HPC System Test Workshop - 2026 HPCTESTATHON (Follow-up Edition)
Details
- When: 25, April 2026, held in conjunction with CUG 2026
- Where: Observatoire de la côte d’Azur, Site du Mont-Gros, Boulevard de l’Observatoire, 06304, Nice
- Format: One-day, in-person workshop
Description
This workshop brings together HPC experts, system engineers, and vendors to continue discussions on how HPC systems are tested, building on the first HPCTestathon held at CUG 2024.
As HPC systems become more complex, with mixed architectures, AI workloads, and energy constraints, testing is no longer just about running more tests. HPC centers need to better understand which tests are truly useful, when to run them, and how test results help day-to-day operations over the lifetime of a system.
HPCTestathon 2026 is a follow-up event that builds on the work started in 2024, while giving participants space to introduce new challenges, test cases, and emerging topics. The workshop focuses on sharing real-world experience and structured group discussions, with the goal of capturing practical insights that can be reused by the wider HPC community.
Goals
The overall objective of this event is to continue the open cataloging and sharing of HPC system tests, building on the outcomes of previous editions and on participant-driven recommendations. It also aims to foster open discussions on the challenges associated with each testing sub-theme, and to encourage structured reflection guided by testing areas.
Focus Areas
In addition to the focus areas addressed in 2024 (applications, file systems, node health, performance, schedulers, continuous testing), HPCTestathon 2026 will introduce new themes reflecting emerging challenges, including:
- Energy Measurement and Energy-Related Testing
- AI / ML Benchmarking and Validation
Program
HPCTestathon 2026 is a one-day event structured as follows:
Saturday morning, April 25, 2026: Experience Sharing
The goal of the morning sessions is to share lessons learned, challenges, and practical insights.
9:15 - 9:30: Welcome coffee
9:30 - 11:00: Experience Sharing
Format: 10-minute presentation + 5-minute Q&A
| Time | Speaker | Title | Short description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9:30 - 9:45 | TBD | ||
| 9:45 – 10:00 | TBD | ||
| 10:00 – 10:15 | TBD | ||
| 10:15 – 10:30 | TBD | ||
| 10:30 – 10:45 | TBD |
11:00 - 11:30: Break
11:30 - 12:30 :
| Time | Speaker | Title | Short description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11:30 – 11:45 | TBD | ||
| 11:45 – 12:00 | TBD | ||
| 12:00 – 12:15 | TBD | ||
| 12:15 – 12:30 | TBD |
12:30 – 14:00: Lunch break
Buffet lunch on the Panoramic Terrace, with free access to the museum (guide available).
Saturday afternoon, April 25, 2026: Working Groups
14:00 - 14:30: Demonstration of the movement of the Eiffel Dome and the giant telescope
14:30 - 17:00: Working in groups: different aspects of HPC testing environment
Participants will be divided into working groups focusing on key aspects of HPC system testing. Each group will explicitly build on the existing test lists (provided in the working-groups folder files), refining them based on current needs.
Discussions will be guided by a small, common set of questions, defined in advance with the working group leaders, in order to structure the exchanges while preserving open discussion.
17:00 - 17:30: Conclusions and Results
Connect with the HPC System Test Community
This workshop is organized as part of the HPC System Test Working Group.
Participants are encouraged to join the community Slack workspace to continue discussions beyond the event.
Workshop Registration
- Event is in-person only
- Participation is limited to 40 individuals
- Registration details to be announced
HPCTestathon 2026 Organizing Committee
TBD