[Beowulf] [OT] HPC and University IT - forum/mailing list?

[Joe Landman]

Now that RGB has written a thesis on this ... :)

Robert G. Brown wrote:
> On Tue, 15 Aug 2006, Bill Rankin wrote:
> 
>>>  Are there problems so specific to the higher education realm
>>> that you think they'd benefit from their own forum?
>>
>> Not so much that would benefit from their own forum, but there are a
>> lot of issues that are not directly related to the construction and
>> technical operation of clusters, but rather more
>> administrative/organizational in nature.
>>
>> Things like:
>>
>> - integration of a cluster into a larger University IT infrastructure
>> (storage, authentication, policies, et. al.)
>> - funding models (central funds, grant based) both for equipment and
>> personnel.
>> - centralized research IT versus local departmental/school support.
>> - education and training
>> - deployment issues (who pays F&M?)
>> - sustainability and growth
>>
>> Some of these topics have content that would be appropriate for this
>> list, some not-so-much.  There are also some people I know that would
>> be interested in participating in the conversation, but not about
>> general Beowulfery.
> 
> This is a key question (and answer).  There are issues of critical mass
> for a successful list to consider.  There are also alternative formats
> -- e.g. wiki instead of actual mailing list.  Finally there are issues
> of sponsorship and linkage -- it is easier to get to critical mass if
> there is a mechanism other than google for feeding people and certain
> threads of discussion over to the new venue.  Possibilities include
> crossconnecting/linking the new resource with an existing resource to
> get some synergy, hijacking threads on the beowulf list that are
> sufficiently "academic" that they are as noted slightly OT for what most
> of the list membership cares to here (if there is any way to note that),
> periodic advertisement on the beowulf list (in the form of gentle
> invitation to move threads vs hijacking:-).

[disclaimer:  Not officially associated with them, but they are great
people]

The good folks over at bioinformatics.org have a number of great lists
on there, and the director of the organization, a small non-profit (by
choice) entity, would probably help out if you felt you needed another
forum.

They have a bioclusters list there, as well as a biodevelopers, and a
few other good ones.  Low traffic, etc.  They are quite interested in
the edu side of things.

I personally wouldn't have a problem seeing that traffic here on
beowulf.  Beowulfery is not just the technology, its the whole
kit-and-kiboodle.

-- 
Joseph Landman, Ph.D
Founder and CEO
Scalable Informatics LLC,
email: landman at scalableinformatics.com
web  : http://www.scalableinformatics.com
phone: +1 734 786 8423
fax  : +1 734 786 8452 or +1 866 888 3112
cell : +1 734 612 4615