Introduction

The WestGrid computing facilities are distributed among several resource provider sites, with some specialization at each site. WestGrid is connected by good networks so that users can use the system which best fits their needs, regardless of where it is physically located.

WestGrid provides several types of computing systems, since different users' programs will run best on different kinds of hardware. The systems are for high performance computing, so they are something beyond what you would find on a desktop. We have clusters, clusters with fast interconnect, and shared memory systems. Use the system which best fits your needs, not necessarily the one closest to you. Anything else is less than optimal and a waste of valuable resources.

See the QuickStart Guide for New Users introduction to choosing the most appropriate system. For more detailed information about the differences between the WestGrid systems, see the pages in this section.

Serial programs can run on one CPU or core of a compute cluster. Some researchers have a serial program which they need to run many times; they can run multiple copies simultaneously on a cluster.

Parallel programs have multiple programs running at the same time which have some need to communicate with each other. Then the important distinction is how much they need to communicate and how quickly they need to do it.

In order of increasing demands, those programs can run on a regular cluster, a cluster with a fast interconnect, or a shared memory machine. This depends on how the program is written (MPI, OpenMP, threads, etc). How well a parallel program scales will determine how many nodes of a cluster or machine that program should be run on.

Other factors will also affect the decision of which system to run on. For example, the amount of memory available, the software which is installed, the restrictions due to software licensing, etc.

WestGrid also has specialized systems. For example, ones with special visualization capabiliites, GPUs, etc. See the QuickStart Guides for more information about each system.

List of facilities by location

• Simon Fraser University
  • Snowpatch, Bugaboo, Storage facility
• University of Alberta
  • Checkers
• University of British Columbia
  
  • Glacier, Orcinus
• University of Calgary
  • Breezy, Terminus, Lattice
• University of Saskatchewan
  • Storage facility (Silo and Hopper)
• University of Victoria
  • Hermes, Nestor, Storage facility

List of facilties by general type

• Storage
  • USask Storage Facility -- the primary storage site
  • UVic Storage Facility and SFU Storage facility -- for use in special cases where there is a need for large storage close to the compute nodes
• Shared memory
  • Hungabee - in production beginning 2012
• Cluster
  • Glacier, Snowpatch, Hermes, Breezy (large memory)
• Cluster with fast interconnect
  • Terminus, Bugaboo, Checkers, Orcinus, Nestor, Lattice, Grex (large number of cores/node)
• Visualization
  • Checkers [special nodes with GPUs]

Future Plans

These systems are being purchased, installed, or configured now:

• UBC - orcinus expansion plus disk.
  RFP process complete, vendor selected, more compute, storage.  expected delivery Mar - Apr 2011.

More to come in 2011:

• SFU parts 2 and 3 of compute and storage.  RFP evaluation completed.
• UofA part 2 of compute and storage. Also shared memory. In production beginning f 2012
• UVic parts 2 and 3 of storage, part 2 of serial.
• UofCalgary part 2 or storage and compute. Also "new architecture"
• UofS  Storage parts  3

Retired Systems

Some older WestGrid systems have been removed from general service, typically being replaced with more energy-efficient machines with more capability.

Updated 2011-11-09.