EPSCoR Cyberinfrastructure Assessment Workshop

1. EPSCoR Cyberinfrastructure Assessment Workshop North Dakota Jurisdictional Assessment October 15, 2007 Bonnie Neas VP for IT North Dakota State University

2. The North Dakota University System • Bismarck State College • Dickinson State University • Lake Region State College • Mayville State University • Minot State University • Minot State University-Bottineau • North Dakota State School of Science • North Dakota State University • University of North Dakota • Valley City State University • Williston State College NDSU and UND are the state’s primary research universities EPSCoR Cyberinfrastructure Assessment Workshop: ND Assessment

3. Assessment Criteria • Broadband networking • Local, regional and national high performance computation services • Massive storage and managed information for science, engineering, and humanities • Middleware for security and access control • Common applications for scientific computation • Shared, efficient, expanded capabilities and tools:  observation, measurement, and visualization • Facilitate new applications and collaboration (virtual organizations) and interoperability across institutions and disciplines • Sustainable scientific and information technology expertise EPSCoR Cyberinfrastructure Assessment Workshop: ND Assessment

4. Broadband NetworkingStrengths • Excellent collaboration with regional partners composing the Northern Tier Network Consortium (www.ntnc.org). • Funding acquired for establishment of ND’s NTNC segments. Implementation planned for 2008 • Excellent working relationship and partnership with North Dakota's state IT department (ITD). EPSCoR Cyberinfrastructure Assessment Workshop: ND Assessment

5. Broadband NetworkingWeaknesses • No ongoing funding yet identified for operation and maintenance of NTNC. EPSCoR Cyberinfrastructure Assessment Workshop: ND Assessment

6. High Performance Computation ServicesStrengths • Campus networks are robust and 2008 upgrades are planned to deliver more bandwidth to researchers • Researchers share campus computing clusters and use external labs for high performance computation. EPSCoR Cyberinfrastructure Assessment Workshop: ND Assessment

7. High Performance Computation ServicesWeaknesses • No formal model for financial planning: one time funds most available. • Missing local large scale computing that better compares to regional and national labs for seamless porting. EPSCoR Cyberinfrastructure Assessment Workshop: ND Assessment

8. Massive Storage & Managed InformationStrengths • SAN infrastructure exists both NDSU and UND EPSCoR Cyberinfrastructure Assessment Workshop: ND Assessment

9. Massive Storage & Managed InformationWeaknesses • No plan that incorporates all requirements and a model for sustainable funding. • Easy to use tools for delivery of secure storage to research workstations is still in the planning phase • No existing tools for data archiving and retrieval EPSCoR Cyberinfrastructure Assessment Workshop: ND Assessment

10. MiddlewareStrengths • Planning and implementation underway for campus wide IDM solution at UND for FY08. • NDSU has existing middleware infrastructure shared with 5 other schools in the North Dakota University System and EduTech (North Dakota’s K-12 educational technology service department). EPSCoR Cyberinfrastructure Assessment Workshop: ND Assessment

11. MiddlewareWeaknesses • Unified namespace for NDUS and campus services not implemented (in planning phase). • No federation with regional or national entities. EPSCoR Cyberinfrastructure Assessment Workshop: ND Assessment

12. Common ApplicationsStrengths • NDUS software site licensing makes some basic statistical, mathematical and geographical applications readily available. • NDSU and UND have a history of sharing higher level common applications for biomedical research and other. EPSCoR Cyberinfrastructure Assessment Workshop: ND Assessment

13. Common ApplicationsWeaknesses • Need means to purchase and maintain common applications locally which are compatible with those available at external labs for ease of sharing and porting. • Currently no broad based strategic plans for deployment and support of common applications for scientific computation. EPSCoR Cyberinfrastructure Assessment Workshop: ND Assessment

14. Observation, Measurement, & Visualization ToolsStrengths • Computational Chemistry and Biology Network (CCBN) provides visualization and molecular modeling, and training to North Dakota public universities and tribal colleges. EPSCoR Cyberinfrastructure Assessment Workshop: ND Assessment

15. Observation, Measurement, & Visualization ToolsWeaknesses • Need to improve accessibility of these tools. • Researchers desire more support for these tools than is now available. EPSCoR Cyberinfrastructure Assessment Workshop: ND Assessment

16. New Applications, Collaboration, & InteroperabilityStrengths • Ample H.323 videoconference facilities • H.323 desktop videoconferencing applications emerging • Additional collaboration tools such as Blackboard and Horizon Wimba are available or in deployment EPSCoR Cyberinfrastructure Assessment Workshop: ND Assessment

17. New Applications, Collaboration, & InteroperabilityWeaknesses • Real time presence and shared tools needed to allow closer collaboration and shared insight • Existing collaboration tools are not widely used EPSCoR Cyberinfrastructure Assessment Workshop: ND Assessment

18. Sustainable ExpertiseStrengths • Senior researchers often have science and technology knowledge for their research needs. • Have been able to train students and hire them when they graduate. EPSCoR Cyberinfrastructure Assessment Workshop: ND Assessment

19. Sustainable ExpertiseWeaknesses • Researcher expertise model not sustainable nor best use of researcher time. • Staff with both scientific and IT expertise rare. • Difficult to attract job candidates to North Dakota (What is wrong with them??). • Salaries are not competitive. EPSCoR Cyberinfrastructure Assessment Workshop: ND Assessment

20. In Summary • How do we make this easier • Without a CI plan • Without adequate tools • Without enough talent • Without a continuous funding stream EPSCoR Cyberinfrastructure Assessment Workshop: ND Assessment