# Windows HPC Users
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-hpc-users/575298
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [March 19, 2011, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-hpc-users/575298 "2011-03-19T23:16:17Z")
**Posts on this page:** 9
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@The\_Niply\_Elder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Niply_Elder)
#### Post date: [March 19, 2011, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-hpc-users/575298/1 "2011-03-19T23:16:17Z")
Do any people here use HPC on a regular basis at work? Specifically does anybody have experience with Windows HPC? The management at my work is considering buying a cluster computer with windows on it, but I’m really wary of this, since for starters, the solving time of an identical Nastran job on my desktop takes twice as long to solve under windows compared to Suse SLED 11. Basically, now we have an outdated Linux cluster that our inept Windows-only IT department has neglected and fallen into disrepair, so they’re trying to alleviate this by making the next cluster run windows :rolleyes: are there any users out there that want to chime in with their opinion/experience?
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### Author:  [@The\_Niply\_Elder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Niply_Elder)
#### Post date: [March 20, 2011, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-hpc-users/575298/2 "2011-03-20T18:18:36Z")
Bump… No one uses this stuff? Prolly a good thing somewhat.
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### Author:  [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)
#### Post date: [March 20, 2011, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-hpc-users/575298/3 "2011-03-20T20:06:33Z")
> [@The\_Niply\_Elder](#):
>
> Bump… No one uses this stuff?
Maybe if you gave us some indication of what the heck \*\*HPC[/b} is, somebody might answer.
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### Author:  [@SuperAbe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SuperAbe)
#### Post date: [March 20, 2011, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-hpc-users/575298/4 "2011-03-20T20:16:29Z")
> [@t-bonham@scc.net](#):
>
> Maybe if you gave us some indication of what the heck \*\*HPC[/b} is, somebody might answer.
[Windows High Performance Computing](http://www.microsoft.com/hpc/en/us/product/high-performance-computing-faqs.aspx).
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### Author:  [@The\_Niply\_Elder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Niply_Elder)
#### Post date: [March 20, 2011, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-hpc-users/575298/5 "2011-03-20T22:16:52Z")
Huh, yeah, sorry. This kind of computer cluster operating system is pretty specialized for engineering and science applications. Since we have a fairly large knowledgeable base of scientists here, I thought I’d ask.
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### Author:  [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)
#### Post date: [March 20, 2011, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-hpc-users/575298/6 "2011-03-20T22:19:25Z")
> [@t-bonham@scc.net](#):
>
> Maybe if you gave us some indication of what the heck \*\*HPC[/b} is, somebody might answer.
If anyone had inclination to answer, chances are they’d already know what it is.
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### Author:  [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)
#### Post date: [March 21, 2011, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-hpc-users/575298/7 "2011-03-21T01:53:48Z")
(Disclaimer: I’m by no means an expert)
This sounds like less of a technical problem than a managerial one.
Even if you got brand-new Linux computers, you’d still have a Windows-only IT department. Wouldn’t it make more sense to try and train the IT guys on Linux or hire somebody else?
Or what if you just moved the data processing to a cloud service running either, at least freeing you from the hardware and networking side of things?
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### Author:  [@The\_Niply\_Elder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Niply_Elder)
#### Post date: [March 21, 2011, 6:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-hpc-users/575298/8 "2011-03-21T06:04:57Z")
Yes, they made an announcement about expanding the IT dept operations from our local engineering office only to cover all of north America sales offices too, so they have one position open now… Heheh, I hope to be successful in cajoling management to look for someone with at least nominal Unix experience, we’re 100 miles from Silicon valley and it should be more than easy finding someone qualified.
About cloud solutions I already looked into Amazon cloud computing, but they can only do two nodes at a time. I think it’s more aimed at web hosting services, and not so much scientific computations. Also talked to our software providers and they currently do not offer licensing for this service.
But, long story short, yes, we need our IT to cease their allergy to anything not Windows. This might start sounding like more of a rant, as I’m not satisfied with their handling/caretaking of our existing cluster ( for example, waiting two months to replace 2 gb memory in one of the nodes, then not knowing whatsoever how to fix one of the nodes infiniband network connection, etc) I’m not sure how having windows on a cluster that could have these types of problems will be any easier. Plus, I’d hate to wind up with an inferior os running this expensive computer, by what I can tell doing apples to apples comparison on a desktop at any rate.
Anyway mods feel free to move this if no factual testimonials are forthcoming.
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### Author:  [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)
#### Post date: [March 21, 2011, 6:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-hpc-users/575298/9 "2011-03-21T06:13:03Z")
Well, good luck! It shouldn’t be that hard finding someone.
> [@The\_Niply\_Elder](#):
>
> About cloud solutions I already looked into Amazon cloud computing, but they can only do two nodes at a time. I think it’s more aimed at web hosting services, and not so much scientific computations.
What do you mean two nodes at a time?
Have you looked at their HPC page?
> **[High Performance Computing (HPC)](https://aws.amazon.com/hpc/)**
>
> Using AWS, expedite your high performance computing (HPC) workloads & save money by choosing from low-cost pricing models that match utilization needs.
Again, I’m no expert, but I thought Amazon separately does both hosting and cloud computing… I’d be surprised if their services _weren’t_ tailored for scientific computing.