Post doc Software Defined Networking for HPC

The (static) architecture of HPC systems limits their usefulness to a few selected application, as the ideal topology for applications requiring large bisection bandwidth differs from the one needed for more localized workloads – leading to mediocre performance when executing dynamic applications. Furthermore, the network typically only extends between nodes, and does not form an integral part of the compute nodes themselves, i.e. the Network-on-Chip used within the compute nodes is not co-optimized with the global interconnect network. In this position, you will investigate how principles of Software-defined networking and time-sensitive networking can improve the performance of these large-scale systems.

Apply

What you will do

HPC systems often use complex low-diameter network topologies, to balance network bandwidth, latency and construction cost. The interconnection between the thousands of nodes in such a system is recognized as an important performance bottleneck. The (static) architecture of HPC systems limits their usefulness to a few selected applications, as the ideal topology for applications requiring large bisection bandwidth differs from the one needed for more localized workloads – leading to mediocre performance when executing dynamic applications.

Furthermore, the network typically only extends between nodes, and does not form an integral part of the compute nodes themselves, i.e., the Network-on-Chip used within the compute nodes is not co-optimized with the global interconnect network. In this position, you will investigate how principles of Software-defined networking and time-sensitive networking can improve the performance of these large-scale systems, from a theoretical perspective, but also from a practical implementation standpoint. As it is an integral part of the architecture of a system, multi-disciplinary interactions with people developing the software programming models, IC architecture and system performance models are expected.

This project is an initiative of the Compute Systems Architecture Unit (CSA). The CSA unit researches emerging workloads and their performance on large-scale supercomputer architectures for next-generation Artificial Intelligence (AI) and high-performance computing (HPC) applications. The team is responsible for algorithm research, runtime management innovations, performance modeling, architecture simulation and prototyping for these future applications and the future systems to execute them, to reach multiple orders of magnitude better performance, energy-efficiency, and total-cost-of-ownership.

What we do for you

We offer you the opportunity to join one of the world’s premier research centers in nanotechnology at its headquarters in Leuven, Belgium. With your talent, passion and expertise, you’ll become part of a team that makes the impossible possible. Together, we shape the technology that will determine the society of tomorrow.

We are committed to being an inclusive employer and proud of our open, multicultural, and informal working environment with ample possibilities to take initiative and show responsibility. We commit to supporting and guiding you in this process; not only with words but also with tangible actions. Through imec.academy, ‘our corporate university’, we actively invest in your development to further your technical and personal growth.

We are aware that your valuable contribution makes imec a top player in its field. Your energy and commitment are therefore appreciated by means of a market appropriate salary with many fringe benefits.

Who you are

• You have a Ph.D. degree in Computer Engineering or a related field
• You have experience with computer architectures
• Experience in co-design of software and hardware is a plus.
• Experience with HPC and / or AI workloads is a plus.
• You have excellent software engineering skills
• You work well in a multi-disciplinary team with diverse backgrounds and skillsets.
• You are a constructive team player and actively share experience and knowledge with colleagues.
• Your networking skills, creativity, persistence and passion for what you do are highly valued.
• We are looking for your excellent communication skills in English, as you will work in a multicultural team and interact with our collaborators.

This postdoctoral position is funded by imec through KU Leuven. Because of the specific financing statute which targets international mobility for postdocs, only candidates who did not stay or work/study in Belgium for more than 24 months in the past 3 years can be considered for the position (short stays such as holiday, participation in conferences, etc. are not taken into account).