[Beowulf] [OT] HPC and University IT - forum/mailing list?

[Robert G. Brown]

On Tue, 15 Aug 2006, Joe Landman wrote:

> Now that RGB has written a thesis on this ... :)

No, the thesis went to Bill offline.  You guys just got the
synopsis...;-)

And I'm too tired/busy from my "vacating" to do a proper job, sorry...
Work starts in earnest next week, and a whole lot of it starts tomorrow.

    rgb

>
> Robert G. Brown wrote:
>> On Tue, 15 Aug 2006, Bill Rankin wrote:
>>
>>>>  Are there problems so specific to the higher education realm
>>>> that you think they'd benefit from their own forum?
>>>
>>> Not so much that would benefit from their own forum, but there are a
>>> lot of issues that are not directly related to the construction and
>>> technical operation of clusters, but rather more
>>> administrative/organizational in nature.
>>>
>>> Things like:
>>>
>>> - integration of a cluster into a larger University IT infrastructure
>>> (storage, authentication, policies, et. al.)
>>> - funding models (central funds, grant based) both for equipment and
>>> personnel.
>>> - centralized research IT versus local departmental/school support.
>>> - education and training
>>> - deployment issues (who pays F&M?)
>>> - sustainability and growth
>>>
>>> Some of these topics have content that would be appropriate for this
>>> list, some not-so-much.  There are also some people I know that would
>>> be interested in participating in the conversation, but not about
>>> general Beowulfery.
>>
>> This is a key question (and answer).  There are issues of critical mass
>> for a successful list to consider.  There are also alternative formats
>> -- e.g. wiki instead of actual mailing list.  Finally there are issues
>> of sponsorship and linkage -- it is easier to get to critical mass if
>> there is a mechanism other than google for feeding people and certain
>> threads of discussion over to the new venue.  Possibilities include
>> crossconnecting/linking the new resource with an existing resource to
>> get some synergy, hijacking threads on the beowulf list that are
>> sufficiently "academic" that they are as noted slightly OT for what most
>> of the list membership cares to here (if there is any way to note that),
>> periodic advertisement on the beowulf list (in the form of gentle
>> invitation to move threads vs hijacking:-).
>
> [disclaimer:  Not officially associated with them, but they are great
> people]
>
> The good folks over at bioinformatics.org have a number of great lists
> on there, and the director of the organization, a small non-profit (by
> choice) entity, would probably help out if you felt you needed another
> forum.
>
> They have a bioclusters list there, as well as a biodevelopers, and a
> few other good ones.  Low traffic, etc.  They are quite interested in
> the edu side of things.
>
> I personally wouldn't have a problem seeing that traffic here on
> beowulf.  Beowulfery is not just the technology, its the whole
> kit-and-kiboodle.
>
>

-- 
Robert G. Brown	                       http://www.phy.duke.edu/~rgb/
Duke University Dept. of Physics, Box 90305
Durham, N.C. 27708-0305
Phone: 1-919-660-2567  Fax: 919-660-2525     email:rgb at phy.duke.edu