The UCSC Hummingbird Cluster is an open-access, high-performance computing (HPC) environment that is available for use by any UCSC student or faculty member. This cluster is designed to lower the barrier of entry to cluster computing for undergraduate and graduate education, as well as for research projects that either have not been funded yet or whose needs exceed currently available resources. Large-scale computation plays a key role in enabling scientific discoveries in a wide variety of fields, including those not typically associated with computing, such as the humanities and social sciences. Originally built from donated hardware, the Hummingbird Cluster has grown to include capacities beyond our hopes! Our goal is to continue to expand this capacity and the cluster's ability to address fundamental scientific questions in areas as diverse as atmospheric sciences, seismology, chemistry, genomics, and economics. This project leverages investments the campus has made to cyberinfrastructure, and will facilitate expanded access to computational resources for both graduate and undergraduate students, contributing to preparation and diversification of the STEM and HPC workforce. Who we are: This project reflects a close partnership between campus Information Technology (IT) staff, scientists, and educators engaged in training students in high-performance computing and its application in research. The project is supported by IT staff across the academic divisions who are working together to meet a growing need.
What we will achieve: This as an "equity in access" resource that serves as a training ground for future and current scientists. The timeline and sequence of investments will depend on funding and academic needs. Our expansion goals for the cluster include: • Increasing the number of compute nodes • Adding at least two GPU compute nodes • Adding new storage designed for high-speed I/O using a clustering file system • Introducing an InfiniBand network to connect nodes to reduce latency and increase throughput • Connecting the cluster to other institutions using Open Science Grid Help us grow this important resource to train STEM scientists for the present and future! IT services are often thought of as utilities: Like plumbing, they are necessary but not strategic. This viewpoint underrepresents the important role IT plays in fulfilling our teaching, research, and service mission. Giving Day is an opportunity to bring to light the important ways we support faculty and students in knowledge creation, and for the community to directly contribute to our success.
