Challenges in the management of high-performance computing centers

Abstract

To deliver consistently, high performance computing (HPC) centers must execute in both technical and organizational domains. While the technical domain certainly involves formidable challenges, scholars have indicated that organizational challenges in HPC can be equally complex and problematic. HPC centers represent a unique form of organizing and there is very little research into the way they are managed and how this management can potentially be improved. In this paper, we present findings from an in-depth exploratory study of ten diverse HPC centers. Drawing a variety of traditions in organizational scholarship, we identify three domains that present significant management challenges for HPC centers: (1) governance; (2) resource acquisition and allocation; and (3) infrastructural innovation and collaboration. We conclude by detailing subsequent steps in this research program.