NCAR Supercomputing Center (NSC) Project Status Update to the CHAP 4 October 2007 Krista Laursen NSC Project Director

Preparations for NSC Construction l Initiation of meetings with Wyoming partners to begin discussing the technical and logistical aspects of the project (site preparation needs, permitting requirements and timelines, environmental assessment document collection and review, etc.) l Focus within NCAR on pre-positioning as many materials and processes as possible in order to be prepared for a rapid project start pending NSF approval to proceed. Efforts have included: –Architecture and engineering (A&E) and general contractor bidders list generation and pre-qualification –Preparation of statement of work and draft request for proposals (RFP) for A&E selection process –Creation of a comprehensive NSC project management plan, including a complete staffing plan, project budget, spending plan, and procurement and risk management strategies

Preparations for NSC Construction l Participation of NCAR project personnel in dialogue with subject matter experts about current data center design best practices –Project team members will attend a Data Center Energy Efficiency by Design Charette sponsored by The Uptime Institute, Inc. in late October l Preparation of a complete draft of an NSC project proposal, containing details on the following: –Project scientific and technical drivers –Facility conceptual design and specifications –Proposed partnership arrangements –Project management plan –Proposed budget and spending plan

Building an Intellectual Partnership l Joint NCAR-University of Wyoming retreat held from April to continue the dialogue between management and scientific personnel at both institutions, and to begin formulating ideas for possible intellectual collaborations l Some compelling ideas are emerging, including: –Joint creation of a computational science curriculum, perhaps also involving CU as a partner –Development of a slate of research areas and faculty positions of mutual interest, with initial ideas involving collaborative carbon sequestration research and the joint hiring of an ecological climatologist l In addition to pursuing joint appointments, general agreement to work together on submission of joint research proposals, and the conduct of scientific panels and meetings –Joint NCAR-UW computing research workshop –NCAR-Wyoming Days to allow personnel from both institutions to interact and exchange research ideas; first meeting 9-10 November

A Broader Partnership Vision l NCAR and University of Wyoming also interested in developing partnerships with other Front Range institutions – including CU, CSU, CSM, and NREL – as part of an effort to develop a multidisciplinary collaboratory to enable joint research and education in the geosciences. l A partnership model that expands to include other regional EPSCoR states (New Mexico, Oklahoma, Idaho, etc.) is also being discussed as a way to develop a more extensive and inclusive collaboratory framework to provide computational, research, and education opportunities in areas that are traditionally not as technologically rich.

Current Status l NSF continues internal discussions regarding the proposed NSC project l NSF leadership has raised questions regarding how the proposed facility will be integrated into the overall NSF cyberinfrastructure vision and how it will mesh with NSF’s significant investments in the TeraGrid and the Track-1 and - 2 supercomputing center awards l To address these questions, GEO has assembled a panel of high performance computing (HPC) experts from the community to: –examine the specific supercomputing needs of the atmospheric and related sciences and –assess options (including the ongoing provision of supercomputing support by NCAR) for continuing to meet these needs

Current Status l A formal charge for the panel has been written and the panel members have been named; panel activities being coordinated by Rich Behnke and Sarah Ruth in ATM l First panel discussion held from 1-2 October; NSF has committed to the panel completing its work by the end of this calendar year l Additional project review steps may be required following the completion of panel review period, pending panel recommendations and NSF response to panel findings l Tim Killeen and Al Kellie will meet with representatives of the Wyoming Governor’s office, University of Wyoming, Cheyenne LEADS, the Wyoming Business Council, and Cheyenne Light Fuel and Power in Cheyenne on Friday, 5 October to brief partners on the current status of project discussions within NSF

Current Status l NCAR staff involved with the project are continuing their work to advance various aspects of the project until feedback from the panel is received. Specifically: –Preparations for submission of a formal project proposal continue; complete draft of the document has been assembled and is currently undergoing review and revision –Talking points detailing the project history, driving needs, partner selection process, and alignment with the NSF strategic plan have been prepared and distributed to key individuals (UCAR BOT Members, Wyoming partners) who may engage in discussions with NSF –Conversations with the latest Track-1 and Track-2 awardees (Univ. of Illinois and Tennessee, respectively) are underway in order to develop potential partnerships that will benefit both awardees as well as NCAR’s NSC project objectives –UCAR BOT and Members will be briefed on the project status during meetings from 8-10 October, and a special breakout session with Members will be held on 9 October to facilitate ongoing community dialogue regarding high performance computing needs of Earth System science researchers

Discussion and Questions