Equipment: MRI Track-I: Acquisition of CyBR: Cyber Infrastructure for Big Data Research Critical for Alaska

该项目资助在阿拉斯加费尔班克斯大学（UAF）采购基于现代图形处理单元（GPU）的计算节点和足够的高性能存储，这将支持一系列新的数据和计算密集型应用，从而实现新的科学和工程发现。该系统是用于大数据研究的网络基础设施（CyBR），将在UAF实现人工智能、机器学习、深度学习、图像分析、统计建模和大规模模拟。该仪器将促进对阿拉斯加、其气候和自然资源至关重要的多个科学和工程学科的高优先级、数据驱动的研究。这些因素包括阿拉斯加独特的动植物，以及它的社会文化和经济流动性。至少20个不同的研究项目将受益于该仪器。研究领域包括北极海洋生物学及其对土著社区的影响、阿拉斯加沿海建模、北方野火管理、阿拉斯加地震探测、阿拉斯加采矿安全、野生动物和生态学、北冰洋建模和空间科学。NSF阿拉斯加EPSCoR承认其中许多是高优先级的研究领域。其他研究领域包括冰川学、火山学、水处理、关键矿物提取和阿拉斯加低碳建筑材料的发现。所有这些都可能支持新的融资机会。该项目还将为第一代大学生、女学生和来自包括阿拉斯加土著社区在内的边缘化社区的人创造培训机会。CyBR将有助于数据分析和计算密集型劳动力的多样化，这不仅在阿拉斯加，而且在数据分析工作以前所未有的速度增长的国家都是无价的。用于大数据研究的高性能计算仪器将由10个计算节点组成，每个计算节点配备AMD cpu、NVIDIA gpu、至少256GB RAM和NVMe固态硬盘。该硬件将配备大型Lustre存储阵列，以容纳大数据，并配备HDR Infiniband交换机，用于在节点和存储之间进行高速、低延迟的数据传输，从而使计算性能不会受到网络带宽的瓶颈。该研究团队将与UAF地球物理研究所的研究计算系统小组合作，购买、安装和维护该仪器。它将位于Butrovich数据中心，在那里它将连接到UAF现有的Chinook HPC集群。将新的CyBR仪器与现有的HPC集群集成将减少研究人员使用新仪器的时间，减少操作它所需的基础设施，并减少维护它的管理开销。该项目由主要研究仪器（MRI）计划、刺激竞争研究的既定计划（EPSCoR）、信息技术研究（ITR）计划和先进网络基础设施办公室（OAC）共同资助。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This project funds the procurement of modern Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) based compute nodes and sufficient high-performance storage at University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) that will support a new range of data and compute-intensive applications to allow new science and engineering discoveries. This system, a Cyberinfrastructure for Big data Research (CyBR), will enable artificial intelligence, machine learning, deep learning, image analysis, statistical modeling, and large-scale simulations at UAF. The instrument will be a catalyst for increasing high priority, data-driven research in multiple science and engineering disciplines critical to Alaska, its climate and its natural resources. These include Alaska’s distinctive flora and fauna and its sociocultural and economic mobility. At least 20 different research projects will benefit from the instrumentation. Research areas include Arctic marine biology and implications for Indigenous communities, Alaska coastal modeling, boreal wildfire management, Alaska earthquake detection, Alaska mining safety, wildlife and ecology, Arctic Ocean modeling and space science. NSF Alaska EPSCoR recognizes many of these as high-priority research areas. Other research areas include, glaciology, volcanology, water treatment, critical mineral extraction and discovery of low carbon construction material in Alaska. All of these will potentially support new funding opportunities. This project will also create training opportunities for first-generation college students, female students, and those from marginalized communities, including Alaska Native communities. CyBR will aid in diversifying the data analysis and computationally intensive workforce, which is invaluable not only in Alaska but also in the nation where data analysis jobs are expanding at an unprecedented rate.The Cyberinfrastructure for Big data Research high-performance computing instrument will consist of 10 compute nodes, each with AMD CPUs, NVIDIA GPUs, at least 256GB RAM, and NVMe SSDs. This hardware will be accompanied by a large Lustre storage array to accommodate big data and an HDR Infiniband switch for high-speed, low-latency data transfer between nodes and the storage so that computational performance is not bottlenecked by network bandwidth. The research team will collaborate with the UAF Geophysical Institute’s Research Computing Systems group to purchase, install and maintain the instrument. It will be located in the Butrovich Data Center, where it will be connected to UAF’s existing Chinook HPC cluster. Integrating the new CyBR instrument with the existing HPC cluster will reduce the time to make this new instrument available to researchers, reduce the infrastructure needed to operate it and reduce the management overhead to maintain it.This project is jointly funded by the Major Research Instrumentation (MRI) program, the Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR), the Information Technology Research (ITR) program, and the Office of Advanced Cyberinfrastructure (OAC).This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.