regulations provided by RIST.

Report on HPCI project

A usage report shall be submitted according to the method indicated by RIST.

 

Please use the HPCI Application Support System to change members or submit reports for HPCI projects.

For HPCI-related enquiries, please contact the HPCI Helpdesk (external website).