HPC Admin Day at Ruhr University Bochum
Exchange, Technology and Future Perspectives
On September 11, 2025, Ruhr University Bochum hosted the latest HPC Admin Day. Around 40 participants – 31 on-site and 11 online – took the opportunity to exchange ideas on current developments, technical challenges, and joint strategies in high-performance computing. A total of ten HPC.NRW sites were represented.
The Tier-3 replacement supply was the central topic of the event – a key aspect for the future development of the HPC landscape in North Rhine-Westphalia. Within the framework of hpcCluster.NRW, encompassing both base and specialist clusters, participants discussed approaches for reliable operation and long-term advancement. A lively panel discussion shed light on both technical and organizational perspectives.
Additional insights came from a guest talk by idm.NRW and three lightning talks presenting concrete tools and projects:
- HPCman (RUB) – a practical tool for everyday cluster operations
- Kubernetes (UzK) – use cases in HPC environments
- ClusterCockpit (UPB) – monitoring and analysis in production
Established in 2017, the HPC Admin Day has since promoted the exchange of expertise among HPC admins in North Rhine-Westphalia on technical topics. It takes place once or twice a year at varying locations across the state. The goal is to bring together administrators and technical staff from different HPC centers to share experiences, learn from each other, and develop joint solutions for the efficient operation of the statewide infrastructure.
Those who wish to stay informed about future events can subscribe to the HPC Admin Day mailing list to receive updates on upcoming meetings.