A day late, but the team from Canada under the supervision of Dr. Paul Lu has won the SC07 Cluster Challenge. Teams were scored on a combination of HPC Challenge benchmark results, application data set completions and an interview with the judges.
For a first run of this event, the results are exceptional. Every team strongly over-achieved and the level of professionalism and camaraderie was exemplary. The teams are all to be congratulated for their achievements and the committee wishes them safe travels back home.
There have been numerous positive outcomes from the event. The educational aspect alone makes the project worth while. But the real value of the live activity is the ability to make contacts. Teams went away with numerous new friends in the other teams and lots of professional contacts to help them in their search for summer or permanent employment.
Everyone is off for a well-deserved break, but soon we will be back looking at the event for SC08 in Austin November 15-21, 2008.
On behalf of Team University of Alberta (aka Team Canada), let me say thank you to Brent and all of the organizers (and sponsors!) for a fantastic experience.
We left Reno with wonderful memories of the event, respect for the other teams, and a realization that the competition will be notched up even higher next year.
Paul Lu, Dept. of Computing Science, University of Alberta