EonKube allows users to customize applications and supports flexible management through the command line. Here are the detailed steps for custom application installation and management.

Installing a Custom Application with Spack

Overview

First Users can deploy HPC Desktop Apps on EonKube using the Ubuntu image provided by Infortrend. Users can connect through the application's NoVNC service. The Desktop App uses this image as a computing container and can install applications on external storage (e.g., GS/GSx). Installation can be processed by using Spack.

This guide explains how to install custom HPC applications on the IEC platform using Spack. Users can choose to install applications from either a binary cache or source code by following these steps:

Procedure

Example: GROMACS

1. Log into the EonKube user management interface.
2. Go to Apps > Marketplace, Find HPC Desktop App
3. Deploy the HPC Desktop App on EonKube and connect via the app's NoVNC service.
4. Open the CLI (Command Line Interface) window.
5. Add Spack Mirror and Install Applications
   In the CLI window, use the following command to add the Spack mirror:
   Users can install applications using one of the two methods:
   
   • Installing from Binary Cache
     • List all available binary caches across all architectures (not limited to the default platform and OS):

       spack buildcache list --allarch

     • Force the installation of the application using the binary cache (e.g., for GROMACS):

       spack install --use-buildcache only gromacs

       Note:

       Using Spack's public binary cache can save significant installation time, but not all architectures may have corresponding cached packages. It's recommended to check for available cached packages using buildcache list and buildcache list --allarch.

   • Installing from Source Code
     • If the desired HPC application is not found in the cache, list the application source links available in Spack (approximately 8000 applications):

       spack list

     • Once the desired HPC application is found, install it from source (e.g., for GROMACS):

       spack install gromacs

Note:

• Installation Permissions: Only system administrators (Admin) can use Spack to install applications; regular users cannot perform Spack installations on the EonKube platform.
• External Storage Permissions: When regular users attempt to use Spack to install applications, they will face read/write restrictions due to external storage (GS/GSx) permissions. Therefore, all installation operations must be conducted by an administrator.