Models for a sustainable National Grid Service Introduction Neil Geddes Director, e-Science

 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 – 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 InterfacesOGSI::Lite

What is the NGS today  Resources  Core sites (2 x 100 node computers + storage)  Partners Bristol, Cardiff, Westminster, Lancaster, HPCx  Future partners NWGrid, Southampton, Glasgow, Edinburgh, ICUL... Edina + Mimas ?  Services  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.  Policies and strategy  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 information from the last 15 years is in various formats (versions of software and storage media) that are already obsolete or risk being so in the future. Digital information is also often transient in nature, especially when published formally or informally on websites; unless it is collected and archived it will disappear.4 There are other challenges too, navigating vast online data/information resources determining the providence and quality of the information, and wider issues of security and access It is clear that the research community needs access to information mechanisms which: systematically collect, preserve and make available digital information; are easily navigable; 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 The Government will therefore work with interested funders and stakeholders to consider the national e-infrastructure (hardware, networks, communications technology) necessary to deliver an effective system. These funders and stakeholders include the British Library, which plays an important role in supporting scientific research and potential, including providing benefits to smaller businesses in the UK through access to science, engineering and technology information sources. Due to the potential importance of a national e-infrastructure to the needs of the research base and its supporting infrastructure in meeting the Government’s broader science and innovation goals, as a first step OST will take a lead in taking forward discussion and development of proposals for action and funding, drawing in other funders and stakeholders as necessary.

Background  Treasury report  OSI report  JISC strategy  PPARC and EPSRC  Europe

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 information from the last 15 years is in various formats (versions of software and storage media) that are already obsolete or risk being so in the future. Digital information is also often transient in nature, especially when published formally or informally on websites; unless it is collected and archived it will disappear.4 There are other challenges too, navigating vast online data/information resources determining the providence and quality of the information, and wider issues of security and access It is clear that the research community needs access to information mechanisms which: systematically collect, preserve and make available digital information; are easily navigable; 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 The Government will therefore work with interested funders and stakeholders to consider the national e-infrastructure (hardware, networks, communications technology) necessary to deliver an effective system. These funders and stakeholders include the British Library, which plays an important role in supporting scientific research and potential, including providing benefits to smaller businesses in the UK through access to science, engineering and technology information sources. Due to the potential importance of a national e-infrastructure to the needs of the research base and its supporting infrastructure in meeting the Government’s broader science and innovation goals, as a first step OST will take a lead in taking forward discussion and development of proposals for action and funding, drawing in other funders and stakeholders as necessary.

3.18JISC 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. […] 4.3JISC 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 ’. Much of this has been in response to the OST’s e-science core programme. JISC currently helps to provide an e- infrastructure 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.

 HPC RESOURCES TO SUPPORT THE PPARC THEORY AND NUCLEAR PHYSICS THEORY PROGRAMME – FIRST CALL FOR PROPOSALS - CLOSING DATE 24 th 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 Meetings Publications Minutes Members Contact 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 Grid- computing, data storage, and networking resources) across technological, administrative and national domains. The mission of e-IRG was drafted in Rome on 10 december

e-IRG Task Force on Sustainable e-Infrastructures  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  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  14:00Context: The UK National Grid ServiceDr. Neil Geddes  14:30NGS Partners: The why and the howDr. Stephen Pickles  14:50University resources and Full Economic Costing Prof. Peter Clarke  15:10National Computational Services David Henty  15:30break  16:00D-Grid progress towards sustainabilityProf. Wolfgang Gentzsch  16:45National Data CentresPeter Burnhill  17:05Commercial ServicesTerry Hewitt  17:25Outsourcing University servicesRhys Newman  17:45Close   19:30 Dinner including discussion of breakout topics  Day 2: 09:00-12:00

AGENDA TOMORROW  09:00Breakout groups (details to be confirmed) to discuss  Requirements and issues from the perspective of service providers  Requirements and issues from the perspective of users and funders   Development of an NGS Market and Relationship to regional and international infrastructures   10:00Coffee  10:30Summaries and discussion  11:30Next steps  11:45end

Questions  NGS model  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  Terry Harmer (Chair)  Steve Chidlow  Stephen Pickles (raporteur)  Rhys Newman  Mr Peter Burnhill  Peter Kacsuk  Peter Rice

users & funders  Chris Cartledge (chair)  Andrew Richards (raporteur)  Deb Miller  Ian Stewart  Wolfgang Gentzsch  Neil Geddes  Jonathan Giddy  David Wallom