22. Mrz 2024
HPC: Default module version policy change
Dear HPC users,
we have decided to implement a policy change during the maintenance window on April 2nd: When a user loads a module without specifying a version, they will get the newest installed version of the software instead of the oldest.
During the maintenance window, all software installed on the cluster will be switched to point to the newest version, so that—for example—“ml gcc“ will load GCC 13.2.0, not GCC 5.3.0.
Scripts that already specify exact software versions—using „ml gcc/13.2.0“, for example—will not be affected.
Why?
When someone is doing exploratory research, the exact version of the software used is not usually that important; available features, the absence of bugs, ease of use are the priorities instead. They allow a researcher to concentrate on the subject matter without them having to waste time wrestling with their software.
The new policy allows users to postpone choosing a software version until later in the project stage. When a research project switches from the „exploratory“ to the „established“ phase, reproducibility does become an important concern. At that point, the exact versions of the software used must be recorded.
We believe our policy change allows users to better deal with the exploratory phase, without having a disadvantage in the established phase.
As usual, please contact us if you have any questions: via e-mail or phone, (0345) 55-21864.
Best regards,
the ITZ HPC team