2025-04-07

ACENET free, upcoming training sessions

The following sessions may be of interest to faculty and students, and are free of charge. Registration is through our training portal — https://www.acenet.training/courses 

Molecular Dynamics

8, 10, 15 and 17 April, 1300-1600hrs Atlantic / 1330-1630hrs NL (online)

This is a beginner to intermediate level, in-depth workshop for users with no prior experience using Molecular Dynamics tools. Participants will be guided through AMBER and NAMD software for preparing and performing simulations of biomolecular systems, VMD for visualizing trajectories and manipulating PDB files, and Python for analyzing and plotting simulation data. The four sessions consist of: Practical considerations for Molecular Dynamics; Visualizing Structures with VMD; Molecular Dynamics with AMBER and NAMD; and, Analyzing Molecular Dynamics Data with PYTRAJ. We will be using the online programming environment Jupyter for our teaching. 

Artificial Intelligence Workshop

23-24 April (online)

This 2-day workshop is designed to immerse participants in the world of AI. It is aimed at students and professionals interested in discovering and applying Machine Learning (ML) and Deep Learning (DL) techniques. Day 1 dives into the fundamentals of ML. In Day 2, we explore advanced DL techniques. Understand the key concepts and algorithms of ML, participate in practical sessions to strengthen your skills, and obtain a globally recognized NVIDIA certification for Fundamentals of Deep Learning. Prerequisites: Basic computer skills, statistics, basic programming in Python.

Introduction to ACENET and High Performance Computing (HPC)

6 May, 1000-1130hrs Atlantic / 1030-1200hrs NL (online)

What is High Performance Computing (HPC) and what can it do for me? How can ACENET help? Used by researchers across many disciplines to tackle analyses too large or complex for a desktop, or to achieve improved efficiency over a desktop, this session takes participants through the preliminary stages of learning about high performance computing (HPC) and computing clusters, and how to get started with this type of computing. It then reviews software packages available for applications, data analysis, software development and compiling code. Finally, participants will be introduced to the concept of parallel computing to achieve much faster results in analysis. This session is designed for those with no prior experience in HPC, and are looking for an introduction and overview.  

Introduction to the Linux Command Line

7 May, 1000-1130hrs Atlantic / 1030-1200hrs NL (online)

Linux is the terminal interface used to enable you to use the ACENET and the Digital Research Alliance of Canada (the Alliance) HPC clusters from your desktop. It's the tool you need to get your data on the clusters, run your programs, and get your data back. In this session, learn how to get started with Linux, how to create and navigate directories for your data, load files, manage your storage, run programs on the computing clusters, and set file permissions. This workshop is designed for those with no prior experience in working with a terminal interface.

Introduction to Shell Scripting

8 May, 1000-1130hrs Atlantic / 1030-1200hrs NL (online)

Shell scripting helps you save time, automate file management tasks, and better use the power of Linux. You’ll learn how to use the command line to carry out repetitive tasks, extract information from files quickly, combine commands in powerful ways, learn about job scripts, shell variables and looping commands, and capture a workflow so you can re-use it easily. Save time, reduce errors, and use Linux more effectively. This workshop is designed for either new High Performance Computing (HPC) users who are familiar with working in a Linux environment, or for experienced users seeking to get more out of shell scripting.  

Job Scheduling with Slurm

9 May, 1000-1130hrs Atlantic / 1030-1200hrs NL (online)

The national systems use a job scheduler called “Slurm”. In this session you will learn how Slurm works and how it allocates jobs, helping you to: minimize wait time by framing reasonable requests; ask for only the resources you need to improve efficiency; increase throughput; run more jobs simultaneously; and troubleshoot and address crashes. This workshop is designed for new HPC users familiar with Linux and Shell Scripting, or for experienced users transitioning to Slurm or seeking to improve efficiency with the scheduler.