Providing bespoke HPC training
We developed and delivered a three-week course for the Indonesian government agency for meteorology, climatology, and geophysics to support its use of HPC to prepare for extreme weather events.
Firmansyah Training course participant"The facilitators at EPCC are highly knowledgeable, skilled, and supportive, with the ability to explain complex topics in a clear and easy to understand way. The course modules are well-designed and thorough, effectively enhancing the learning process."
Badan Meteorologi, Klimatologi, dan Geofisika (BMKG) provides weather predictions and warning of extreme weather events, as well as tracking changes in climatological and geological conditions in Indonesia and the surrounding region. Its meteorological and climatology work is similar to that undertaken by the British Meteorological Office.
The challenge
BMKG has received funding from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to improve Indonesian weather prediction and the Indonesian response to extreme weather incidents. Part of this funding supports the creation of a high-performance computing (HPC) infrastructure to enable members of BMKG to run and fine-tune large-scale, accurate weather and geological models that will facilitate the prediction of rare extreme weather events. To maximise the effectiveness of this new facility, BMKG needs to develop the HPC programming knowledge and skills of its researchers and analysts.
Based on EPCC's reputation as a world leader in HPC provision and programming, BMKG asked us to deliver an introductory course to teach members of BMKG the intricacies of HPC use and programming.
Our solution
EPCC prepared a bespoke, intensive, three-week course to teach the important concepts behind GPU programming. The course focused on introducing and developing knowledge of:
- Python for scientific programming
- C++ programming
- Shared-memory programming with OpenMP
- Message-passing programming with MPI
- GPU programming with CUDA and HIP
- Using containers on HPC systems.
The content was designed to lay the knowledge foundation for BMKG developers to ensure they gain the most benefit from their new HPC infrastructure. Course attendees enjoyed the course, and found the teaching material of great use for their day-to-day work at BMKG.
Course participant Firmansyah describes his experience:
"I feel fortunate to have participated in the training programme at EPCC. It offered a valuable and comprehensive learning experience, providing not only an in-depth understanding of HPC concepts and system architecture, but also practical skills through structured, hands-on sessions.
"One of the highlights of the programme was having direct access to ARCHER2 and Cirrus, two of EPCC’s most advanced HPC systems. This access is available for three months after the programme ends, allowing participants to continue experimenting and reinforcing the knowledge gained during their training.
"A particularly memorable experience was the hands-on visit to the Advanced Computing Facility, EPCC’s world-class supercomputing facility. This visit offered a first-hand look at how HPC is applied in real-world research and innovation.
"Beyond technical knowledge, I also gained valuable insights into building, utilising, and optimising HPC systems effectively. These skills are highly relevant and applicable in my workplace."
Further information
Contact us
To explore how EPCC's expertise can support your business goals, please contact our Commercial Manager, Julien Sindt.
Training and education at EPCC
In addition to bespoke training, we also offer Masters programmes and professional development courses. We provide both in-person and online tuiton. See our Education & Training pages to find out more.