Configuration & Software

Can I share my cluster config with colleagues? Yes. The YAML config file is portable. Share it and they can launch an identical cluster in their own account.

Can I use a custom AMI? Yes. ParallelCluster supports custom images. Build one with your software pre-installed to skip setup time on future clusters.

How do I install software that’s not in Spack? Install it manually on /shared so it’s accessible from all nodes. Use standard package managers (yum, apt) or compile from source.

Can I update my cluster config after creation? Some settings can be updated with pcluster update-cluster. Others require deleting and recreating the cluster. PCUI will show which fields are editable.

What OS options are available? ParallelCluster supports Amazon Linux 2, Ubuntu, CentOS, and RHEL. Amazon Linux 2 is the default and recommended option.

Where can I find the full config file spec? See the AWS ParallelCluster Configuration Reference.