Advancing federal HPC capabilities: New workshop empowers public sector cloud computing

The use of high performance computing (HPC) in federal agencies is evolving rapidly, and Amazon Web Services (AWS) is offering an innovative new workshop designed specifically for public sector requirements. The AWS Department of Defense (DoD) HPC Center of Excellence (CoE) has launched the HPC for Public Sector workshop, a comprehensive training program that addresses the unique challenges faced by federal organizations in deploying HPC workloads to the cloud.

Federal agencies—particularly the DoD, Department of Energy, and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)—operate under strict compliance requirements and security protocols. These organizations require specialized solutions that can handle massive computational workloads while maintaining the highest levels of security and control. The new workshop directly addresses these needs through a flexible, modular approach that can be tailored to specific agency requirements.

AWS ParallelCluster benefits

At the core of this workshop is AWS ParallelCluster, a powerful cluster management tool that simplifies the deployment and management of HPC environments in the cloud.

ParallelCluster simplifies the management of HPC workloads through several key features. The service provides automated cluster deployment and management through a streamlined command-line interface (CLI) and uses infrastructure as code (IaC) with YAML configuration files.

To optimize costs, ParallelCluster automatically scales compute resources based on workload demands, supports Amazon EC2 Spot Instances for cost savings, and follows a pay-as-you-go model. The service integrates seamlessly with AWS storage solutions like Amazon FSx and Amazon Elastic File System (Amazon EFS).

ParallelCluster offers flexibility through multiple job scheduler options, including Slurm and AWS Batch, and supports custom Amazon Machine Images (AMIs) and software installations. You can select from various instance types to match your specific workload requirements.

For HPC-specific needs, ParallelCluster includes message passing interface (MPI) support for parallel processing, GPU computing capabilities, and high-performance networking through Elastic Fabric Adapter (EFA). The service also provides comprehensive monitoring and logging through Amazon CloudWatch, enabling detailed resource usage tracking and cluster monitoring.

Workshop focus areas

These features make ParallelCluster an efficient solution for running HPC workloads in the AWS Cloud. The curriculum includes essential modules focusing on:

1. Isolated cluster construction – Teaching participants how to build secure, contained computing environments
2. Accelerate Security Technical Implementation Guide (STIG) compliance – Ensuring systems meet STIG standards
3. Cost control mechanisms – Managing and optimizing cloud spending
4. Traditional HPC workload management – Handling complex scientific and engineering computations

Government use cases

Although initially developed for AWS GovCloud (US) customers, the workshop’s versatility makes it valuable for any organization that wants to understand AWS HPC capabilities. The modular design means that instructors can customize both the duration and content of the training so that participants receive relevant, targeted instruction for their specific use cases.

This workshop equips public sector teams with practical HPC skills on the cloud. Participants will learn to deploy secure cloud-based resources and reduce infrastructure costs through efficient resource management. The course covers design and implementation of cloud HPC architectures to accelerate research, enhance computational capabilities, and support diverse, demanding workloads.

Conclusion

The launch of this workshop demonstrates the AWS commitment to supporting federal agencies as they transform their digital infrastructure. By combining the power of AWS ParallelCluster with comprehensive training and customization options, AWS is providing public sector organizations with the full potential of cloud-based HPC while meeting their unique operational requirements. The workshop can be found in AWS Workshop Studio or contact your AWS solutions architect or AWS Partner team to schedule a session.