Applications and Hosting

RCS hosts centralized scientific applications for researchers to allow efficient analysis of data using powerful processing systems. Over sixty applications are made available to the entire Center either through servers (physical and virtual) or on desktop computers in the RCS Computer Center. See the Analytical Tools and Scientific Databases list for more information on tools available.

Our Systems

Applications run on virtual servers, high performance clusters and symmetric multi-processor (SMP), depending on the computing (processing and memory) needs. Server virtualization allows us to combine underutilized applications into a highly valuable and easily, quickly provisioned virtual environment.

The General Purpose Cluster is a grid enabled high performance compute cluster that provides support to the expanding requirements of Proteomics, Genomics, Computation Biology, and other research within the Cancer Consortium. Applications such as BLAST, Solexa analysis software are run using these clusters.

Rounding out RCS high performance computing service, we employ multiple SMP based life science application servers with large memory components to accommodate many of the shared application as well as custom versions for individuals. Programs like Clustal W, phred and phrap that require many cycles of processing use the SMP based services.

Using the High-performance computing environment

For those individuals wanting to use the RCS servers to host individual databases or run custom applications, the RCS computing setup provides a development environment, a space for interactive shell based work and batch processing to run automated tasks. The environment is available for all Center staff and affiliates to use in furtherance of their research and the mission of the Center.

The same account you use to access fred will also get you into the HPC resources. (Get a fred account.)

If you think your computing needs require clusters, read our information about using the clusters. The cluster nodes on our systems are allocated exclusively to your task- thus it requires that you reserve time on a node via the resource manager.

Training tutorials are available to help you get started with clusters.

• About Clusters
• About Parallel Jobs

RCS periodically provides training on topics related to HPC- including training on the cluster and resource manager. Announcements of training will be posted on the web site.

RCS is always available to answer questions and assist you in using the environment. The best way to request help is via email (rcs@fhcrc.org).

Acceptable use

All computers and applications are to be used for their intended research purposes. See the Center's policy on acceptable use for more details.