Singularity, which is new “application container” software, has been installed on the Flux and Armis HPC clusters. An application container is a program — a single file — that can be used to combine an application with the system software it needs to run. This enables applications to run on the clusters even if the system software is different. For example, an older application that is needed to finish a project can continue to be used even if it is incompatible with the updated cluster. An application that needs a different Linux distribution can be containerized to run on the cluster.
Singularity containers cannot be created on Flux or Armis, but they can be created and brought to the clusters to run. Singularity provides tools to convert Docker containers for use on Flux and Armis. Please contact hpc-support@umich.edu if you are interested in using Singularity and would like more information about how to create and run Singularity containers or would like a referral to unit support who can help.
Information about Singularity on Flux and Armis can be found at http://arc-ts.umich.edu/
