Getting Started

Your first time using a supercomputersupercomputing, also known as High-Performance Computing high performance computing (HPC), environment can be intimidating, but it doesn’t have to be. This guide will get you started with the basics.

This article will assume a basic familiarity with the Linux command line. If you are new to Linux or need a refresher, RC Research Computing has created a the guide at , The Linux Shell.

This document also assumes you already have requested and been granted an account. If not, please see this document on Getting an Account. Please also familiarize yourself with our Acceptable Use Policy before getting started. Sections 4-8 contain important information on permitted and prohibited activities. If not all the terms make sense yet don’t worry, we’ll be covering it further down in this document.

If you run into problems or need additional help, we hold regular weekly office hours (Holiday & Summer hours may vary).

Important Terms

• Login Node: A node intended as a launching point to compute nodes. Login nodes have minimal resources and should not be used for any application that consumes a lot of CPU or memory—also known as a head node.

• Compute Node: Nodes intended for heavy computing. This is where all heavy processing should be done

• RC: Short for Research Computing, the team that manages the ASU HPC supercomputer.

• HPC: Short for “High Performance Computing” it refers to a group (cluster) of computers designed for parallelism across many computers at once. Publicly these are often called “supercomputers”

• Cluster: A group of interconnected computers that can work cooperatively or independently.

• Job: Work assigned to be done on a compute node. Any time a compute node is assigned a job is created.

• Interactive Job: A job that allows the user to continue interacting with the node through the shell/terminal while the job is running. This is necessary for graphical programs like JupyterLab, RStudio, and MatlabMATLAB, but can also be used directly in the shell/terminal.

• Batch Job: A job that is submitted as a complete script and runs unattended.

• Scheduler: The application on our end that assigns compute resources for jobs.

• Slurm: The brand name of our scheduler which manages and allocates resources.

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We recommend reading through the detailed start below for users who have never used any HPC a supercomputing environment before.

For those who wish to get started quickly, follow the basic steps:

1. Connect to the ASU VPN.

2. Choose a connection method (Web Portal / or SSH).

3. Transfer files as needed.

4. Log in with your ASURITE & and password.

5. Run an interactive session or create submit an SBATCH script.

Detailed Start

Connect through the Cisco VPN

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For additional details or to install the software, please go to the SSL VPN page.

Choosing a connection method

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