Preview: SC16 Tutorial on How to Buy a Supercomputer

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tutorial1In this video, instructors from NAG describe their upcoming SC16 Tutorial on Supercomputer Acquisition and Commissioning. The half-day session takes place Sunday, Nov. 13 in Salt Lake City.

“This tutorial, part of the SC16 State of the Practice, will guide attendees through the process of purchasing and deploying a HPC system. It will cover the whole process from engaging with stakeholders in securing funding, requirements capture, market survey, specification of the tender/request for proposal documents, engaging with suppliers, evaluating proposals, and managing the installation. Attendees will learn how to specify what they want, yet enable the suppliers to provide innovative solutions beyond their specification both in technology and in the price; how to demonstrate to stakeholders that the solution selected is best value for money; and the common risks, pitfalls and mitigation strategies essential to achieve an on-time and on-quality installation process.”

The tutorial has 3 parts: the procurement process including RFP; bid evaluation, benchmarks, clarification processes; contracting, project management, commissioning, acceptance testing.

The presenters have been involved in numerous major HPC procurements since 1990, as service managers, bidders to funding agencies, as customers and as impartial expert advisors. The presenters are from the UK, but the tutorial will be applicable to HPC procurements anywhere. The tutorial is based on experience across a diverse set of real world cases in various countries, in private and public sectors.

Registration is now open for SC16, which takes place Nov. 13-18 in Salt Lake City.

See our complete coverage of SC16