Nationwide HPC systems
HpcBasisCluster.nrw and hpcFachCluster.nrw
hpcBasisCluster.nrw
In accordance with the principles outlined in the Landeskonzept, the hpcCluster.nrw is being developed to provide high-performance computing capacities for universities that do not have their own Tier 3 system or to cover their additional computing needs.
This shared general-purpose Tier 3 system is intended to offer a cost- and energy-efficient alternative to the establishment of numerous smaller local systems. It will be set up and operated at the University of Cologne.
Access
The service is aimed at all universities, universities of applied sciences, and institutions of higher education (HAWs) in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia. The cluster aims to provide low-barrier access to HPC capacities, thus complementing the existing digital ecosystem in the field of HPC in the region.
hpcFachCluster.nrw
As part of the Landeskonzept 2025 of DH.NRW, the University of Cologne, along with RWTH Aachen University and the University of Paderborn, were selected as additional locations for jointly used Tier-3 HPC systems. These systems will replace the previous Tier-3 backup provision provided by the Tier-2 centers in NRW.By 2027, a total of four Tier-3 systems (hpcCluster.nrw) are to be operated. In 2023, the University of Cologne was selected as the first location for the hpcBasisCluster.nrw, which serves the basic provision.
In 2024, RWTH Aachen University and the University of Paderborn were chosen as locations for the establishment of hpcFachCluster.nrw with different academic focuses. In 2025, another location for a hpcFachCluster.nrw will be selected.
Contact persons and location-specific information
IT Center RWTH Aachen
Contact: Dr. Christian Terboven
Email: terboven@itc.rwth-aachen.de
Phone: +49 241 80 24375
Paderborn Center for Parallel Computing (PC2), University of Paderborn
Contact: Dr. Jens Simon
Email: jens.simon@uni-paderborn.de
Phone: +49 5251 60 1731
Further information on the HPC Fachcluster at PC2: https://pc2.uni-paderborn.de/go/hpcfachclusternrw