SC05: Recess for Cluster Geeks
Off to see the wizards… of high-performance computing.
Wednesday, February 15th, 2006
My normal daily routine consists of pecking away at my laptop while listening to the orchestral harmonies of nearby, whirring cluster fans. But once a year, I, like many of the high-performance computing faithful, make a pilgrimage to some distant convention hall to attend the high holy days of high-tech hobnobbing, the annual Supercomputing show. The most recent show, Supercomputing 2005 (SC05,
http://sc05.supercomputing.org), was held in Seattle, Washington back in November.
Supercomputing is always rewarding, although it can be a bit of a brutal affair for an average cluster geek like myself. For example, I am forced to talk to people using an archaic form called the spoken word. Luckily, there are several HOWTO’s available.
For those that have never been to the event, it is the largest pile of high-performance computers, storage, and networking collected anywhere in the world. There are four high holy days, and there’s always something to see, someone to meet, or some beer to drink. That leaves little time for sleep and other niceties. Smartly, Supercomputing is always held the week before the United States’s Thanksgiving holiday. A week of rest and relaxation (and overeating) is almost always needed after the event.
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