MSI Users Bulletin - March 2025
The Users Bulletin provides a summary of new policies, procedures, and events of interest to MSI users. It is published quarterly.
1. New Slurm Partitions: With the recent retirement of the old Mesabi cluster, and the addition of many new nodes to the Agate cluster, MSI has consolidated its Slurm partitions into a more concise set designed to work well into the future, and has deprecated some partition names that will (eventually) be discontinued as the hardware they describe ages out of service.
The deprecated partition names are all somewhat limited in the number of nodes they include, as they were created specifically for new sets of hardware as they arrived at MSI.
Here are the new SLURM partitions, in tabular form, along with other information on using this job scheduler. A few of the existing partitions have been retained, like the interactive partition.
None of the existing partitions will be removed soon, but your jobs will have a pick of more cluster nodes if you use the new partitions. Thus it is in nearly everyone’s interest to switch over to the corresponding new partition that is closest in description to your current partition. (Example: replacing “agsmall” with “msismall”)
These deprecated partitions only point at the nodes that were part of the 2019 “Mangi” extension to the retired Mesabi cluster: amdsmall, amdlarge, amd2tb, amd512, and v100. They only point at the original (2022) nodes of the Agate cluster, and not any of the newest AMD and NVIDIA nodes in the recent addition to Agate, nor do they include the old Mangi nodes: agsmall, aglarge, ag2tb, agwidest, a100-4, and a100-8.
2. 2025 Research Computing Exhibition: The annual Research Computing Exhibition will be held on Thursday, April 24, 2025. Events include a judged poster session, a panel discussion on employment opportunities in research computing fields, talks from RC’s units, tours of the MSI machine room, and light refreshments. The event page on the MSI website will be updated as the schedule is finalized.
3. Software Startup Development Program: The Technology Commercialization office has launched the Software Startup Development Program, a competitive two-phase funding program to support University of Minnesota software start-ups. SSD Phase 1 provides up to $10,000 per project to advance early-stage innovations that include a software component. When Phase 1 is completed and the project is selected for Phase 2, the program invests up to $35,000 in the startup company with an option to apply for matching funds from the State of Minnesota.
The program is open to U of M researchers and employees (faculty, postdocs, grad students, undergrad students, and staff). The deadline for applications for Phase 1 is March 21, 2025. Complete information about the program can be found on the Technology Commercialization website: Software Startup Development Program.
4. Data Science Research Participation: One of the DSI Seed Grant awardees is searching for participants for their study, “Experimentally Dissecting Inter-analyst Reliability in Data Science: the Roles of Vague Questions and Imprecise Interpretations." Participants should be graduate students with at least three credits of a graduate-level data analysis class. Participants can get earn up to $50 for their time (approximately 2.25 hours) and possible authorship credit. The study includes a training survey, using a provided dataset to answer a research question, and a description of your method of data analysis. Contact [email protected] with questions or to sign up.
5. Spring Tutorials and Workshops: The Spring 2025 tutorials from MSI, U-Spatial, DSI AI Makerspace Hours, GEMS Learning, and Software Carpentry are continuing. Besides the links below, a consolidated list of courses that will help you hone your research computing skills can be found at the Research Tools and Computing Workshops portal site.
a. MSI Tutorials: MSI’s tutorials are intended to help users achieve the best results using MSI systems. Spring 2025 tutorials are hybrid, with both in-person and online (Zoom) participation. All tutorials are held in room 575 Walter Library. Descriptions and registration links can be found using the MSI Tutorials page. Past tutorials can be viewed on the MSI YouTube channel.
MSI offers badges to users who complete training modules: the HPC User Badge and the Transcriptomics Badge.
b. U-Spatial Workshops: U-Spatial offers a variety of instructor-led workshops focusing on different geospatial tools and technologies. Information about the workshops is posted on the U-Spatial website.
c. DSI AI Makerspace Hours: DSI holds Makerspace Hours to allow users to gain practical experience with AI on MSI’s HPC clusters. MSI staff are available to assist. Makerspace Hours are paused for Winter Break and will resume during Spring semester, Friday afternoons in 575 Walter Library, beginning January 24, 2025. See the Makerspace page on the DSI website for the schedule and to RSVP.
d. GEMS Learning: GEMS Learning provides modular, non-credit digital and data-science training for working professionals and students interested in hands-on food, agriculture, and natural resource applications. These courses give students practical knowledge to tackle data-science challenges across the agri-food sciences. See the GEMS Learning webpage for course details and registration information.
e. Software Carpentry:Software Carpentry workshops are hands-on events that cover core computational research skills to be productive as an individual scientist or in small research teams. No previous experience is needed and each workshop is taught by experienced researchers who use these tools in their own work. Descriptions of workshops and links for registration can be found at the Software Carpentry course list. Some classes are held online, others are in person; check the individual descriptions.
6. Upcoming Events of Interest:
a. Research Computing Collaboration and Coffee: The next Research Computing Collaboration and Coffee events will be held on Wednesday, April 16, 2025 and Wednesday, May 21, 2025 at 2:30 – 3:30 p.m., in 401 Walter Library. MSI users are welcome to join staff members for informal discussions. You should bring your own beverage and/or snack. If you’re so moved, you’re welcome to bring a treat to share.
b. Design of Medical Devices Conference: The annual Design of Medical Devices Conference will be held on April 28 – 30, 2025, at the Graduate by Hilton Hotel and the McNamara Alumni Center on the Twin Cities campus of the U of M. Complete information is on the conference website.
7. IIB Precision Sensing Lecture Series: Upcoming events in the IIB Precision Sensing Lecture Series can be found on the IIB website Events page:
- Global Client Geodesign Challenge
- March 27, 12 - 1 p.m., 101 Walter Library
- Professor Thomas Fisher (Director, Minnesota Design Center; Chair, Urban Design)
- Agriculture and Food Systems in the Face of Disruptions: The case for considering solar storms
- April 17, 2025, 12 - 1 p.m., 101 Walter Library
- Professor Kathryn Draeger (Statewide Director, U of M Regional Sustainable Development Partnerships; Adjunct Professor, Agronomy and Plant Genetics)
8. U-Spatial Mapping Prizes: Entries are being accepted for the 2025 U-Spatial Mapping Prizes. The deadline is Friday, May 16, 2025, at 11:59 p.m. The registration link can be found on the Spatial University website.
9. Jobs Available at Research Computing:
- ADS HPC Linux Systems DevOps Engineer (MSI) - Job ID 366793
10. MSI Operations: MSI staff work under a hybrid model; not all staff work on-site full time. All MSI systems are operational and can be accessed remotely.
To request technical assistance with your MSI account, contact the Helpdesk
- In-person walk-ins: Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday, 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.; 587 Walter Library
- Virtual meetings are available Wednesday and Friday; schedule a consultation
- Email: [email protected]
- Phone: 612-626-0802
11. Useful Webpages: Looking for help with using MSI or other RC resources? One of these pages may have the information you need: