This case involves an intellectual property dispute relating to high-performance computer (HPC) systems. It was alleged that a relatively small company in the space infringed on several of the primary patents which address the hardware and software aspects of HPC systems. An expert with an understanding of HPC system hardware and software was sought to discuss the different configurations of CPUs and switches as well as fault protocols within an HPC system and java virtual machine (JVM) performance.
Question(s) For Expert Witness
1. Please describe your experience researching or working in the field of high-performance computing systems.
Expert Witness Response E-066468
I have been working with HPC systems for over 12 years. During that time I have covered all roles including hardware selection, procurement, and installation (system design). I have also dealt with user application support for parallel programming and system tuning. I have held leadership roles setting HPC strategy and next-generation design/needs for the institution. I am very familiar with job scheduling software as a key component that makes a cluster a cluster. Over the years, we have used OpenPBS, PBSPro, Maui/Moab, and evaluated others such as SLURM and HT-Condor. The scheduling stack is key for implementing our policies and getting our expected workload. HPC systems commonly use two networks, a management network (normally classic Ethernet) and a data and communication network for MPI (message passing) and filesystem (lustre/GPFS/PVFS). I am most commonly familiar with Mellonox Infiniband, but have also used Miyricom and and Qlogic (now Intel Omnipath) interconnects. I have also read extensively about the CRAY interconnects. I have lectured to graduate students and researchers how the clusters that we have supported work.
About the author
Victoria Negron
Victoria Negron has extensive experience in journalism and thought leadership in the legal space, with a background crafting content, whitepapers, webinars, and current event articles pertaining to the role of expert witnesses in complex litigation matters. She is a skilled professional specializing in B2B product marketing and content marketing. Currently, she serves as an Enterprise Product Marketing Manager at Postman, and previously held the position of Technical Product Marketing Manager at Palantir Technologies, where she developed her skills in launch strategies, go-to-market strategy, and competitive analysis.
Her expertise in content marketing was further refined during her tenure at the Expert Institute, where she progressed from a Marketing Writer to Senior Content Marketing Manager, and eventually to Associate Director of Content & Product Marketing. In these roles, she honed her abilities in digital marketing, SEO, content strategy, and thought leadership.
Educationally, Victoria holds a Master of Business Administration from the University of Florida - Warrington College of Business and a Bachelor of Arts in Literature, Art, and Hispanic Studies from Hamilton College. Her diverse educational background and professional experience have equipped her with a robust skill set in product marketing, content development, and strategic marketing initiatives.
