A Research Computing Infrastructure for Edinburgh

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A Research Computing Infrastructure for Edinburgh
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who are we building this for?

• local researchers, eg.
• Computational UoE HPC service, BlueGene/L,
  BlueDwarf
• Data ScotGrid, QCDGrid, eDIKT,
• national research consortia
• Computational QCDOC, HPCx, DEISA
• Data NDCC
• visitors
• Computational HPC-Europa visitor programme
• Data eSI
• new projects/bids
• HECToR, Brain Imaging, systems biology
• next generation machine design

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whats the problem?

• we thought it was networking and CPU
• but, a survey of users added data BIG TIME!

• ... and this projection only included projects
  with secured funding

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in summary

• while individual needs varied all required some
  mixture of
• more CPU/memory
• more data storage
• faster access
• researchers were used to buying their own CPU
  servers
• so, our strategy was to complement this by
  providing a support infrastructure
• Stage 1 we used 1.68 M of SRIF1 to
• create a fast, research network in parallel with
  edlan
• install a research data storage facility

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The last mile SRIF1
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and data too

• 155 TB SAN 36 TB tape backup
• available to all e-science researchers
• total investment SRIF1 project funds 2.2M

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short of space

• but all the new facilities could not be fitted
  in the JCMB machine room
• 4.2M from SRIF2 to refurbish a new research
  computing facility

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The last mile Phase 2
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the research SAN
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what facilities are available to me?

• CPU
• UoE HPC service (lomond) 52-pe Sun E15000
• BlueGene/L (bluesky) 2,000-pe IBM RD machine
• capability computing for the initiated
• data
• research SAN 155TB (disk), 36TB (tape) Sun 6290
• networking
• SRIF network
• secure machine room space
• email me with your needs and well see what we
  can do
• other facilities by arrangement with project
  owners
• BlueDwarf, ScotGrid,

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a free lunch?

• the ACF is a strategic University facility
• and hence open to all researchers
• although a real capital asset, the recurrent
  support for
• facilities management
• maintenance, power, space charges
• and, perhaps, user support and applications
  porting/tuning
• has to come from project funds
• what is it you want/need?