Supercomputing Division, Information Technology Center, The University Tokyo

Oakforest-PACS Supercomputer System
“Large-Scale HPC Challenge”


The Joint Center for Advanced High Performance Computing (JCAHPC) has been implementing the Large-Scale HPC Challenge for the Oakforest-PACS Supercomputer System since October 2017. The Large-Scale HPC Challenge is a public recruitment project that allows a research group to monopolize the use of computational resources for a maximum of 21 hours, for the largest number of compute nodes (8,192 nodes (557,056 cores)) possible for Oakforest-PACS Supercomputer System.

The Oakforest-PACS supercomputer system will be shut down on March 31, 2022. Therefore, "The Large-Scale HPC Challenge" for Oakforest-PACS will end in March as well.

Available resources

Oakforest-PACS Supercomputer System
  • Users can monopolize the use of 8,192 nodes (557,056 cores) for a maximum of 21 hours.

User’s guide

  • This initiative allows users to monopolize the use of 8,192 nodes for a maximum of 21 hours once a month, in principle from 12:00 p.m. on Tuesday – 9:00 a.m. on Wednesday before the month-end processing.
    (With regard to the memory mode for Oakforest-PACS, about half of all compute nodes are set to flat mode, and the remaining half are set to cache mode during normal service for all users. However, on the day of the Large-Scale HPC Challenge, users under the Challenge initiative may change all compute nodes to the mode they prefer. This change is expected to take about 2 to 3 hours, so the start time for the Large-Scale HPC Challenge will be at about 12:00 p.m., and end at 9:00 a.m. the following day. Your kind understanding is much appreciated.)
  • The projects are recruited from the public, and a wide range of projects are accepted in addition to submissions from existing users. While applications are accepted by both individuals and groups, one group is selected each month in principle.
  • The results produced through the use of this initiative will be released to the public. In the disclosure of the results of the project, selected projects are required to state clearly that the project was implemented using the Oakforest-PACS Supercomputer System under the Large-Scale HPC Challenge initiative. Selected projects will also be requested to submit articles reporting on the results of the project to the PR magazine, etc., submit articles (brief reports) to peer-reviewed international conferences, etc.
  • There may be cases where the selected projects are invited to present at seminars and workshops organized or co-organized by JCAHPC (or the University of Tokyo or the University of Tsukuba).
  • Use of the supercomputers under this initiative is free of charge.

Recruitment schedule

The following is the provisional schedule for the recruitment of projects for the Large-Scale HPC Challenge.

  • The recruitment schedule is subject to changes depending on the maintenance schedule and other factors.
  • It is possible to apply more than once during the year. However, please note that there are cases where your requests cannot be fulfilled due to the application situation. It is possible to use the supercomputer systems only once with each application.

FY2021 Schedule (Provisional)

The schedule may be changed or the implementation will be cancelled without prior notice depending on the status of the COVID-19.
Implementation period Recruitment
deadline
Screening Notification
of
selection
Tue., June 22, 2021, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Tue., July 27, 2021, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Mon.,
May 24, 2021,
5 p.m.
[Closed]
Early
June
2021
Mid-
June
2021
[Re-recruitment]
Tue., July 27, 2021, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Mon.,
June 7, 2021,
5 p.m.
[Closed]
Mid-
June
2021
End-
June
2021
Tue., Aug. 24, 2021, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Wed., Sep. 22, 2021, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Tue., Oct. 26, 2021, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Wed., Nov. 24, 2021, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Mon.,
June 28, 2021,
5 p.m.
[Closed]
Early
July
2021
Mid-
July
2021
[Re-recruitment]
Wed., Sep. 22, 2021, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Tue., Oct. 26, 2021, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Wed., Nov. 24, 2021, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Mon.,
Aug. 2, 2021,
5 p.m.
[Closed]
Early
Aug.
2021
End-
Aug.
2021
[Re-recruitment]
Tue., Oct. 26, 2021, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Wed., Nov. 24, 2021, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Mon.,
Sep. 6, 2021,
5 p.m.
[Closed]
Mid-
Sep.
2021
End-
Sep.
2021
Tue., Dec. 14, 2021, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Tue., Jan. 25, 2022, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Mon., Feb. 21, 2022, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Wed., Mar. 30, 2022, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Mon.,
Oct. 25, 2021,
5 p.m.
[Closed]
Early
Nov.
2021
Mid-
Nov.
2021
[Re-recruitment]
Tue., Jan. 25, 2022, 12 p.m. – Wed., Jan. 26, 2022, 9 a.m.
Mon., Feb. 21, 2022, 12 p.m. – Tue., Feb. 22, 2022, 9 a.m.
Wed., Mar. 30, 2022, 12 p.m. – Thu., Mar. 30, 2022, 9 a.m.
Mon.,
Nov. 29, 2021,
5 p.m.
[Closed]
Early
Dec.
2021
Mid-
Dec.
2021
[Re-recruitment]
Mon., Feb. 21, 2022, 12 p.m. – Tue., Feb. 22, 2022, 9 a.m.
Wed., Mar. 30, 2022, 12 p.m. – Thu., Mar. 30, 2022, 9 a.m.
Mon.,
Dec. 27, 2021,
5 p.m.
[Closed]
Mid-
Jan.
2022
End-
Jan.
2022
[Re-recruitment]
Wed., Mar. 30, 2022, 12 p.m. – Thu., Mar. 30, 2022, 9 a.m.
Mon.,
Jan. 31, 2022,
5 p.m.
[Closed]
Mid-
Feb.
2022
End-
Feb.
2022

Application details

Please click here to see the application details for the Large-Scale HPC Challenge.

Selected projects

FY2021: Selected projects (1st term / 2nd term / 3rd term ) new

FY2019: Selected projects (1st term / 2nd term / 3rd term)

FY2018: Selected projects (1st term / 3rd term)

FY2017: Selected projects (1st term / 2nd term / 3rd term)

English translation of acknowledgements when reporting the research results in academic papers, etc.

Please use the English translations provided below when publishing English papers, etc. after the use of supercomputers under this initiative.

English title of this initiative

"Large-scale HPC Challenge" Project, Joint Center for Advanced High Performance Computing (JCAHPC).

Example of English acknowledgement

Computational resource of Fujitsu PRIMERGY CX600M1/CX1640M1(Oakforest-PACS) was awarded by "Large-scale HPC Challenge" Project, Joint Center for Advanced High Performance Computing (JCAHPC).

FAQ for Large-Scale HPC Challenge