TG-6
From TeraGrid Wiki
Status: This draft outlines a TeraGrid policy for improved management and tracking of staff accounts on TeraGrid resources. It is being circulated for feedback and input from GIG and RP management and PIs.
Authors: Charlie Catlett, Sergiu Sanielevici
Date: January 25, 2006
Revised: February 6, 2006
Contents |
Abstract
In order to support TeraGrid resources it is often necessary for staff at one TeraGrid partner site to have accounts on TeraGrid resources operated by another TeraGrid partner site. Some access is directly related to scientific use, and thus is well accommodated via the current allocations and account request processes. Other access, in particular for software integration, science gateway support, and other TeraGrid services and projects, requires a different process than the standard allocations processes used for scientific work.
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Definitions
"TeraGrid Staff" means persons whose work is funded via a TeraGrid award, or who are doing work on behalf of or in support of a TeraGrid award PI.
"TeraGrid Resource" means a resource that is provided to the TeraGrid user community. This includes any resource that is allocated via the NSF allocations process, but may also include non-allocated resources such as storage archives, science gateway hosts, etc.
“TeraGrid Grant” is the term used in the NSF allocations process to denote a collection of “Accounts” that are awarded “Service Units” in support of a specific project that requires the use of TeraGrid resources. Each Grant is associated with a unique “Principal Investigator” (PI), who is responsible to NSF for the proper use of the accounts issued under her/his Grant.
Types of Accounts and Grants
Scientific Use and User Support
TeraGrid staff may apply to use TeraGrid resources via the same mechanisms that are open to the academic community -- currently DAC, MRAC and LRAC. Any TeraGrid staff member who meets the NSF eligibility criteria [1] may apply to be a principal investigator on a TeraGrid grant for scientific work. Any TeraGrid staff member may be named by the PI of an active academic research grant to obtain an account under his/her grant.
A DAC application, which is reviewed by other TeraGrid staff members rather than by an external panel, is appropriate if the proposed work qualifies as software R&D (as opposed to installing and testing a given piece of software); or if the staff member is part of a collaboration with a non-TeraGrid affiliated research team.
Technical Support and Integration Work
To manage TeraGrid staff accounts we will create a set of special-purpose grants, with appropriate staff (generally, but not limited to, GIG or RP management) as PIs overseeing these accounts. Staff members who require accounts will coordinate with these PI’s to obtain accounts associated with the projects for which these grants are established.
Staff work grants may be requested by contacting any member of the TeraGrid Grid Infrastructure Group (GIG) management team or by sending email to wheels@teragrid.org.
Each staff work grant will be provided with 5000 roaming service units per year, and all accounts will be added through the existing account addition mechanisms used by all TeraGrid PIs to ensure that relevant identity information is provided. In some cases additional roaming units may be required before the year is out, and requests for these will be handled on a case-by-case basis between the PI and the GIG director.
Security Considerations
This policy addresses the management of accounts from an administrative perspective, but does not change any current process with respect to creation of accounts (via PI’s). However, the policy does provide greater clarity in terms of the responsibility for management and approval of staff accounts, and provides TeraGrid management with a PI contact point for each staff account. In this respect security is improved with this policy.
References
[1] NSF requirements for principal investigators are outlined at the following URL: http://www.ci-partnership.org/Allocations/allocations.html#require
Author Information
Charlie Catlett University of Chicago / Argonne National Laboratory cec@uchicago.edu +1-630-252-7867
