Part I — The Infrastructure Layer
This part introduces the foundational elements of modern supercomputing systems, including hardware architecture, system software, storage, interconnection networks, and workload management. It provides the conceptual and practical background required to understand how large-scale computing infrastructures are designed and operated.
Part I is particularly relevant for readers with limited prior exposure to high performance computing, as well as for those seeking a system-level perspective on AI workloads. Readers already familiar with HPC environments may choose to skim selected sections or focus on specific topics of interest, using this part primarily as a reference layer for the material that follows.