Our users come from within the University of California, Santa Barbara, campus community. UCSB is part of the San Diego Supercomputer Center's Triton Affiliates and Partners Program (TAPP), the XSEDE's Campus Champions Program.
Triton Affiliates and Partners Program
TAPP is the successor program to the Academic Associates Program (AAP). Like AAP, TAPP encourages campus participation, allowing researchers to use time and storage space on SDSC computing and data resources. Participating campuses purchase blocks of time or storage which researchers may then request from their TAPP campus administrators.
Unlike AAP, which targeted only novice users and class accounts, TAPP allows users of any level, and welcomes individual PIs and affiliated projects to purchase computing time if their needs exceed what is available through their campus allocation.
Unlike AAP, which let users request allocations through a NSF Grant Proposal, additional time under TAPP must purchased by individual PIs. For fiscal year 2009-10, UCSB purchased 200,000 hours; this amount is divided among individual accounts (20,000 hours), research group accounts (120,000 hours), and class accounts (60,000 hours).
XSEDE's Campus Champions Program
The Campus Champions Program is:
- A source of local, regional, and national high-performance computing and cyberinfrastructure information on our campus.
- A source of information regarding XSEDE resources and services that will benefit research and education at UCSB.
- A source of start-up and class accounts on our campus to quickly get researchers and educators using their allocations of time on XSEDE resources.
- A conduit for UCSB's high-performance computing needs, requirements, and challenges, with direct access to XSEDE staff.
The OIT offers three types of accounts:
- Individual accounts provide access to all SDSC/TAPP and XSEDE resources.
- Research group accounts provide access to all SDSC/TAPP resources.
- Class accounts provide access to all SDSC/TAPP and XSEDE resources.
Individual Accounts
Individual account requests are reviewed continually throughout the year. They are the fastest way of getting started on SDSC Triton or XSEDE, and are recommended for all new users.
SDSC Triton: For blocks of time generally not greater than 1,000 hours/year on SDSC Triton, and used for training and start-up, please use the TAPP Allocation Application Form (doc).
XSEDE: For blocks of time generally not greater than 30,000 hours/year on the XSEDE machines, and used for training and start-up, please use the XSEDE Allocation Application Form (doc).
For more than 30,000 hours/year:
Please DO NOT exceed 30,000 hours/year, as this will have a negative effect on other UCSB users.
Research Group Accounts
SDSC Triton: The available resources are reviewed and allocated twice a year (semester I review: July 1-12; allocation July 21; semester II review: January 1-6; allocation January 31). The maximum allocated time is 20,000 hours/semester. Time that remains unused by the end of the fourth month of the semester can be reallocated. To apply, please use the TAPP Allocation Application Form (doc).
If you are requesting more than 5000 hours per semester, you will also need to submit the TAPP Additional Usage Allocation Form (doc).
XSEDE: Research allocations are handled by the XSEDE Resource Allocations Committee (TRAC), which meets quarterly. For computational resources exceeding 30,000 hours/year, please apply to the XSEDE Allocations Committee.
Class Accounts
Faculty members who wish to use high-performance computers for their classes may apply for time on the SDSC Triton and/or XSEDE systems. Please send email to the OIT Supercomputer Consultant or phone (805) 893-8287 at least 30 days prior to the beginning of the class to set up an account.
Applicants for a class account will need to supply:
- Instructor's resume
- Course title
- Course description
- Course syllabus
- Number of students
For further information about accounts, email the OIT Supercomputing Consultant, or phone (805) 893-8287.
