New ARCHER2 training programmes

15 May 2020

Training is one of the functions of the ARCHER2 Computational Science and Engineering (CSE) service, which is run by EPCC and started on May 6th 2020. We are fully committed to providing a rich, diverse programme of training that is responsive to our users' evolving needs. We have therefore designed a programme that addresses the training requirements of users with different needs and level of experience.

Our plan aims to enable all users to make efficient use of ARCHER2 as soon as it is available. There will be different introductory courses for different user categories:

  • Package Use on ARCHER2: efficient use of pre-installed research software packages on ARCHER2.
  • Development on ARCHER2: the ARCHER2 application development environment, core parallel and scientific software libraries, available debugging and profiling tools.
  • Data Science on ARCHER2: the essentials of ARCHER2, the basic use of core data science packages, and data-handling best practice.

Further details about the range of courses we offer can be found in the ARCHER2 training pages.

Given the current COVID-19 restrictions, we will deliver the courses online for the foreseeable future. We will investigate returning to our original plan of delivering face-to-face courses across the UK once the lockdown measures ease.

A weekly programme of virtual tutorials (VTs) started on April 8th. The VTs consist of interactive live webinars where experts can share their knowledge on a range of intermediate and advanced topics. Previous VTs can be found in the ARCHER2 training materials repository.

We will use Blackboard Collaborate software for live broadcast courses, virtual tutorials, and consultancy sessions. Material from all online courses, including videos of the lectures, will be made freely available on the web after the live run. In addition to this, we plan to make appropriate ARCHER2 courses available via a self-service model, with the first appearing later this year.

Our programme also features improved accessibility and inclusivity of HPC training through a variety of formats and delivery routes, using best practice to make content accessible and developing policies that promote diversity and inclusion in the community.

Links

To learn more about our training plans, you can watch this webinar.

Please keep an eye on the ARCHER2 website to find out upcoming training courses. We also have a Twitter account; you can follow us on @ARCHER2_HPC