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Scientific Computing and Data / High Performance Computing / Documentation / MATLAB

MATLAB

The MATLAB client from Mathworks is available on Minerva. The latest version is R2023b.

 

Accessing the MATLAB and SIMULINK (graphical programming environment) client on Minerva

Users can use the MATLAB client on Minerva as part of the MATLAB Total Academic Headcount license administered by Academic IT. Users are required to purchase an activation for Minerva just as they must for a local desktop copy. This is done by filling out the Mathworks Software Distribution Form found here and checking the “Minerva” box. Once the Scientific Computing staff is notified by Academic IT, the user will be given permission to use MATLAB on Minerva.

The license for Minerva is a network floating license, enabling concurrent execution of MATLAB on a single node on Minerva at any given time, while allowing seamless access across any node in the cluster. Multiple MATLAB instances can be run on the same node, mirroring the functionality of a local installation. Access to MATLAB on Minerva is managed through a module system, where users load the required environment modules to run the software, rather than downloading and installing a personal instance of MATLAB:

module load matlab
matlab

The MATLAB client can be run in either graphics mode or command line mode. If one wants to run in graphics mode, you must use X-forwarding when you log in:

ssh -X <userid>@minerva.hpc.mssm.edu

Because one should never use the login node for computing, you will need to open a session via a batch interactive job on a compute node:

bsub -q express -P acc_XXX -Is -XF -W 2:00 /bin/bash

The -Ip option will create an interactive job with a pseudo-terminal; the -XF will allow X-forwarding. The command above starts the interactive session with only one cpu. The Parallel Toolkit (PTK) of MATLAB allows the user to start up 12 additional workers for parallel work. If you plan on using the PTK, then you should also use the -n option to specify that additional cores need to be allocated to your job.

bsub -q express -P acc_XXX -n 4 -R span[hosts=1] -Is -XF -W 2:00 /bin/bash

or however many cpu’s you will be using.

Additionally, Matlab can also be accessed via Open OnDemand (https://ondemand.hpc.mssm.edu).