Please use this form to submit requests for special (non-standard) allocations of compute or storage resources on OARC’s Amarel cluster. Typical special allocations include: extended run time, dedicated compute resources for a limited time, or additional /scratch storage space for a limited time.

What to expect:

• Only a Principal Investigator or a dedicated group manager can apply for a special allocation.
• Special allocations are only granted for special circumstances and cannot be used on a regular
  basis. Only one large or two small special allocations of each kind, storage or compute, are
  allowed during the calendar year from any research group.
• Different type of allocations can be combined together (compute + storage) but the different
  type of allocation can’t be used to extend the current allocation. In other words, compute
  allocation can’t extend the storage allocation and vice versa.
• Small requests (e.g., 1 node, CPU-only, 1 week of additional run time, a few TB of /scratch
  storage) usually are approved and provisioned within a few days.
• Large requests (e.g., multiple nodes, GPUs, FPGAs, very long run time, lots of storage space) may
  require review by our Faculty Advisory Committee and can take more than 2 weeks for approval
  and provisioning.
• Compute allocations are typically 1 to 4 weeks in duration.
• Storage allocations are typically 1 to 3 months in duration.
• Once started, an allocation cannot be extended. However, it’s possible to apply for the second
  allocation immediately after the first one if there is still the same type of allocation available for
  the group in the current year. Please plan carefully.