--- title: Data centre automation for HPC description: Many High Performance Computing (HPC) setups are still handcrafted configurations where tuning changes can take days or weeks. This is because the more you tune and optimise something, the more bespoke and unique it is, and the more unique something is, the lower the chances that things will just work out of the box, and HPC is no exception. url: https://canonical.com/blog/data-centre-automation-for-hpc?format=md --- 1. [Blog](https://canonical.com/blog) 2. Article --- [Eduardo Aguilar Pelaez](https://canonical.com/blog/author/edu-ap "More about Eduardo Aguilar Pelaez") on 29 June 2020 # Data centre automation for HPC [HPC](https://canonical.com/blog/tag/hpc) [Juju](https://canonical.com/blog/tag/juju) [kubernetes](https://canonical.com/blog/tag/kubernetes) [LXD](https://canonical.com/blog/tag/lxd) [MAAS](https://canonical.com/blog/tag/maas) Share on:* [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https://www.canonical.com/blog/data-centre-automation-for-hpc "Share on Facebook") * [Twitter](https://twitter.com/share?text=Data%20centre%20automation%20for%20HPC&url=https://www.canonical.com/blog/data-centre-automation-for-hpc&hashtags=ubuntu "Share on Twitter") * [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https://www.canonical.com/blog/data-centre-automation-for-hpc&title=Data%20centre%20automation%20for%20HPC "Share on LinkedIn") --- --- ## Newsletter signup Get the latest Canonical news and updates in your inbox. Work email: \*I agree to receive information about Canonical's products and services. By submitting this form, I confirm that I have read and agree to [Canonical's Privacy Policy](https://canonical.com/legal/data-privacy). Sign up ## Friction points in HPC DevOps Many High Performance Computing (HPC) setups are still handcrafted configurations where tuning changes can take days or weeks. This is because the more you tune and optimise something, the more bespoke and unique it is, and the more unique something is, the lower the chances that things will just work out of the box, and HPC is no exception. ## A new school of HPC Now physical servers are a lot easier to set up, provision and configure thanks to tools such as [MAAS](https://maas.io/). For example, connecting servers and selecting which ones will be configured for networking and which for data, is as easy as clicking a button on a web UI. This may seem innocuous but it means that a server farm can be used for one project in the morning and for something completely different in the afternoon. In reality, the server configuration is only the start, the base from which everything bubbles up. Re-configuration at the server level allows for use of higher-level tools such as [LXD VMs](https://ubuntu.com/blog/maas-2-8-new-features),  [Kubernetes](https://ubuntu.com/kubernetes) and [Juju](https://jaas.ai/) to quickly put together an environment with reusable code without needing to be a DevOps expert or having to wait for an expert to do it for you. What we are going to see in the next few years is a growth of HPC with cloud native tools. Or, in other words, bringing cloud software tools and good developer experience into the world of HPC to make the operations easier. ## What next? A cloud-native experience in HPC is not a new idea [[1](https://www.hpcwire.com/solution_content/ibm/cross-industry/bridging-hpc-and-cloud-native-development-with-kubernetes/), [2](https://www.datacenterdynamics.com/en/opinions/how-provide-cloud-native-experience-hpc-applications/)] but has been thrust into the limelight given the recent need for more scientific work being done in the fight against COVID-19. In these real-life applications what matters is no longer the ‘wall time’ the software takes from start to finish but rather the time the overall project takes to reach a practical conclusion, factoring in human time and operational processes. Modern cloud-native software can help with time to delivery. If you are interested and would like to explore this further [let us know](https://maas.io/#get-in-touch) or watch this webinar from [Scania](https://www.scania.com/group/en/home/newsroom/news/2019/a-new-cabless-concept-revealing-scania-axl.html)’s Erik Lönroth in the upcoming [Ubuntu Masters event](https://ubuntu.com/blog/ubuntu-masters-3-the-community-expands). #### Related posts --- [Rhys Knipe](https://canonical.com/blog/author/rhysknipe) 7 July 2026 ### [Ubuntu Server: a platform made for enterprise scale](https://canonical.com/blog/ubuntu-server-a-platform-made-for-enterprise-scale) Cloud and Infrastructure Ubuntu tech blog A platform is an environment that allows software to run smoothly across the infrastructure, runtime, and application layers. The key word there is “smoothly”: a good platform connects those layers so well that you don’t notice it. That’s what Ubuntu Server has become: the essential layer between bare metal and the apps running on top, ... --- [David Beamonte](https://canonical.com/blog/author/dbeamonte) 14 July 2026 ### [MAAS installation: bare metal provisioning is easier than ever](https://canonical.com/blog/maas-installation-bare-metal-provisioning-is-easier-than-ever) Cloud and Infrastructure Ubuntu tech blog MAAS brings cloud-like automation to physical servers. It helps teams discover, commission, deploy, and repurpose machines from a central control plane, turning bare metal into a programmable resource. But to experience that value, users first need to get MAAS up and running. That path is now cleaner and easier to follow. We’ve created ne ... --- [David Beamonte](https://canonical.com/blog/author/dbeamonte) 9 July 2026 ### [Managing Ubuntu on bare metal at scale](https://canonical.com/blog/managing-ubuntu-on-bare-metal-at-scale) Cloud and Infrastructure Ubuntu tech blog Modern infrastructure teams are expected to deliver cloud-like speed, consistency, and reliability, even when their workloads run on physical servers. Bare metal remains essential for many environments: private clouds, Kubernetes clusters, AI infrastructure, edge sites, regulated platforms, and large Ubuntu estates. But operating physical ...