23 Feb 2026 – 27 Feb 2026
East Carolina University, Greenville, NC
The Linux Clusters Institute (LCI) will hold an Introductory-level workshop for Linux system administrators new to HPC. In just five days you will:
- Learn HPC system administration concepts and technologies and how to apply them
- Get hands-on skills building a small test cluster in lab sessions
- Hear real-life stories and get to ask experts questions in panel discussions
Registration is now closed
$695 through January 24, 2026
$800 after January 24, 2026
(Registration includes daily breakfast and lunch)
Note that the workshop location has limited seating. Registration will be available until that maximum capacity is reached and then will be closed.
Schedule
Monday, 23th Feb 2026
8:00 – Breakfast
8:30am – Welcome and Opening
9:00am – Lecture: Intro to HPC
10:00am – Break
10:15am – Lab: Introduction to Virtual Environment
11:00am – Lecture: Designing a Cluster
12:30pm – Lunch
1:30pm – Lab: Build a Cluster (Head Node/Scheduler Setup)
3:00pm – Break
3:30pm – Lecture: HPC Storage Part 1
Tuesday, 24th Feb 2026
8:00am – Breakfast
8:30am – Lecture: HPC Storage Part 2
10:00am – Break
10:15am – Lab: Build a Cluster (Storage)
11:00am – Lecture: Cluster Stack Basics
12:00pm – Lunch
1:00pm – Lecture: Intro to Configuration Management
2:30pm – Lab: Configuration Management
3:30pm – Break
3:45pm – Lecture: Scheduling and Resource Management
Wednesday, 25th Feb 2026
8:00am – Breakfast
8:30am – Lecture: Intro to Slurm
9:30am – Lecture: Intro to OpenMP/MPI/ACC Part 1
10:30am – Break
10:45am – Lecture: Intro to OpenMP/MPI/ACC Part 2
12:00pm – Lunch
1:00pm – Lab: Run Application in Scheduler
2:45pm – Break
3:00pm – Lecture: Monitoring
4:00pm – Lecture: HPC User Support
Thursday, 26th Feb 2026
8:00am – Breakfast
8:30am – Lecture: Intro to Networking
9:00am – Lecture: Networking
10:30am – Break
10:45am – Lecture: Account Management
12:00pm – Lunch
1:00pm – Panel: Hardware “Stories from Experience”
1:30pm – Lecture: Lmod/Modules
3:00pm – Break
3:15pm – Lecture: User Software Management/Apptainer
4:30pm – Panel: Software “Stories from Experience”
Friday, 27th Feb 2026
8:00am – Breakfast
8:30am – Lecture: Node Health Check
9:30am – Panel: Future of Research IT
10:00am – Break
10:15am — Panel: Closing/Open Q&A/Review
12:00pm – Boxed Lunches to-Go
Travel and Lodging Information
The Linux Cluster Institute Introductory Workshop is being held at East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina. East Carolina University (ECU) is a newly minted public R1 research institution in Greenville, North Carolina, distinguished by comprehensive academic and research capabilities across engineering, sciences, medicine, and technology. ECU drives innovation through a growing ecosystem of advanced computing resources, including cloud‑based computing environments and a dedicated partnership cluster at NC State to support large‑scale modeling, simulation, and data‑intensive research. A cornerstone of ECU’s technology‑driven initiatives is the Mercury high‑performance computing cluster – a 320‑core Dell Xeon E5‑2670 system with 2.0 TB RAM and 130 TB of shared storage, managed via Bright Cluster Manager and PBS Torque – serving as the university’s primary on‑premises compute engine for Chemistry HPC‑dependent disciplines. Though originally purchased in 2014, Mercury remains highly reliable and heavily used, sustaining hundreds of jobs monthly and continuing to deliver strong return on investment as a durable, production‑grade research instrument. Together, these resources exemplify ECU’s commitment to empowering faculty, staff, and students with robust, scalable computational infrastructure that supports cutting‑edge research, regional innovation, and the broader high‑performance computing community.
Venue
The Williams-Clark Club in the TowneBank Tower.
- There is a bus stop nearby (about 200 yards from the elevators) for ECU transit, lines 301 and 610. If participants plan to use the ECU bus, they should get off at the second stop on Fiklen Drive. The bus is free for anyone.
- Free parking will also be available next to Gate 6.
- Wi-Fi is available either through eduroam, or through ECU guest accounts. For the latter, more details will be provided at the start of the workshop.
Conference Lodging
There are several hotels near campus, with the closest one, withing walking distance – Hilton Garden Inn Greenville University Area.
Transportation
Lyft and Uber to get from the airport to the hotel.
ECU Transit Service – free buses around campus.
Greenville Area Transit (GREAT) – public transportation around Greenville.
Getting Around
ECU Transit Service – free buses around campus.
Greenville Area Transit (GREAT) – public transportation around Greenville.
Dining and things to do
Dining
5th Street Hardware Taproom & Restaurant
The Scullery Coffee House & Creamery
Things to do
Greenville Greenways – linear parks around campus/Greenville
Janice Hardison Faulkner Gallery in ECU Joyner Library
Near Greenville