© University of Reading 2009 www.reading.ac.uk

IT Services

e-Research workshopMike Roch, Director of IT Services

17 June 2009

http://www.reading.ac.uk/e-research

• Providing better resources, software and support to allow researchers in Reading to make use of e Research technology in their research

• To encourage inter-disciplinary collaborations to be formed inside and outside of the University around e Research

• To develop the e Research agenda for the University

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Mapping exercise

• Summary: http://www.reading.ac.uk/nmsruntime/saveasdialog.asp?lID=27575&sID=143515

• Significant computation done on single PCs but demand shown for Campus Grid

• Wide range of software in use but a few with many users or interested users– SPSS, Matlab, Nvivo

• Wide range of sizes and types of data sets

• More support/advice top need

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ITS responses to mapping exercise

• Campus Grid, National Grid Service and e-Science Certificates

• e-Research advice & support

• Software

• Data storage

• Workshops & Training

• Newsletter, documentation and website

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Campus Grid

• Utilises spare capacity on library and laboratory Windows PCs for research

• Started in the School of Systems Engineering

• IT Services become involved to make it a campus wide service

• When no user is logged in, the PC is allowed to accept Campus Grid jobs

• http://www.reading.ac.uk/internal/its/e-research/its-eresearch-campusgrid.asp

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Campus Grid – users

• Systems Engineering (8)

• Environmental Systems Sciences Centre (6)

• Meteorology (4)

• Biology (1 + 2 NGS)

• Mathematics (3)

• Chemistry (3)

• Agricultural Economics and Management (2)

• Informatics Research Centre (1)

• Applied Statistics (1)

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Campus Grid – average PCs in use

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Campus Grid – applications and support

• Applications– native support for Matlab and R– compilation tools: gcc/gfortran/g++, java, python,

perl, subversion...– checkpointing support

• Support– ITS offers help for users wanting to get started with

the Campus Grid and the wider National Grid Service

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Software environment

• Matlab & R available on Campus Grid

• Nvivo– taken out 5 yr site licence (1/8/08 – 31/7/13)– https://www.reading.ac.uk/closed/its/docs/software/its-

software-nvivo.asp

• Atlas.ti– bought more licences– available via terminal server

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Support activities

• Open meetings & workshops, eg – http://www.reading.ac.uk/internal/its/e-research/its-

eresearch-ah-workshop.asp

• Termly newsletter– http://www.reading.ac.uk/internal/its/e-research/its-

eresearch-newsletter.asp

• Linux training sessions– email to eresearch & it-supporters lists for suggestions

for topics

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Data stewardship

• QAR issues

• Best practices

• Hosting centrally vs backup service

• Continuity of researchers’ use of data

• Relationship with Institutional Publication Repository

• Please discuss requirements with ITS

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eResearch community

• Email List – information about seminars, conferences and funding opportunities e-Research@reading.ac.uk

• Long running seminar series organised by ACET which is relevant to researchers in e-Research, these are advertised on the e-Research mailing-list.

• e-Research South - 5 year e-Science collaboration between Reading, Oxford, Southampton and STFC

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