Jisc Data Spring Pitch:Cloud Workbench

Ben ButchartEDINA

Cloud Workbench Elevator Pitch• Every researcher has their own unique “set up” – a research

workbench which is highly optimised with tools, scripts and other digital glue, along with datasets and data feeds they use as part of their workflows.

• It takes time to achieve this “set up” - as it’s on a local machine often hard to replicate, collaborate.

• Researchers have to grab data from many sources, clean it up and bring it onto their workbench to integrate with their own data. Large datasets can be problematic to download and work on.

• Why not put this highly productive research asset on a cloud VM, with high performance fabric infrastructure to access large reference data

• Researchers can quickly replicate, share and combine with collaborators workbenches.

• Researchers can expose research outputs as web services and APIs.• Having tools in one place will provide access to the data narrative.• Start small, but can scale up your processing and storage using the

same workbench.• Bring the tools to the data.

Red and Blue Sky Elevators at Aston University (cc Ben Butchart

3 month objectives• Scoping Study (survey what researchers have on their existing desktop / workbench)

– Datasets– Software– Interface requirements (data search and management)– API’s and web services.– Licenses and commercial providers (ESRI, Microsoft)– Difference between disciplines (geo sciences, BiMs, architecture)– How could you visualise a data narrative?

• Identify Other Stakeholders– Cloud solution providers– Data providers– Tool providers (e.g ESRI, qGIS)– Teachers

• Technical scoping and evaluation for geospatial research workbench.– Review cloud provider/technology work best (e.g Docker, Puppet, Vagrant) in research

environment? – Develop technical architecture to allow 3rd party tool integration.

Longer term objectives

• Build and run a pilot for geosciences research community.

• Cloud management user interface.• Web based (SaaS) interface.• Implementation for other disciplines – how can others

roll out for their area of expertise?• Create a framework for others to create their own

workbenches.• Catalogue of workbenches.• Partial sharing of workbench.

Deliverables ( 3 month)

• Requirements / stakeholder analysis report.• Technical architecture proposal.• Identified solution partners / data providers.• Wireframes/ prototypes used for usability /

requirements analysis.

Longer Term Deliverables

• Pilot for geospatial cloud workbench.• Simple cloud management interface.• Workbench component sharing• Registry / Discovery of workbenches • Integration with 3rd party tool providers

developers.

Resources ( 3 months)

• Business analyst / stakeholder engagement (0.5)

• Technical architecture (0.2)• Engineer (0.2)• Travel & accommodation & events(£3000)• Infrastructure (£500-£1000) (or Azuredly

nothing)• Software licensing (£1000)

Resources ( 6-9 months)

• Same general skills needed as in first phase but with more engineering effort as move into building and running a pilot.

Milestones ( 3 months)

• Identify survey groups.• Run survey.• Initial findings reported.• Initial prototype / wireframes.• Solution partner found.• Technical architecture proposed.• Technical evaluation completed.