Module COMP50030: Data Centre Infrastructure: Software, Hardware, Monitoring and Security

Department: Computer Science

COMP50030: Data Centre Infrastructure: Software, Hardware, Monitoring and Security

Prerequisites

• None

Corequisites

• None

Excluded Combination of Modules

• None

Aims

• To understand the software and hardware environment of HPC systems hosting advanced simulation and AI applications.
• To give students the tools and training to operate and maintain such systems.
• To present the theoretical concepts to classify, assess and design HPC systems for advanced simulation and AI applications.
• To provide students with the background required to understand new developments in software and hardware.
• To understand energy efficiency and energy consumption in data centres.
• To understand how codes can exploit a data centre’s resources.
• To give students a thorough understanding of how to manage the user base.
• To provide students with the background required to understand security concerns in data centres.

Content

• Software stack (Unix) of advanced simulation and AI platforms.
• Hardware principles underlying modern microarchitecture.
• Principles of network design and architecture.
• Principles of data centre administration.
• Server provisioning tools.
• Monitoring.
• Scheduling policies.
• Authentication and validation.

Learning Outcomes

• By the end of this module, students should be able to demonstrate:
• Knowledge and understanding of modern HPC hardware architectures.
• Knowledge and understanding of modern HPC software platforms.
• Knowledge and understanding of modern data centre user management including security aspects (authentication and validation).
• Knowledge and understanding of data centre monitoring informing performance optimisation and access policy design.

• By the end of this module, students should be able to demonstrate:
• Installation, maintenance and operation of modern AI and simulation platforms.
• Automation (scripting) of workflows.
• Scheduling for larger user bases and support of interactive usage.
• Hardware maintenance strategies (user downtime, rescheduling strategies).
• Creation and operation of data centre user administration systems.
• Design and operation of data centre monitoring systems.

• By the end of this module, students should be able to demonstrate:
• Capacity for independent learning about the hardware and software infrastructure underlying modern data centres.
• Ability to maintain and operate HPC clusters.
• Capacity for independent self-learning about the security issues arising in modern data centres.
• Ability to monitor and benchmark clusters and software independently.

Modes of Teaching, Learning and Assessment and how these contribute to the learning outcomes of the module

• Two-hour lectures delivered in a single term’s two sequential four-week blocks (eight weeks total), structured as one lecture on methods followed by one lecture on exercises (labs).
• The methodology taught in the first hour is immediately followed by a second hour of exercises to consolidate student knowledge and understanding of data centre principles.
• The module content is delivered through lectures/exercises and is reinforced by self-learning sessions and formative problem sheets, equipping students with the required problem-solving capability.
• Students will be required to submit formative problem sheets throughout the academic year to check their understanding as the course progresses.
• The coursework will require attendance at 4 2-hour workshops (two per block) where student will undertake a set task (e.g. setting up a cluster environment), with assessment through a presentation on what they have achieved.

Teaching Methods and Learning Hours

Summative Assessment

Formative Assessment:

Formative assessment is provided by means of formative problem sheets.

■ Students who do not attend monitored activities shown under Teaching Methods and Learning Hours, or who fail to complete the summative or formative assessment(s) specified above, may be subject to the Academic Progress procedures defined in the University's General Regulation V, and may be required to leave the University.