How to create AWS ParallelCluster with Slurm scheduler

Environment preparation phase within AWS Management Console

• Login the AWS IAM console:

https://console.aws.amazon.com/iam/

• From the left pane, click on Policies -> click on Users -> Add User -> specify the name parallelcluster-user -> Access type: Programmatic access -> click Next: Permissions -> Set permissions -> select a group with “AdministratorAccess” role -> click Next: Tags -> click Next: Review -> click on Create user -> click on Download .csv and keep it in a secured location -> click on Close
• Follow the instructions below to create a key pair to access the cluster machines:

https://docs.aws.amazon.com/AWSEC2/latest/UserGuide/ec2-key-pairs.html#having-ec2-create-your-key-pair

• Follow the instructions below to create S3 bucket (with unique name) for storing data to export and import data to/from the FSx Lustre storage:

https://docs.aws.amazon.com/AmazonS3/latest/gsg/CreatingABucket.html

Note 1: Document the S3 bucket name for use inside the ParallelCluster config file

Note 2: Create a folder called export (in small letters), inside the S3 bucket

• In-case you wish to create a dedicate VPC and subnet for the HPC cluster, follow the instructions below:

https://docs.aws.amazon.com/directoryservice/latest/admin-guide/gsg_create_vpc.html

• Logoff the AWS console

Python installation phase on Linux (Debian / Ubuntu)

• Login to a Linux machine using SSH, and follow the instructions below to install Python 3:

https://docs.aws.amazon.com/cli/latest/userguide/install-linux-python.html

Note: In-case you already have Python 3 install, use the command below to upgrade to the latest build:

sudo apt-get upgrade python3

• To install pip3, run the command below:

sudo apt install python3-pip

Python installation phase on Windows

• Login to a Windows machine using privileged account, and follow the instructions below to install Python 3 and PIP:

https://docs.aws.amazon.com/cli/latest/userguide/install-windows.html

AWS ParallelCluster installation phase

• Run the commands below to install the AWS ParallelCluster:

• Linux:

sudo pip install aws-parallelcluster

• Windows:

pip install aws-parallelcluster

• Run the command below to verify the installed version:

pcluster version

• Follow the instructions below to install the AWS CLI:

https://docs.aws.amazon.com/cli/latest/userguide/cli-chap-install.html

• Run the command below in-order to configure AWS CLI:

aws configure

• AWS Access Key ID – Specify the value from the CSV of the previously created IAM user parallelcluster-user
• AWS Secret Access Key – Specify the value from the CSV of the previously created IAM user parallelcluster-user
• Default region name – specify a region such as eu-west-1

Full list: https://docs.aws.amazon.com/general/latest/gr/rande.html

• Default output format: JSON

• Run the command below to setup the initial configuration:

pcluster configure

• Cluster Template: Specify here a custom name for the HPC template (such as HPC Cluster)
• AWS Region ID: Specify the same region you specified for the aws configure command (such as eu-west-1)
• VPC Name: Specify the same name as the Cluster Template (such as HPC Cluster)
• Key Name: Specify the name of the EC2 Key pair previously created
• VPC ID: Specify the name of the target VPC ID to deploy the HPC cluster into

Note: The full list of VPC’s can be found within the AWS management console: https://console.aws.amazon.com/vpc

• Master Subnet ID: Specify here the name of the target subnet ID to deploy the HPC cluster into

Note: The full list of subnets can be found within the AWS management console: https://console.aws.amazon.com/vpc

• Edit the ParallelCluster config file:

• Linux: The file is located inside ~/.parallelcluster/config
• Windows: The file is located inside %UserProfile%\.parallelcluster\config

• Add the following parameters to the [cluster] section (for a large cluster):

base_os = centos7

master_instance_type = c5n.xlarge

compute_instance_type = c5n.18xlarge

cluster_type = ondemand

initial_queue_size = 2

scheduler = slurm

placement_group = DYNAMIC

enable_efa = compute

fsx_settings = fs

Note: For small cluster, add the following parameters to the [cluster] section:

base_os = centos7

master_instance_type = m4.large

compute_instance_type = m4.large

cluster_type = ondemand

initial_queue_size = 2

max_queue_size = 3

scheduler = slurm

placement_group = DYNAMIC

fsx_settings = fs

• Add the following entire section to the config file:

[fsx fs]

shared_dir = /fsx

storage_capacity = 3600

imported_file_chunk_size = 1024

export_path = s3://bucket/export

import_path = s3://bucket

weekly_maintenance_start_time = 1:00:00

Note 1: The storage_capacity is the size of the FSx Lustre storage in GB

Note 2: Replace the value of bucket with the previously S3 bucket name

• Run the command below to deploy the new cluster:

pcluster create mycluster

Note: Replace mycluster with your target HPC cluster name (without spaces)

• Go to the CloudFormation console to view the deployment status:

https://eu-west-1.console.aws.amazon.com/cloudformation/home

• Wait for the cluster deployment to complete.
• Document the MasterPublicIP and ClusterUser.

Connecting to the HPC cluster (from Linux Machine)

• Run the command below to connect using SSH to the master server:

pcluster ssh mycluster -i /path/to/keyfile.pem

Note 1: Replace mycluster with the previously create cluster name

Note 2: Replace /path/to/keyfile.pem with the actual path and key file name

• Run the command below to verify the state of the cluster:

sinfo

Connecting to the HPC cluster (from Windows Machine)

• Download puttygen.exe from:

http://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~sgtatham/putty/download.html

• Run the puttygen.exe
• Click on “Load” -> change the file extension from “Putty Private key files” to “All Files” -> locate the private key pair and click on Open -> click on OK -> click on “Save private key” -> click on “Yes” -> save the private key file with PPK extension -> close puttygen.exe
• Download Putty from:

https://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~sgtatham/putty/latest.html

• Run putty.exe
• From the left pane, under “Connection” -> expand SSH -> click on “Auth” -> from the main pane, under “Authentication parameters”, click on “Browse” -> locate the SSH private key generated by puttygen.exe
• From the left pane, click on “Session” -> from the main pane, under “Host Name (or IP address)” specify the following:

user@IP_Address

Note 1: Replace user with the previously documented ClusterUser value

Note 2: Replace IP_Address with the previously documented MasterPublicIP

• Under “Saved Sessions”, specify a name for this newly created connection.
• Click on Save
• Click on Open
• Run the command below to verify the state of the cluster:

sinfo

Common actions to control the cluster

• Displays a list of stacks that are associated with AWS ParallelCluster:

pcluster list

• Displays a list of all instances in a cluster:

pcluster instances mycluster

Note: Replace mycluster with the previously create cluster name

• View the current status of the cluster:

pcluster status mycluster

Note: Replace mycluster with the previously create cluster name

• Updates a running cluster by using the values in the configuration file:

pcluster update mycluster -c ~/.parallelcluster/config

Note 1: Replace mycluster with the previously create cluster name

Note 2: Replace ~/.parallelcluster/config with the target config file location

• Stops the compute fleet, leaving the master node running:

pcluster stop mycluster

Note: Replace mycluster with the previously create cluster name

• Starts the compute fleet for a cluster that has been stopped:

pcluster start mycluster

Note: Replace mycluster with the previously create cluster name

• Delete a cluster:

pcluster delete mycluster

Note: Replace mycluster with the previously create cluster name

Important notes regarding shared storage

• Long term data must be stored inside S3 bucket
• The Amazon FSx for Lustre storage (mount /fsx) will be used for the duration of the compute job

References

• Getting started with AWS ParallelCluster:

https://aws-parallelcluster.readthedocs.io/en/latest/getting_started.html#

• Setting Up AWS ParallelCluster

https://docs.aws.amazon.com/parallelcluster/latest/ug/getting_started.html

• Install AWS ParallelCluster in a Virtual Environment

https://docs.aws.amazon.com/parallelcluster/latest/ug/install-virtualenv.html

• A Scientist's Guide to Cloud-HPC: Example with AWS ParallelCluster, Slurm, Spack, and WRF

https://jiaweizhuang.github.io/blog/aws-hpc-guide/

• Launch your first sample HPC environment on AWS and review important concepts along the way

https://aws.amazon.com/getting-started/use-cases/hpc/

• AWS ParallelCluster Wiki:

https://github.com/aws/aws-parallelcluster

• Deploying an Elastic HPC Cluster

https://d1.awsstatic.com/Projects/P4114756/deploy-elastic-hpc-cluster_project.pdf

• Scale HPC Workloads with Elastic Fabric Adapter and AWS ParallelCluster

https://idk.dev/scale-hpc-workloads-with-elastic-fabric-adapter-and-aws-parallelcluster/

• Adding support for FSx for Lustre:

https://aws-parallelcluster.readthedocs.io/en/develop/configuration.html#fsx-section

• Getting Started with Amazon FSx for Lustre

https://docs.aws.amazon.com/fsx/latest/LustreGuide/getting-started.html

• Amazon FSx for Lustre Lustre User Guide

https://docs.aws.amazon.com/fsx/latest/LustreGuide/LustreGuide.pdf