The Federated Technical Computing Architecture (FTCA) is an industry wide movement that aims to simplify the access to and use of technical computing capabilities and resources allowing seamless client, cluster, and cloud provided services.
Based on Standards; including open cluster, interoperability, security, provisioning
Simplifies and makes technical computing access seamless and intuitive
Broadens market through the creation of new usage and business models
FTCA enables a hybrid HPC computing environment that spans workstations to clusters to private and public clouds, enabling technical computing users to:
+ Bring HPC into the mainstream consciousness as .an easy alternative to workstation class performance.
+ Easily Take advantage of HPC resources that they’re not yet using
+ Expand their usage of HPC, where they’re constrained in their access to HPC resources
+ Use HPC more efficiently, to make better use of resources, and make it more adaptable to changing workloads
FTCI Goals:
1. Allow end users to choose from the largest number of services as easily as possible.
2. Give service providers the easiest way to offer their differentiated services to the largest possible audience.
3. Let users and vendors express requirements and offerings in a consistent and standard way.
4. By utilizing existing and emerging standards, guarantee a reliable, safe and secure means for control and data to be exchanged and transactions to be executed.
Standard Use Case / Domain Specialist Work Flow (think Mech E at Car firm, Drug Designer in Pharma, Geologist etc.)
1. Specialist requires execution of a compute intensive application, such as fluid flow or supernovae simulation.
2. End User runs their workstation app front end, e.g. a visualization app, which is also used to launch the compute intensive part of the application.
3. Data and run time parameters are provided to the visualization application.
4. Launch the application and wait for completion.
+ The workstation often becomes unresponsive.
5. Continue development using the returned application output.
FTCA Enabled Work Flow
1. Domain Specialist runs their FTCA Enabled workstation app front end, e.g. a visualization app.
2.They search for and select the best compute service using FTCA infrastructure
3.Data and run time parameters are provided to the visualization application.
+ Additional information may be required to handle data movement to and from remote locations.
4. Launch the service and wait less for completion.
+ Note: FTCA Tools will be required to monitor and control remote compute resources.
5. The workstation remains available during the remote execution.
+ Continue development sooner using the returned application output.
Details on how to contribute, and be part to be forth coming
View full history Series and milestones
trunk series is the current focus of development.
