The Use of High-Performance Computing Services in University Settings: A Usability Case Study of the University of Cincinnati's High-Performance Computing Clusters

Volume 16, Issue 1 (March 2025), pp. 20–27

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@article{jocse-16-1-5,
  author={Mahmoud Junior Suleman and Amy Latessa and Shane Halse and Jess Kropczynski},
  title={The Use of High-Performance Computing Services in University Settings: A Usability Case Study of the University of Cincinnati's High-Performance Computing Clusters},
  journal={The Journal of Computational Science Education},
  year=2025,
  month=mar,
  volume=16,
  issue=1,
  pages={20--27},
  doi={https://doi.org/10.22369/issn.2153-4136/16/1/5}
}

High-performance computing (HPC) clusters are powerful tools that can be used to support a wide range of research projects across all disciplines. However, HPC clusters can be complex and difficult to use, limiting their accessibility to researchers without a strong technical background. This study used a mixed method to investigate ways to make HPC clusters more accessible to researchers from all disciplines on a university campus. A usability study of 19 university researchers was conducted to understand the needs of HPC users and identify areas where user experience could be improved. Our findings reveal the need to build a customized graphical user interface HPC management portal to serve users' needs and invest in workforce development by introducing an academic credit-based High-Performance Computing Course for students and partnering with other faculties to introduce special programs, e.g., Student Cluster Competitions which would draw more student interest.