  In this work, system monitoring and analysis are discussed in terms of their
significance and benefits for operations and research in the field of
high-performance computing (HPC). HPC systems deliver unique insights to
computational scientists from different disciplines. It is argued that research
in HPC is also computational in nature, given the massive amounts of monitoring
data collected at various levels of an HPC system. The vision of a
comprehensive system model developed based on holistic monitoring and analysis
is also presented. The goal and expected outcome of such a model is an improved
understanding of the intricate interactions between today's software and
hardware, and their diverse usage patterns. The associated modeling,
monitoring, and analysis challenges are reviewed and discussed. The envisioned
comprehensive system model will provide the ability to design future systems
that are better understood before use, easier to maintain and monitor, more
efficient, more reliable, and, therefore, more productive. The paper is
concluded with a number of recommendations towards realizing the envisioned
system model.
