NFYK13012U Cluster Architectures and Computations
M.Sc. programme in physics
M.Sc. programme in computer science
To introduce parallel computers as target platform for
applications that require either much memory or large computing
power, or both.
The purpose of the class is to provide the student an understanding
and practical experience with cluster-computing. Cluster-computing
is becoming known to the general scientific community, including
industry, and is increasingly becoming an alternative to classic
supercomputers. The class covers classic supercomputer
architectures and how these are programmed, as well as how clusters
may emulate these so that applications and programming-techniques
from different supercomputers may be used on clustercomputers. The
target is that students obtain a detailed understanding of the
problems that surround clustercomputers, as well as their known
solutions and the limitations of these solutions. Topics: Parallel
supercomputer architectures, advanced topics in CPU architecture,
communication technology and machine-topology. Parallel algorithms,
parallel programming and scientific computing. Programming using;
threads, parallel virtual machines, message passing interface,
remote memory and distributed shared memory.
Skills
At the course completion the student should be able to:
1. Design and implement parallel applications
2. Design a cluster-computer for a specific purpose
3. Use threads for shared memory architectures
4. Use Message Passing Interface
5. Manage vectorization of operations
Competences
The overall purpose of this course is to enable the student to
write high performance parallel applications on cluster-type
architectures. In addition the successful candidate will become
familiar with a number of classic parallel computer architectures
and a set of high performance scientific applications.
Knowledge
The students will understand the challenges in addressing
parallelization of applications and limitations of the available
hardware. In addition the students should have an ingrained skeptic
approach to commercially presented buzzwords and benchmarks and be
able to objectively select the best platform for a given
problem.
Notes and articles.
- Category
- Hours
- Lectures
- 28
- Preparation
- 178
- Total
- 206
As
an exchange, guest and credit student - click here!
Continuing Education - click here!
- Credit
- 7,5 ECTS
- Type of assessment
- Continuous assessmentThe class is evaluated through a set of reports that is written throughout the class. The final grade is the average of the best 3 reports. Each of these 3 reports must be passed separately with a grade of at least 02.
- Aid
- All aids allowed
- Marking scale
- 7-point grading scale
- Censorship form
- No external censorship
More internal examiners
- Re-exam
Rexam: Three reports plus one week take home exam. The reports will be with known subjects identical to three of the reports given during the course. Approved reports from the course may be re-submitted no later than 2 weeks before the take-home exam, but will be re-evaluated. The take-home exam will be issued with an unknown subject. All four parts count equally in the final grade.
Criteria for exam assesment
See Skills.
Course information
- Language
- English
- Course code
- NFYK13012U
- Credit
- 7,5 ECTS
- Level
- Full Degree Master
- Duration
- 1 block
- Placement
- Block 3
- Schedule
- C
- Course capacity
- No restriction to number of participants
- Continuing and further education
- Study board
- Study Board of Physics, Chemistry and Nanoscience
Contracting department
- The Niels Bohr Institute
Course responsibles
- Brian Vinter (6-887b808677845280747b407d8740767d)