shifter - Environment Containers for HPC

shifter is a purpose-built tool for adapting concepts from Linux containers to extreme scale High Performance Computing resources. It allows a user to create their own software environment, typically with Docker, then run it at a supercomputing facility.

The core goal of shifter is to increase scientific computing productivity. This is achieved by:

  1. Increasing scientist productivity by simplifying software deployment and management; allow your code to be portable!
  2. Enabling scientists to share HPC software directly using the Docker framework and Dockerhub community of software.
  3. Encouraging repeatable and reproducible science with more durable software environments.
  4. Providing software solutions to improve system utilization by optimizing common bottlenecks in software delivery and I/O in-general.
  5. Empowering the user - deploy your own software environment

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