NIRD Service Platform
Services are needed to discover, process, move and analyse data. However, deploying and maintaining services is cumbersome for many researchers who want to focus on research rather than IT tasks. This is why cloud services – running on third-party infrastructure and accessible by users through the internet - are very popular nowadays.
When the cloud services run on the same infrastructure as the storage (in this case, the National Infrastructure for Research Data — NIRD), there is no need to move data to the services. The analytic workflows are easier and less time-consuming.
Process and share data with your favourite tools on the NIRD Service Platform. Here you can run services and have dedicated resources for data sharing and data-intensive computing on a large amount of data.
A platform to run cloud services, such as web services, domain and community-specific portals, tools for data visualization, pre/post-processing, data discovery and data sharing.
The services can be used to consume data (of any size) without moving the data from the NIRD storage location.
NIRD Service Platform can host any service. Services can have a permanent web address (Software-as-a-Service) or be launched on-demand on the NIRD Toolkit (Platform-as-a-Service). You can also enjoy the resources on the infrastructure through a dedicated virtual environment (Infrastructure-as-a-Service).
Didn’t you find your favourite tool? No problem, we can spin it off on the Service Platform.
Getting started guide for the NIRD Toolkit
All users who have access to NIRD Storage can deploy services on the NIRD Service Platform If you do not have access to NIRD Storage, you can apply for resources through the application form.
If you have launched a service on the NIRD Service Platform, you can also make decisions about whom else shall access the service. Access might be granted to you only, your closed collaborators in the NIRD storage or whomever you want.
What is in it for me?
Use the NIRD Service Platform to:
- Consume (analyse) large amounts of data without moving the data from the original location
- Deploy services and portal in a “cloud” fashion
- Easily install and use Jupiter Notebook, Jupiter Hub, Spark, R-Studio
- Support S3 services
Usage scenarios
Use case 1
On the NIRD Service Platform, you can run your favourite web-based tools or portals to analyze and visualize massive amounts of data stored on NIRD – all in one place, without moving data.
Use case 2
On-demand data analytics services, such as AI/ML algorithm, JupyterHub and Jupyter Notebook are also available through NIRD Toolkit.
What services does NIRD Toolkit offer?
- Apache Spark
- RStudio
- Jupyter
- JupyterHub
- MinIO
- Deep Learning Tools
The NIRD Toolkit can be enriched with even more tools. If you do not find your favourite tool, please contact us.
Use case 3
On the NIRD Service Platform, you can have a dedicated virtual environment (we call it a “login container”) to run data-intensive pre-/post-processing analysis without queuing the system and without moving data. The login containers can be customized with tools specific to the project and powered with virtual CPUs, RAM and eventually GPUs.
The service is free for NIRD Active Storage users.
All users of NIRD Data Storage can launch services on the NIRD Service Platform.
- To launch a web-based service / portal with a permanent web address (see use case 1 in the section Who can get access? above), send an email to contact@sigma2.no.
The list of services running permanently on the service platform.
- To launch service on demand (see use case 2 in the section Who can get access? above).
To get a dedicated terminal / virtual environment (see use case 3 in the section Who can get access? above), send an email to contact@sigma2.no
Process and discover data
Make your workday as a scientist easier with the NIRD Service Platform. The amount of research that requires big data analytics is steadily increasing, and many researchers experience a growing need to store and analyse data in large volumes. Handling the vast amount of data can be both tricky and time-consuming. On the NIRD Service Platform, you can process and discover data with your favourite tools and codes, without having to move your data.
The NIRD Service Platform going forward
Below you find the roadmap for the NIRD Service Platform. The roadmap is continuously updated, and tasks may move forward and backwards if priorities change.
NIRD - an eco-system of storage services
NIRD – the National Infrastructure for Research Data is an eco-system of storage services designed to support scientific research in every step of the Research Data Life Cycle. You find services for:
- Data planning: EasyDMP
- Data collection and storage: NIRD Data Storage
- Data analysis: NIRD Service Platform
- Data preservation, archiving and re-use: Research Data Archive
About the national e-infrastructure services
Sigma2 works closely with the universities of Bergen, Oslo, Tromsø and NTNU to operate the national e-infrastructure services. The collaboration is called NRIS (Norwegian research infrastructure services). It is the NRIS staff who ensures that all researchers who use the national e-infrastructure services get quick and easy access to domain-specific support and related activities.
Together we work to fulfil our vision We enhance excellent research for a better world.
