Getting Started
Account Management
Using Sockeye
- What are Sockeye's technical specifications?
- How are resources allocated?
- What if I need more resources?
- What is ARC OnDemand?
- What storage is available in Sockeye?
- What software is available on Sockeye?
- How do I transfer data to or from Sockeye?
Support
- How is the system maintained?
- How can I stay informed?
- How can I get more support?
- Where can i find more information on Sockeye?
- Where can I find more training?
- What if I want to meet with the ARC team to discuss a problem or question in more detail?
- How can I acknowledge ARC?
Getting Started
What is HPC?
What is HPC?
HPC, or High Performance Computing, is the ability to process and analyze complex data at very high speeds. These computations are performed on HPC clusters, which are made up of many networked compute nodes, each containing CPU and/or GPU cores. HPC clusters, including UBC ARC Sockeye (or simply “Sockeye”), offer several thousand times the computing power of standard desktop computers and are useful for research that involves large datasets or complex simulations that would otherwise take unreasonably long on personal machines.
Alliance and Sockeye
UBC ARC operates at the institutional layer of Canada’s digital research infrastructure (DRI) ecosystem. We provide local HPC resources like Sockeye, along with support and training tailored to UBC researchers. We complement the national layer by acting as a bridge to Alliance systems, helping researchers to apply for Alliance resources and troubleshoot issues and scale their work beyond UBC.
The Digital Research Alliance of Canada (or simply “Alliance”) operates multiple HPC clusters across Canada (e.g., Fir, Rorqual, Nibi). Like Sockeye, these systems run on Linux and use Slurm scheduler to manage compute workloads.
If you have questions about which system will better support your research needs or how to use both effectively, please reach out to us at arc.support@ubc.ca so we can set up a consultation.
How do I gain access?
How do I gain access?
Access to Sockeye requires an allocation. Allocations are awarded to one Allocation Owner – typically a UBC faculty member or researcher with Research Spending Authority. The Allocation Owner or Designated Contact may then add users to their allocation, such as students, postdoctoral fellows, or research staff, provided they have a valid UBC CWL and an institutional email address. External collaborators can be added if the Allocation Owner sponsors them for a Guest CWL.
To apply, complete the Sockeye Application Form. If you have questions about eligibility or the application process, contact arc.support@ubc.ca.
Researchers with large‑scale needs may also apply for national resources through the Digital Research Alliance of Canada. ARC staff can advise on how to use both systems effectively.
What do the different roles on Sockeye mean?
What do the different roles on Sockeye mean?
Every Sockeye allocation has three types of participants:
Allocation Owner
The faculty member who applies for the allocation. The Allocation Owner is responsible for the allocation, its renewal, and compliance with ARC policies.
Designated Contact
An optional additional faculty or staff member identified by the Allocation Owner in the application form. The Designated Contact may be contacted by ARC regarding the allocation, especially for administrative matters, renewals, or user management. The Allocation Owner remains accountable for the allocation, but the Designated Contact helps share responsibility for communication and coordination.
Allocation Users
Students, postdoctoral fellows, research staff, or collaborators added by the Allocation Owner. Allocation Users must have a UBC CWL and an institutional email. They can run jobs and access the allocation’s compute and storage resources but cannot manage or renew the allocation themselves.
Account Management
Once I get an account, how long do I have access for?
Once I get an account, how long do I have access for?
Allocations expire on June 30 each year. Renewal reminders are sent before this date.
If renewed, access continues seamlessly. If not renewed, compute access ends immediately and all users in the allocation lose access to the scheduler. A 14‑day grace period is provided to copy or move data, but no new jobs can be run. Allocations may be reactivated by submitting a renewal form. In some cases, extensions to retrieve data can be arranged by contacting ARC support.
ManageAccess How do I manage access to my allocation?
Allocation Owners are responsible for informing ARC when users should be removed from an allocation. This may occur when a student graduates, a collaborator leaves the project, or staff change roles. To offboard a user, the Allocation Owner or Designated Contact should email arc.support@ubc.ca with the user’s name and CWL. ARC will then remove their access to Sockeye.
Using Sockeye
What are Sockeye’s technical specifications?
What are Sockeye’s technical specifications?
Sockeye consists of over four hundred CPU compute nodes and fifty GPU nodes, providing 15,872 CPU cores and 200 NVIDIA Tesla V100 GPUs. Compute nodes are available in several configurations, ranging from base nodes with 192 GB RAM to large nodes with up to 768 GB RAM. GPU nodes are equipped with either 16 GB or 32 GB V100s.
All nodes are connected by a Mellanox InfiniBand EDR interconnect with 100 Gbps bandwidth. Sockeye’s storage system includes a 1.5 PB Lustre parallel filesystem for high‑performance workloads and 1.2 PB of Isilon storage across two performance tiers.
Full details are available on the Sockeye Technical Specifications page.