Incorporating interactive compute environments into web-based training materials using the Cornell job runner service

Online training materials, such as the Cornell Virtual Workshop^SM have many advantages, the foremost being that they are always available as a 24x7 option for learners who want to study a topic on demand and at their own pace. It can be challenging to create online materials that are engaging and provide a realistic learning environment. Traditionally, training materials and compute environments have been separate entities. Even in the HPC environment, students learn from online materials in one window, then log into a new machine or session to try out new skills or concepts. Accessing this second environment can impose obstacles such as gaining access to the appropriate computer and learning to navigate a computer-specific login environment and file system. In an effort to circumvent these obstacles, the Cornell University Center for Advanced Computing (CAC) developed the Cornell Job Runner Service^SM (CJRS), along with a general-purpose toolkit for using the CJRS to embed a computing environment directly into web pages, backed by real or virtual compute resources. This implementation provides the learner immediate access to a compute environment that looks and feels like a typical HPC login node or batch job, allowing incorporation of on-demand learning experiences interspersed with general training content. With CJRS, students can try out commands and run jobs without obtaining an account or leaving the learning environment to sign in to a remote machine. This paper explores the use of the CJRS toolkit to provide three different interactive modes for learners: a Linux console configured as a general login node, a form element that launches a pre-defined SLURM job, and a guided session which allows the user to walk through pre-planned steps of compiling, fixing, and running MPI code.