August 2013



Description:

MPI (Message Passing Interface) is the de facto standard for parallel programming, defining how concurrent processes can communicate and hence work together to complete a given task in a shorter time. This course will introduce the concepts and terminology of High Performance Computing (HPC), before providing a comprehensive and detailed introduction to programming HPC machines using MPI. After an in-depth look at point-to-point and collective communication, we will study some more advanced but potentially very useful topics: Cartesian topologies, MPI derived data types, user-defined binary operators, groups and communicators. Each section of the course is supported by practical exercises.

For more information see the syllabus.

Aimed at:

Anyone interested in writing parallel code.

Prerequisites:

Attendees should be able to program in either Fortran or C and be familiar with working in a UNIX environment (i.e., you should be able to connect to a machine remotely, use basic UNIX commands, edit a source file and understand the elementary steps in compiling object files and creating executables).

Duration:

3 full days, September 10th-12th 2013.

After Course Attendees Will:

Be able to parallelise an existing serial code, or write a parallel code from scratch, using MPI.

Location:

The course will be held in room LDS.0.17 of the Loughborough University Design School and the adjoining PC lab.

Here are directions to the venue and directions to the University. There is ample free visitor parking nearby, and a regular shuttle bus service between the University and the train station. Overnight accommodation is available from the Link Hotel and Burleigh Court.

Registration:

The course is delivered by NAG as part of the training programme for HECToR, the UK national supercomputing service. To register for HECToR courses go to the booking form. Please note that there is a small attendance fee for non-academic delegates.


As part of the HPC Midlands project, we've been developing a series of case studies about the work that we are doing with our industrial collaborators around supercomputing. Here's the latest one, about our work with RWE npower to model coatings for industrial gas turbine blades. We'll post further case studies both here and on the case studies section of the HPC Midlands website.