Sherlock 2.0 Compute Node Retirement and Supply Chain Issues
Sherlock 2.0 Compute Node Retirement
Based on feedback from the community, we have deferred the retirement of Sherlock 2.0 nodes from Spring 2026 until October 6, 2026.
We’ve communicated to Sherlock 2.0 node owners that we are able to offer an incentive for upgrading to new equipment, thanks to support from University IT and the Office of the Vice Provost and Dean of Research. Owners of Sherlock 2.0 nodes are eligible for a waiver of the $2500 infrastructure fee when purchasing Sherlock 4.0 nodes and retiring all of their Sherlock 2.0 nodes.
If you have questions about the Sherlock 2.0 retirement and alternative computing options, please contact us by sending an email to srcc-support@stanford.edu, including “Sherlock 2.0” in the email subject. Alternatives could include Sherlock 4.0 or other on- or off-campus computing platforms that best meet your research needs.
Supply Chain Issues and Price Increases
In the last couple of months, the computing supply chain has been under increasing stress. This is primarily due to the AI boom and major players buying up nearly all industry inventory. Prices for various types of computing hardware have been increasing and we anticipate there will be more price rises ahead.
We also anticipate that hardware lead times will be longer and more uncertain. For example, the earliest delivery date we are expecting for Sherlock 4.0 nodes with Intel processors is March 2026. However, at present AMD processor systems are less affected, but this could change in the coming months.
