Azure High Performance Computing Environment

Overview

The client is a major public research university with a growing focus on artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and advanced computing. The instituion is investing in modern infrastructure to support interdisciplinary research and position them as a leader in AI driven innovation.

To support this mission, the client sought to establish a scalable high performance computing environment capable of supporting complex research workloads. The university engaged Oakwood Systems Group to design and implement an Azure based HPC environment that could accelerate research activity, support future growth, and integrate with modern cloud tooling while maintaining operational control.

Business Challenge

The client faced increasing demand for compute intensive research workloads across AI, cybersecurity, and advanced computing disciplines. Existing infrastructure required evaluation to determine how workloads, data movement, and job submission processes could be supported in a cloud based HPC environment.

The university also needed clarity around storage architecture, file movement, and job dependencies to ensure workloads could execute efficiently at scale. Cost optimization, resource availability, and regional VM capacity were important considerations, particularly for GPU and high performance compute scenarios. They required a solution that could support both current research needs and long term expansion without introducing unnecessary complexity or operational risk.

Solution

Oakwood partnered with the client to design and implement an Azure based HPC environment aligned with the university’s research objectives and operational requirements. The engagement included detailed analysis of existing workloads, job submission patterns, file structures, and data movement processes to ensure the solution reflected real world research workflows. This information informed architectural decisions related to compute, storage, and network design.

The Azure environment was structured to support scalable HPC workloads using CycleCloud and Slurm for cluster provisioning and job scheduling. Compute resources were validated for regional availability and configured to support both CPU and GPU based workloads. Storage architecture was designed to support high throughput access using Lustre, aligned with job execution and data access patterns. Azure Virtual Desktop was incorporated to support preprocessing and controlled user access where appropriate.

Oakwood implemented the approved architecture within their Azure tenant, configuring networking, connectivity, storage, and compute resources. Slurm clusters were provisioned and validated, connectivity to storage was confirmed, and workload structures were tested to ensure reliable execution. Acceptance testing was performed using scoped use cases to validate performance, I/O behavior, and scheduler functionality.

Operational readiness was a key focus of the engagement. Oakwood delivered training through a train the trainer model to support administrative teams and researchers. Documentation covered environment architecture, cluster management, job submission, monitoring, and troubleshooting. This ensured their teams were prepared to operate, manage, and extend the HPC environment as research demand continues to grow.

Outcome

The engagement delivered a production ready Azure HPC environment that expanded their computational capabilities in support of advanced research initiatives. Researchers gained access to scalable compute resources designed to support AI, cybersecurity, and high performance computing workloads without the need for additional on prem infrastructure.

Validated job submission, storage access, and scheduler functionality improved confidence in the environment’s reliability and performance. Training and documentation enabled internal teams to manage the environment independently and support researchers as usage grows. With a modern Azure based HPC foundation in place, the client established a scalable platform that supports innovation, collaboration, and future expansion of research programs.

About Oakwood

Our Team of seasoned professionals delivers unparalleled expertise in consulting and implementation services across the Microsoft Azure stack, ensuring our clients harness the full potential of their technology investments. With a commitment to excellence and a passion for driving business success, Oakwood Systems stands at the forefront of technological innovation, helping businesses navigate and excel in today’s fast-paced digital landscape.