HPC Container Maker

HPC Container Maker (HPCCM - pronounced H-P-see-M) is an open source tool to make it easier to generate container specification files.

• Documentation
  • Getting Started
  • Tutorial
  • Recipes
  • Workflows
  • API: Building Blocks
  • API: Primitives
  • API: Miscellaneous
• Examples
• Citation
• License

Overview

HPC Container Maker generates Dockerfiles or Singularity definition files from a high level Python recipe. HPCCM recipes have some distinct advantages over "native" container specification formats.

1. A library of HPC building blocks that separate the choice of what to include in a container image from the details of how it's done. The building blocks transparently provide the latest component and container best practices.

2. Python provides increased flexibility over static container specification formats. Python-based recipes can branch, validate user input, etc. - the same recipe can generate multiple container specifications.

3. Generate either Dockerfiles or Singularity definition files from the same recipe.

Additional Resources

• Making Containers Easier With HPC Container Maker (paper), presented at the HPC Systems Professionals Workshop at SC18
• Overview presentation at SC18 (video)
• Making Containers Easier with HPC Container Maker (webinar)
• ADMIN Magazine article by Jeff Layton
• NVIDIA Developer Blog by Scott McMillan