CUI, Restricted Data Projects

Overview

The Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) cluster is a CPU + GPU system which is the result of a partnership between ARC and the Hume Center. It came online in October of 2021 and provides a total of 15 nodes. Three nodes are dense GPU nodes matching those on (Tinkercliffs) and twelve are 64-core CPU nodes. Together, they provide strong scalability for a wide variety of workloads.

Technical details are below:

Node type

CPU

GPU

Manufacturer

HPE

HPE Apollo

Chassis

HPE XL225n

HPE Apollo 6500 Gen10 Plus

Chip

AMD EPYC 7542

AMD EPYC 7542

Nodes

12

3

Cores/Node

64

64

GPU Model

-

Nvidia Ampere A100-80GB

GPU/Node

-

8

Memory (GB)/Node

512

2048

Total Cores

768

192

Total Memory (GB)

6,144

6,144

Local Disk

240GB SSD

240GB SSD

Interconnect

HDR-100 IB

HDR-100 IB

A VAST Flash storage system with 656TB of data storage capacity is connected to provide network-based storage for the cluster.

Access

The CUI system is set up to host projects which require some computational scale but are subject to controlled access restrictions such as the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR). Access to the CUI system requires a technology control plan (TCP) established with the Office of Export and Secure Research Compliance (OESRC) and consultation with ARC personnel to set up access and provide instructions for use.

Networks from which CUI is accessible

The login node for the CUI system, cui1.arc.vt.edu, will only accept connections from secured hosts on VT networks. However, connections from the VT VPN are not allowed since they could originate from arbitrary locations.

If you do not have access to a secured host on a VT network, then you will likely need to connect from OESRC’s COMPASS system. COMPASS is also accessible from off-campus, US locations by first connecting to OESRC’s Barracuda VPN.