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WestGrid Computing Facilities
- National Sites
- Systems
- WestGrid Legacy Systems (Defunded and locally operated only)
- Retired WestGrid Systems
Introduction
WestGrid's computing facilities are part of Compute Canada's national platform of Advanced Research Computing resources. The Compute Canada computing facilities are distributed among several resource provider sites and connected by high-performance networks so that users can access the system which best fits their needs, regardless of where it is physically located. The systems are for high performance computing, so they are something beyond what you would find on a desktop.
Which system should you use?
Use the system which best fits your needs, not necessarily the one closest to you.
See the QuickStart Guide for New Users and the Getting Started on the National Systems Guide for information on choosing the most appropriate system. For more detailed technical information about the differences between the systems, read the information below and in the linked pages for each system.
National Sites
Compute Canada's new national sites offer expandable and modern data centres with highly qualified personnel. Operations of the new systems are delivered through national teams, drawing upon regional and local expertise distributed across Canada.
|
Location |
System Name |
| University of Victoria | Arbutus / GP1 / Cloud-West |
| Simon Fraser University | Cedar / GP2 |
| University of Waterloo | Graham / GP3 |
| University of Toronto | Niagara / LP (Large Parallel) |
|
SFU & Waterloo |
National Data Cyberinfrastructure (NDC -Storage) |
Please refer to the CC User Documentation wiki for more information on national systems and services.
Systems
| System(s) | Site | Cores | Type | Details | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arbutus | University of Victoria | 7640 | OpenStack Cloud |
Visit the CC-Cloud Resources page on the Compute Canada User Wiki for full system details. |
|
| Cedar | Simon Fraser University | 58,416 CPU cores, and 584 GPU devices | Cluster with fast interconnect | ||
| Orcinus | University of British Columbia | 9600 | Storage, Cluster with fast interconnect |
IMPORTANT NOTE: After March 31, 2019 this system will no longer be supported by WestGrid / Compute Canada. The University of British Columbia has generously offered to continue operating this system for opportunistic use by existing WestGrid users only. No new accounts will be created or new software installed. Priority access will be given to researchers located at or collaborating with the University of British Columbia. Support and maintenance of this system will be provided on a best efforts basis only. Users should ensure all important data is backed-up on another system. Please contact arc.support@ubc.ca for more information or refer to WestGrid’s Migration Process page for more help.
|
|
| ownCloud | Simon Fraser University | Storage | |||
| WestGrid portal | None |
X
Defunded Systems
| System(s) | Site | Cores | Type | Details | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Breezy | University of Calgary | 384 | Shared memory |
***NOTE: On September 1, 2017, Breezy was withdrawn from general WestGrid service. It is now available only to approved University of Calgary-based projects. This is part of a continuing process for handling the retirement of WestGrid systems. Please visit the Migration Process page for more information. Questions regarding Breezy should now be directed to support@hpc.ucalgary.ca, rather than support@westgrid.ca.
|
|
| Bugaboo | Simon Fraser University | 4584 | Storage, Cluster with fast interconnect |
This system was decommissioned March 2018. Visit the WestGrid Migration page for more information.
|
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| Grex | University of Manitoba | 3792 | Storage, Cluster with fast interconnect |
This system has been defunded. Visit the WestGrid Migration page for more information.
|
|
| Hermes/Nestor | University of Victoria | 4416 | Storage, Cluster with fast interconnect |
***NOTE: The Hermes and Nestor systems was “defunded” on June 1, 2017. Researchers affiliated with UVic should contact sysadmin@uvic.ca for information about ongoing use of systems/storage at UVic. Hermes Nestor 288 x 8 core/node, IBM iDataplex X5550 2.67 GHz, 24 GB/Node, QDR IB nonblocking GPFS 1.2 PB for home and scratch (shared with hermes)
|
|
| Hungabee | University of Alberta | 2048 | Shared memory |
NOTE: This system was “defunded” in Fall 2017. Researchers affiliated with the University of Alberta should contact research.support@ualberta.ca for information about ongoing use of local systems.
|
|
| Jasper | University of Alberta | 4160 | Cluster with fast interconnect |
NOTE: This system was “defunded” in Fall 2017. Researchers affiliated with the University of Alberta should contact research.support@ualberta.ca for information about ongoing use of local systems.
|
|
| Lattice | University of Calgary | 4096 | Storage, Cluster with fast interconnect |
***NOTE: On September 1, 2017, Lattice was withdrawn from general WestGrid service. It is now available only to approved University of Calgary-based projects. Questions regarding Lattice should now be directed to support@hpc.ucalgary.ca, rather than support@westgrid.ca.
|
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| Parallel | University of Calgary | 7056 | Storage, Cluster with fast interconnect, Visualization |
This system was defunded on March 31, 2018. Visit the WestGrid Migration page for more information.
|
Retired WestGrid Systems
Some older WestGrid systems have been removed from general service, typically being replaced with more energy-efficient machines with more capability.
| Machine name | Period of Service | Description |
|
Silo |
Dec. 2008 - Mar. 2017 |
Silo was the primary storage facility at WestGrid with over 3.15 PB (3150 TB) of spinning disk. It was an archival facility, which was backed up. There were two main login servers: Silo and Hopper. Silo and Hopper shared filesystems. Disk storage: total 4.2 PB raw, 3.15 PB usable Tape System: IBM LTO 3584 tape library Backup Software: IBM Tivoli Storage Manager (TSM) |
|
Hermes / Nestor |
July 2010-June 2017 |
Hermes & Nestor were systems located at the University of Victoria. Hermes Nestor |