Mission-critical software support
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by Brian Bevirt The Technical Consulting Group works to ensure that user code runs efficiently on a variety of platforms. Their consulting expertise expands to cover the ongoing changes in SCD's computing center. While maintaining codes on production parallel vector processor machines, TCG also tests, documents, and consults on each new distributed shared memory computer at NCAR. A highlight of TCG's software development efforts is the Distributed Computing Services project. This project is providing a consistent user interface for key SCD computing resources: the Mass Storage System and the data import and export facilities. TCG plays a critical role in all software testing and evaluation. By the time users experience software, it has already been run through a rigorous set of test suites by this group. Additionally, they document changes or new features and stand ready with experience to assist with any user problems. A representative from TCG participates in the SCD hardware selection team to help evaluate systems' productivity on typical user codes. "The value of these background functions cannot be underestimated regarding their direct service to our user community," TSD section manager Sally Haerer points out. ConsultWeb is another avenue by which TCG reaches out to users. It is a special website built on the idea of a Frequently Asked Questions list (FAQ), but expanded far beyond that to include various hints and pointers directly beneficial to users. It is an ongoing work-in-progress based on current conditions within SCD's high-performance computing world.
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