Running HPC clusters is much easier on the cloud where there’s unlimited capacity and no scheduling problems right? That’s certainly what all the cloud vendors always tell me, but how true is it? HPC workloads are often seen as an easy target for migration to cloud. The large compute requirements…

This article looks at the economics of running a HPC system on a public cloud infrastructure. It looks at the impact of the performance differential between different types of VM, the impact of price variation and introduces the concept of a performance normalised price to allow easier comparison of VMs. …

This article discusses the use of simultaneous multi-threading (hyper-threading) in HPC and grid scale workloads, with a particular emphasis on financial risk systems and the COREx benchmark. It looks into the SMT status of cloud virtual machines, the ability to enable or disable and the cost implications of doing so. …

Evaluating hardware performance such that it correlates well to your own use case is always difficult. Even more so in HPC applications where small differences in performance add up quickly. Financial risk system specific benchmarks can be even more of a challenge due the proprietary and often secret nature of…

A glossary of (HPC) terms as used in our recent articles to ensure clarity and a shared understanding. These are largely well understood; however, there can sometimes be a little confusion, especially around the common usage of the words core and CPU. Socket / Physical CPU Historically, this is a physical socket providing a…

A lighthearted but often serious look at the challenges involved in running High Performance Computing (HPC) workloads both on premises and on the Cloud with a slant towards financial services use cases. Many epochs ago, when Dread Pirate Roberts still ruled the dark digital seas and Bitcoin could still be…

An examination of the evolution of software development in the context of the evolution of previous technological advances. This article examines both the increased specialisation and the onset of developer deskilling that has risen with the widespread adoption and industrialisation of technology. …

This article looks at the recent impact of the Great Resignation on technology in the investment banking sector and goes on to take a deeper look at the impact caused by stagnating wages and increasing competition from the big technology (FAANG). In all likelihood, you’ve already heard of the phenomenon…

A great deal has been written recently about microservices, in particular, about how they’re not the armoured warrior princess riding in to save the wounded software prince. …