Containers Training, March 13, 2025

NERSC will be hosting a training on using containers on March 13, 2025. 

Containers allow users to create their own environment and code compilations that can be used across various HPC systems and reproduced on a single system even with underlying system software changes. Using containers on an HPC system allows you to use optimized system software like MPICH and OpenMPI without building the system-specific versions into your code. 

The material covered will include:

• Container basics, including what a container is, container terminology, why to use containers, container registries, and container runtimes
• Using containers on Perlmutter, including pulling from registries, running on login nodes, running jobs in containers interactively and in batch jobs
• How to build containers on Perlmutter using podman-hpc, including basic build instructions and permissions
• How to run containers well on Perlmutter with GPU support, using the Slingshot network, using OpenMPI, and specifying permissions 
• Pointers to information on next steps and advanced topics like using SPIN, using containers within JupyterHub or VSCode, and shared-run jobs. 

The training session will include two hands-on activities, during which participants will demonstrate the knowledge they have gained through guided activities on Perlmutter. The event begins at 9 a.m. Pacific and will run for four hours, with the even hours being set aside for the hands-on activities. 

Additional material will be available before the training session begins. Please register if you would like to attend.