CCP Subscription Pricing Model
The annual subscription-based model allows research groups to subscribe to their selected number of compute nodes on a yearly basis. The resources that a research group subscribes to will be dedicated for use by their condo job queue. All of the hardware is purchased and maintained by CARC throughout the course of the subscription term.
Subscription term
Subscription terms last for one year and operate on the university's fiscal year schedule, i.e., subscriptions start on July 1. Due to limitations with the administration of annual budgets by USC departments, CARC is unable to offer multi-year subscription terms. However, at the end of the subscription term, researchers will be prompted to renew their subscription or discontinue access to their resources. In the case of renewal, researchers will have the option to increase or decrease the size of their compute pool.
Subscriptions can be started at any point during the year, but they typically begin at the beginning of the fiscal year (July 1) for the most efficient billing process. If a subscription starts at the beginning of the fiscal year, CARC will bill for the full year's cost on July 1. If a subscription is started at a different point in the year, CARC will immediately bill an amount prorated from the date the subscription starts until the end of that fiscal year (June 30). CARC will bill the department associated with the user account of the PI who requested the subscription. For instructions on how to add billing information to your account, see the Add Billing Information user guide.
Compute resources available for subscription
Currently, CARC offers two different compute node configurations to choose from. The table below summarizes the technical specifications and pricing of available nodes.
| Model | # of cores per node | GHz | Memory (GB) | Price per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lenovo NX360 | 16 | 2.6 | 64 GB | $800 |
| Lenovo NX360/Dell R430 | 20 | 2.6 | 64 GB | $1,000 |
We recognize that these are not the latest and greatest compute nodes currently on the market, and the low subscription price reflects this. We are currently in the process of purchasing a new batch of compute nodes for the Condo Cluster Program. The COVID-19 situation has delayed this process, but the new compute nodes will be available for subscription on the Endeavour cluster in early 2021.
How to subscribe to resources
Subscriptions to condo compute nodes can be requested via CARC's User Portal, just as you would request a resource allocation for the Discovery cluster.
See the Request New Condo Subscription user guide for details on how to request a condo subscription for your research project. Before submitting your request, you will be shown the Terms and Conditions for the CCP subscription model.