Vice Chair of the Board of Regents, Jack L. Fortner | The University of New Mexico
Vice Chair of the Board of Regents, Jack L. Fortner | The University of New Mexico
The University of New Mexico's Center for Advanced Research Computing (CARC) is preparing for the 2024 Supercomputing Conference (SC24) in Atlanta, Georgia. A team consisting of five seniors and one junior will compete, demonstrating their skills in high-performance computing (HPC).
Ryan Scherbarth, a returning competitor from last year's SC23, leads the team. He is joined by seniors Molly Palko, Xavier Barr, Sumaya Houssini Mohamed, Reece Ransby, and junior Saskia Trefethen. The team has gained experience through various HPC competitions over the past year.
The SC24 competition spans three days and involves both known and mystery benchmarks. Familiar benchmarks like HPL and MLPerf are central to their strategy, while new challenges such as NAMD add complexity. Working at CARC has provided them with valuable insights into these applications.
This year's competition allows collaboration with hardware sponsors. With support from Dell, Penguin Solutions, and Intersect360, the team has built a cluster with three nodes equipped with four Nvidia H100 NVL accelerators each. This setup meets technical requirements and highlights AI's growing role in HPC.
The event begins with assembling their cluster followed by a 24-hour benchmarking phase. “The adrenaline during those first hours is intense," said Sumaya Houssini Mohamed. After submitting scores, they run applications for 48 hours.
For many participants, SC24 offers engagement with industry professionals and career exploration opportunities. “This experience is invaluable," noted Xavier Barr.
Since Spring 2023, the team's journey has led to growth in HPC interest at UNM. They have expanded to include more members and competitions. “When I started...now I feel well-prepared," said Molly Palko.
As they prepare for SC24, the team aims to demonstrate their capabilities in high-performance computing. “This competition is a culmination of our hard work," reflected Ryan Scherbarth.
The UNM team looks forward to making an impact at SC24 and showcasing their skills on a national stage.
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