1. Summit 2017 Breakout Group 1: Advanced Research Computing (ARC)
June 27, 2017

2. What have we been up to?

3. Timeline The ARC Working Group first convened on February 9, 2017.
We have met a total of 6 times, often in Toronto, but also using conference calls.

4. ARC WG Members Don Aldridge, Compute Ontario
Mark Dietrich, Compute Canada
Guy Levesque, CFI
Greg Lukeman, ACENET
Lindsay Sill, West Grid
Elissa Strome, SOSCIP
Suzanne Talon, Calcul Québec

5. What is Our Vision for ARC in Canada?
Provide a sustainable, responsive, coordinated, and evolving advanced research computing platform that enables Canada’s researchers to undertake research for the betterment of all Canadians.

6. Advanced Research Computing Core Functions
Computation.
Active storage.
Archival storage support.
Real-time data acquisition.
Software stewardship and support.
Privacy, security, and authentication.
Leadership, advice, support, and training.
Computation: Use of ARC compute resources during the project
Active storage: Active storage represents all of the data and supporting digital content (software, output objects, documentation, metadata, etc) in current research projects on a particular "system" or in a specific cloud.
Expert advice, support, & training: Provided by experts, either individually or at scale (e.g., through online training), on any aspects of DRI, including data management in general, as well as these ARC core functions.
Archival storage support: Archival storage exists to house/host/hold/protect large organized collections of research data for current and future uses. It is not allocated according to a project's lifespan, but to the time period dedicated to the access and preservation of a collection of data that are an essential component of data-intensive research
Real-time data acquisition: access by the active project to data produced by various instruments or sensors
Software stewardship and support: system and application-level care, maintenance, evolution, or development of software useful to many researchers and projects
Privacy, security & authentication: stringent, detailed, or unusual requirements beyond those provided by default

7. Current State Strengths: Track record of strong adaptability.
Diversity – e.g. academic training programs, people, regions, disciplines.
A strong backbone network – this is a remarkable feat, given the vastness of our geography.
An exceptional team of technical staff, who have both breadth and depth, and who collaborate to provide national support services.

8. Current State Challenges:
No regular and sustainable capital or operational funding.
Lack of flexible funding models that allow for the most efficient and effective procurement of ARC resources.
Diversification of computing engines – new and emerging devices.
ARC demand growing and diversifying in terms of needs and user base (i.e. across disciplines).
Environmental impact.
Lack of general public knowledge about the importance of ARC.
Difficult to support staff in adapting to new technologies and demands.

9. What is the Future We Seek?
In one to three years’ time, Canada’s Advanced Research Computing platform will support:
The full range of user needs in the academic community.
Small and moderate users – by giving them access to what they need, when they need it.
Large users – by providing access through a competitive process based on merit.
A nationally coordinated ARC platform that is well-managed, agile, creative, responsive to need, robust, innovative, resilient and internationally recognized for service excellence.

10. Future State Continued
The right balance between scale, efficiency, innovation, and agility.
A shared delivery model in which mandates and roles are clearly understood by all stakeholders.
Convergence around a shared vision, reflective of engagement with key stakeholders.
Goodwill and a willingness to collaborate.
A national framework for sharing best practices in engaging and collaborating with researchers in other sectors.

11. Future State Continued
The effective training of data scientists.
Strengthened ARC training and adoption across disciplines, particularly among graduate students.
Efforts to raise awareness among the general public and decision-makers about the importance of ARC.

12. What Principles Should Guide Our Work?
Canada’s ARC platform:
Enables research.
Is both nationally coordinated and locally supported.
Strikes the right balance between stability and innovation.
Provides seamless and integrated services for researchers.
Enables local innovation and supports the growth of successful initiatives into national services where appropriate.
Provides efficient, predictable, and flexible access for users.
Serves the full spectrum and diversity, driven by user needs.
Is sustainable, efficient, and effective.
Is recognized for its innovation and leadership internationally.
Adds value continuously.

13. What Are Our Goals?
Provide a nationally coordinated platform that is inclusive of the ARC core functions and responsive to the full spectrum of user needs.
Build a sustainable, internationally recognized ARC system that is robust and stable, as well innovative, resilient, nimble, and diverse.
Develop a strategic planning process that is informed by, and responsive to, continual feedback from users across all disciplines, changes in technology, and continuous operational learning and improvement.

14. Goals Continued
Identify and work to ensure sustained and predictable funding that aligns operation and capital investment.
Oversee a well-managed process for coordinated and collaborative service delivery across Canada.

15. Goals Continued
Develop initiatives and strategies to encourage greater awareness of the value of ARC, and the creation of communities of practice in ARC, particularly among graduate students.
Support communications and awareness-raising efforts to ensure that the essential impact of ARC is understood by decision-makers and the general public.

16. Questions - Discussion
Does this resonate?
Is there anything confusing?
What is missing?
……?