Jargon
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HPC systems often use jargon to describe their systems. Here are some common terms used: 

● **Allocation** - Tthe amount of computing resources formally granted to a researcher or research project for use on a shared supercomputing system. 

● **Cluster** - A group of computers connected together so they function as one powerful system. 

● **Node** - A single computer inside a cluster. Large HPC systems contain hundreds or thousands of nodes. 

● **Compute Node** - A node dedicated to running calculations or research jobs. 

● **Login Node** - A front-end machine where users prepare jobs, edit files, and submit work (not meant for heavy computation). 

● **Core** - An individual processing unit inside a CPU capable of executing tasks independently. 

● **GPU (Graphics Processing Unit)** - A specialized processor that performs many calculations simultaneously, commonly used for AI, simulations, and accelerated science. 

● **Parallel Computing** - Running many parts of a problem simultaneously across multiple processors. 

● **MPI (Message Passing Interface)** - A programming method allowing many nodes to communicate during large distributed computations. 

● **Job** - A computational task submitted to the cluster. 

● **Job Scheduler** - Software that decides when and where jobs run on the system (e.g., Slurm). 

● **Queue (Partition)** - A waiting line for jobs grouped by resource type or priority. 

● **Batch Job** - A job submitted to run automatically without user interaction. 

● **Interactive Job** - A temporary session allowing direct interaction with compute resources.