Available 09:00-17:30

Azure HPC & Batch Unleashed:
Power Up Your Research on Azure

Get Hands-on with Red Oak Consulting and Microsoft

Join us on 3 February 2026 at the Microsoft Office in Zaventem, Belgium

An in-person technical lab centred on Azure HPC and Batch workflows

Across a full day, you will learn how to deploy and operate a Slurm cluster using Azure CycleCloud, manage your software using EasyBuild and access remote visualisation environments via VDI to support interactive research and simulation workloads . This is a working session with live infrastructure and guided exercises, built to give engineers and research IT teams the confidence to extend, scale, or hybridise existing compute environments using Azure.

Hands-on skills

Real infrastructure

Workloads that behave like the ones you run today

This lab supports both engineering-focused practitioners and those responsible for shaping HPC strategy. Attendees will gain a clear view of how Azure can increase throughput, reduce queue pressure, and provide flexible access to compute for simulations, research workloads, and data-intensive applications. The content addresses operational performance, scaling behaviour, and workload enablement in environments such as computational science, engineering design, bioinformatics, and advanced research computing.

This lab is where you build real capability in Azure HPC, supported by Red Oak Consulting, recognised experts in high-performance and research computing. You leave with a working foundation in cloud-enabled HPC, ready to apply what you learn in environments that demand scale, speed, and flexibility.

If you need practical HPC learning on Azure, this event is for you. We’re calling out:

HPC System Administrators & Platform Engineers
Research IT & Computational Support Teams
Simulation & Modeling Engineers with heavy workflows
Researchers moving toward self-service or cloud-augmented compute

Don’t miss out – spaces are limited!

Why You Should Attend

Unlock the power of HPC on Azure with hands-on training from Red Oak Consulting and Microsoft. This is your chance to:

Get real-world experience in a collaborative, safe environment
Ask any question—our specialists are here to help
Gain insights and practical skills you can apply immediately
Network with like-minded professionals

What You’ll Learn

The day is designed to enhance your HPC capability and give you actionable knowledge. You’ll dive into:

CycleCloud: Deploy patterns for Slurm clusters, including access, configuration paths, and operational considerations
Azure Batch: Learn submissions and workflows
Remote Visualization: Pre- and post-processing of workloads
Cloud Augmentation: Extend local HPC with cloud capacity
Practical Learning: Skills you can use the very next day

A unique opportunity to become part of a local, cross-industry and multi-disciplinary HPC community that would meet to exchange best practices, discuss innovative use cases and possibly collaborate on joint ideas.

The Red Oak Consulting and Microsoft leading experts in HPC are here to address any questions.

Agenda

Morning

Presentations by speakers

Afternoon

Technical lab run by Red Oak Consulting

Speakers

UCB

TBA

Owen Thomas

CEO, Red Oak Consulting

James Page

Lead Consultant, Red Oak Consulting

Event details, including agenda and speakers, are subject to change

FAQs

What level of Azure HPC and Batch expertise is needed?

If you’re curious about Azure HPC and want to explore what it means in practice, or if you are seasoned HPC professional and want to understand on how the Azure cloud can augment your compute portfolio. Whether you’re a business leader looking for context or a researchers ready to experiment, this lab is designed to offer value through both strategic insights and hands-on learning.

Are there any requirements to attend?

This is an in-person customer event in Brussels. We ask that you register using your professional email address.

How do I get to the event location?

This lab takes place at the Microsoft offices in Zaventem, Belgium. Detailed directions, parking info, and public transport options can be found in the practical info document below.

Microsoft Zaventem Offices_Accessibility & Parking Guidelines.PDF

Are travel or accommodation costs covered by the organisers?

No. Attendance is free, but participants are responsible for their own travel and accommodation costs.

When will I know if I got selected?

Due to high demand and limited capacity, all submissions will be reviewed and selected participants will be confirmed by January 20, 2026 the latest.

What should I bring to the event?

A laptop is recommended, especially for the hands-on labs. We’ll provide software setup instructions ahead of time. Other than that, bring your curiosity and questions.

Will meals or refreshments be provided?

Yes. We’ll provide coffee, lunch, and snacks.