Models for a sustainable National Grid Service
Introduction
Neil Geddes
Director, e-Science
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Who’s here
Why we are here
The National Grid Service
Background
Goals for this workshop
who is here
 “key representatives from a broad range of
partners and service providers”.
 UK e-Infrastructure service providers
 Funders of research e-infrastructure and its users
(ie the researchers)
 Originally intended as a small working group
 “The meeting restricted to invited attendees in
order to stimulate focused discussion.”
 Demands for involvement grew and grew
 36 invitations – 15-20 attendees.
 3 “NGS”, 3 “funders”, 14 “service providers”
Who is here
 Constituency representing responsibility
for supporting researchers
 One step removed from “fund my project”
 understanding the freedom and issues this
brings
why are we here
 The workshop is focussed on the issues and
problems around providing, funding and
sustaining services in an integrated
infrastructure. For example:
 barriers to sharing resources via the NGS, and
their resolution
 balancing “paid for” and “free at the point of use”
services
 stimulating innovation and collaboration
 This meeting will discuss and assess models
for a sustainable National Grid Service.
why are We here
 To understand what We want.
 And what it achievable
 And what is out of scope
 Identify, face up to, and solve (!) issues
 Identify specific things that need to be
developed or better understood
The NGS Today
Interfaces
OGSI::Lite
What is the NGS today
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Resources
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Core sites
• (2 x 100 node computers + storage)
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Partners
• Bristol, Cardiff, Westminster, Lancaster, HPCx
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Future partners
• NWGrid, Southampton, Glasgow, Edinburgh, ICUL ...
• Edina + Mimas ?
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Services
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Policies and strategy
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CPU, data storage, SRB
Helpdesk, PKI Identity/CA, RA network, portal, website, training,
documentation, outreach, international collaboration, User support, site
monitoring, SSH access tools, myProxy service, Information services,
advanced reservation, Wiki, Operations database.
Acceptable user, partnership SLA/D, operational security,
Focus on (production) services, conservative evolution, but work with
users
Funded ‘till March 2009
Information infrastructure
2.23 The growing UK research base must have ready and efficient access to
information of all kinds – such as experimental data sets, journals, theses, conference
proceedings and patents. This is the life blood of research and innovation. Much of this
type of information is now, and increasingly, in digital form. This is excellent for rapid
access but presents a number of potential risks and challenges. For example, the digital
2.25 The Government will therefore work with interested funders and stakeholders
information from the last 15 years is in various formats (versions of software and
to consider the national e-infrastructure (hardware, networks, communications
storage media) that are already obsolete or risk being so in the future. Digital
technology) necessary to deliver an effective system. These funders and stakeholders
information is also often transient in nature, especially when published formally or
include the British Library, which plays an important role in supporting scientific
informally on websites; unless it is collected and archived it will disappear.4 There are
research and potential, including providing benefits to smaller businesses in the UK
other challenges too, navigating vast online data/information resources determining
through access to science, engineering and technology information sources. Due to the
the providence and quality of the information, and wider issues of security and access.
potential importance of a national e-infrastructure to the needs of the research base
2.24 It is clear that the research community needs access to information mechanisms
and its supporting infrastructure in meeting the Government’s broader science and
which:
innovation goals, as a first step OST will take a lead in taking forward discussion and
systematically collect, preserve and make available digital information;
development of proposals for action and funding, drawing in other funders and
are easily navigable;
stakeholders as necessary.
are quality assured;
tie into international efforts (e.g. to ensure compatibility); and
take on board the current debate around the future of scientific publications
and open access.
Background
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Treasury report
OSI report
JISC strategy
PPARC and EPSRC
Europe
Information infrastructure
2.23The
TheGovernment
growing UK research
base must
and efficient
access
to
2.25
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workhave
withready
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communications
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andnational
patents.e-infrastructure
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andfor
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2.24itsIt supporting
is clear thatinfrastructure
the researchincommunity
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which:
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􀁸􀁸 systematically collect, preserve and make available digital information;
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3.18
JISC will continue to provide services that support the research community,
e.g. the National Grid Service, the Digital Curation Centre, the Text Mining Centre,
particularly in the integration of research data and its analysis. JISC will work with the
Research Information Network on better integration.
[…]
4.3
JISC has increased its support to the research community over the past few
years and is working with the Research Councils to help to deliver the government’s
‘Science and Investment Framework 2004-2014’. Much of this has been in response to
the OST’s e-science core programme. JISC currently helps to provide an einfrastructure for e-science methodologies as well as to more traditional research. JISC
intends to take a more strategic involvement in some e-infrastructure support activities
in future, such as the National Grid Service, in collaboration with the Research
Councils.
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HPC RESOURCES TO SUPPORT THE PPARC THEORY AND
NUCLEAR PHYSICS THEORY PROGRAMME – FIRST CALL
FOR PROPOSALS - CLOSING DATE 24th APRIL 2007
 “... in due course, the NGS should provide an infrastructure
for sharing computing and data resources, and all HPC
facilities should benefit from integration with the NGS.
Applicants should be prepared to justify exclusion from
integration with the NGS.”
2006 Strategic Framework for High End Computing
The UK now has in place a National Grid Service (NGS) [...] the
working model for which should not be restricted by the capability
and status of the current NGS.[...] A suitably evolved form of the
NGS should in future provide some part of the capacity resources
needed at national level, the bulk coming from campus based
facilities which, in some cases, might eventually be integrated.
About e-IRG
Contact
Members
Minutes
Publications
Meetings
About e-IRG
The e-Infrastructure Reflection Group (e-IRG) Meeting coordinates on a high European level the introduction of a (grid based)
infrastructure for e-Science.
Mission of the e-IRG
The main objective of the e-IRG is to support on the political, advisory and monitoring level, the creation of a policy and
administrative framework for the easy and cost-effective shared use of electronic resources in Europe (focusing on Gridcomputing, data storage, and networking resources) across technological, administrative and national domains.
The mission of e-IRG was drafted in Rome on 10 december 2003
http://e-irg.eu/
e-IRG Task Force on
Sustainable e-Infrastructures
http://e-irg.eu/publ/2006-Report_e-IRG_TF-SEI.pdf
 The overall vision of this document:
 "The linking of individual computers into increasingly complex
networks has been transforming the scientific enterprise for
several decades. Networking has affected every aspect of
research, including data gathering, sharing of large
databases, brute-force computing, modelling and simulation,
and publishing of preprints and papers."
 Recommendation I: governments and the Commission
should develop policies and mechanisms to encourage
increased investment in a more coherent and
interoperable way across Europe
 Recommendation II: the existing e-Infrastructure
projects must be superseded by integrated sustainable
services at national and European levels
 Work-Package 5: Sustainability and business plan
(0.2 FTE)
 Description: Work with stakeholders and funders to
understand the future development and support needs
for the UK’s emerging e-infrastructure. Develop
appropriate plans and business models for the
components of the NGS: Support Centre, Operations,
core infrastructure and development. Also develop
longer term partnership models taking into account the
new FEC regime in UK Universities.
 Deliverables: Plans for sustainable development and
support of the NGS and GOSC.
Questions
 NGS model
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Scope
Governance
Represenation
funding
Whats in and what out
Whats wrong and needs fixing
 User drive and innovation vs infrastructure
 Institutional identity in an emerging shared
infrastructure
 Wolfgang is here
AGENDA - today
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14:00
Context: The UK National Grid Service
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14:30
NGS Partners: The why and the how Dr. Stephen Pickles
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14:50
Clarke
15:10
15:30
16:00
Gentzsch
16:45
17:05
17:25
University resources and Full Economic Costing
17:45
Close
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Dr. Neil Geddes
Prof. Peter
National Computational Services
David Henty
break
D-Grid progress towards sustainability
Prof. Wolfgang
National Data Centres
Commercial Services
Outsourcing University services
Peter Burnhill
Terry Hewitt
Rhys Newman
19:30 Dinner including discussion of breakout topics
Day 2: 09:00-12:00
AGENDA TOMORROW
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09:00
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Requirements and issues from the perspective of service
providers
Requirements and issues from the perspective of users and
funders
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Breakout groups (details to be confirmed) to discuss
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10:00
10:30
11:30
11:45
Development of an NGS Market and Relationship to regional and
international infrastructures
Coffee
Summaries and discussion
Next steps
end
Questions
 NGS model
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Scope
Governance
Represenation
funding
Whats in and what out
Whats wrong and needs fixing
 User drive and innovation vs infrastructure
 Institutional identity in an emerging shared
infrastructure
 Wolfgang is here
Dinner
1- Requirements and issues from the perspective of service providers
2- Requirements and issues from the perspective of users and funders
3- Development of an NGS Market ?
4- Relationship to regional and international infrastructures
List 3 or more requirements and 3 or more issues for each of these 3 as input to the
following morning.
In addition answer the following questions:
1- What exactly is the role for a National Grid Service in providing an integrated gateway
to all compute and data intensive resources required by UK researchers ?
What should it do (itself)
What should it not do
2- How should such a service be governed ?
3- How should such a service be funded ?
Answers can be as short or as long as needed. The questions are intentionally broad so
as to provide an opportunity to take a step back and see where we are and would
like to be going.
Please think (and write) about solutions as well
Services
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Terry Harmer (Chair)
Steve Chidlow
Stephen Pickles (raporteur)
Rhys Newman
Mr Peter Burnhill
Peter Kacsuk
Peter Rice
users & funders
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Chris Cartledge (chair)
Andrew Richards (raporteur)
Deb Miller
Ian Stewart
Wolfgang Gentzsch
Neil Geddes
Jonathan Giddy
David Wallom