HPC4L Objectives
To Strengthen the research computing/cyber infrastructure of Lebanon. HPC4L will be dedicated to peaceful research.
HPC systems can be of various architectures allowing to carry out simulations, analysis and computations hundreds of times faster than regular computers. The gain in speed means more complex operations can be done in less time, providing the computing power researchers need. Having a national infrastructure also means that access to the computing resources are facilitated and cheap to use for universities. This will be Lebanon's largest computing facility dedicated to research. It aims at encouraging academics and students of all disciplines to develop their research activities while staying in Lebanon. The lack of local computing facilities can be a driver for students to carry out their PhDs abroad, draining the country of the talent that every nation needs.
To Transfer transfer technology between CERN/CMS and Lebanon
Technology transfer could be defined as “the movement of know-how, technical knowledge, or technology from one organisational setting to another”. The ultimate goal for CMS is to share its extensive expertise in setting up, operating, and maintaining HPC facilities with its worldwide partners so that they can join the analysis efforts that can lead to physics discoveries.
To Expand the CMS experiments's physics data analysis computing capabilities
There are four experiments that use the Worldwide LHC Computing Grid and these are ATLAS, CMS, ALICE, and LHCb. What we aim to achieve in this project is the creation of a CMS Tier 2 in Lebanon, a pioneer step in the region. As as the performance of the LHC collider evolves, the experiments need continuously expand for its computing physics data analysis capabilities.
The WLCG is composed of four levels, or “Tiers” which are categorized hierarchically into:
- Tier 0 is the lowest level central hub for the operation, the CERN data center itself.
- Tier 1 centers are the 13 online facilities that are large enough to store data, perform large- scale reprocessing and manage Tier 2 operations.
- Tier 2 centers are typically smaller ones that can store sufficient data and provide adequate computing power for specific analysis tasks.
- Tier 3 centers on the other hand are simply individual scientists who access the Grid.
What does a Tier 2 center do?
- Services for local communities
- Grid-based analysis for the whole experiment (Tier-2 resources available to whole experiment through the grid)
- Monte Carlo simulations for the whole experiment
HPC4L Benefits
Scientific purposes
The most common users of HPC systems are academic researchers, who face challenges when analyzing vast amounts of data.
Examples of areas where computing power is required include: global climate modelling, oil and gas exploration, carbon sequestration, structural simulation for aerospace applications, automotive design, financial forecasting, computational biology, political science, genome analysis and many more.
Student Internships
The HPC4L facility will provide unique opportunities for university students to acquire hands-on experience and technical expertise through internships, part-time employments, or volunteerism.