Enabling users to work sustainably on shared institute computing resources

arXiv (Cornell University)

Abstract

The VISPA project is a self-managed, mid-scale computing cluster that supports physics data analysis in research and teaching. Because the cluster is housed in a 1970s institute building with limited retrofit options, conventional efficiency upgrades would yield only minor energy savings. We therefore target sustainability primarily through user-centric measures. A monitoring system now records per-job energy consumption, while real-time data on the renewable share of the German power grid enable `green-window' scheduling. Users can query their individual energy consumption and carbon footprints, receive weekly reports, and tag jobs by project for aggregate accounting; memory records from previous runs help avoid oversubscription. All options are voluntary, fostering a cultural shift rather than imposing hard constraints. A simulation framework evaluates the potential impact of these measures. Together, the technological and behavioral interventions aim at medium- to long-term reductions in greenhouse-gas emissions by increasing resource awareness within the scientific community.

Authors 7

1. Niclas Eich Aachen Physics Institute 3A

   RWTH Aachen University

   Affiliation as printed

   Physics Institute 3A , RWTH Aachen University , Otto-Blumenthal-Straße , Aachen , 52074 , Germany

2. Johannes Erdmann Aachen Physics Institute 3A

   RWTH Aachen University

   Affiliation as printed

   Physics Institute 3A , RWTH Aachen University , Otto-Blumenthal-Straße , Aachen , 52074 , Germany

3. Martin Erdmann Aachen Physics Institute 3A

   RWTH Aachen University

   Affiliation as printed

   Physics Institute 3A , RWTH Aachen University , Otto-Blumenthal-Straße , Aachen , 52074 , Germany

4. Benjamin Fischer Aachen Physics Institute 3A

   RWTH Aachen University

   Affiliation as printed

   Physics Institute 3A , RWTH Aachen University , Otto-Blumenthal-Straße , Aachen , 52074 , Germany

5. Paul Gilles Aachen Physics Institute 3A

   RWTH Aachen University

   Affiliation as printed

   Physics Institute 3A , RWTH Aachen University , Otto-Blumenthal-Straße , Aachen , 52074 , Germany

6. Tim Hauptreif Aachen Physics Institute 3A

   RWTH Aachen University

   Affiliation as printed

   Physics Institute 3A , RWTH Aachen University , Otto-Blumenthal-Straße , Aachen , 52074 , Germany

7. Jan Kelleter Aachen Physics Institute 3A

   RWTH Aachen University

   Affiliation as printed

   Physics Institute 3A , RWTH Aachen University , Otto-Blumenthal-Straße , Aachen , 52074 , Germany