The document discusses the vision and progress of the Pacific Research Platform (PRP) in creating a "big data freeway" across the West Coast to enable data-intensive science. It outlines how the PRP builds on previous NSF and DOE networking investments to provide dedicated high-performance computing resources, like GPU clusters and Jupyter hubs, connected by high-speed networks at multiple universities. Several science driver teams are highlighted, including particle physics, astronomy, microbiology, earth sciences, and visualization, that will leverage PRP resources for large-scale collaborative data analysis projects.

1. “Pacific Research Platform Science Drivers”
Opening Remarks
PRP Science Driver PI Workshop
UC Davis
March 23, 2016
Dr. Larry Smarr
Director, California Institute for Telecommunications and Information Technology
Harry E. Gruber Professor,
Dept. of Computer Science and Engineering
Jacobs School of Engineering, UCSD
http://lsmarr.calit2.net
1

2. Vision: Creating a West Coast “Big Data Freeway”
Connected by CENIC/Pacific Wave
Use Lightpaths to Connect
All Data Generators and Consumers,
Creating a “Big Data” Freeway
Integrated With High Performance Global Networks
“The Bisection Bandwidth of a Cluster Interconnect,
but Deployed on a 20-Campus Scale.”
This Vision Has Been Building for 25 Years

3. DOE ESnet’s Science DMZ: A Scalable Network
Design Model for Optimizing Science Data Transfers
• A Science DMZ integrates 4 key concepts into a unified whole:
– A network architecture designed for high-performance applications,
with the science network distinct from the general-purpose network
– The use of dedicated systems for data transfer
– Performance measurement and network testing systems that are
regularly used to characterize and troubleshoot the network
– Security policies and enforcement mechanisms that are tailored for
high performance science environments
http://fasterdata.es.net/science-dmz/
Science DMZ
Coined 2010
The DOE ESnet Science DMZ and the NSF “Campus Bridging” Taskforce Report Formed the Basis
for the NSF Campus Cyberinfrastructure Network Infrastructure and Engineering (CC-NIE) Program

4. Based on Community Input and on ESnet’s Science DMZ Concept,
NSF Has Funded Over 100 Campuses to Build Local Big Data Freeways
Red 2012 CC-NIE Awardees
Yellow 2013 CC-NIE Awardees
Green 2014 CC*IIE Awardees
Blue 2015 CC*DNI Awardees
Purple Multiple Time Awardees
Source: NSF

5. How Prism@UCSD Transforms Big Data Microbiome Science:
Preparing for Knight/Smarr 1 Million Core-Hour Analysis
12 Cores/GPU
128 GB RAM
3.5 TB SSD
48TB Disk
10Gbps NIC
Knight Lab
10Gbps
Gordon
Prism@UCSD
Data Oasis
7.5PB,
200GB/s
Knight 1024 Cluster
In SDSC Co-Lo
CHERuB
100Gbps
Emperor & Other Vis Tools
64Mpixel Data Analysis Wall
120Gbps
40Gbps
1.3Tbps

6. Next Step: The Pacific Research Platform Creates
a Regional End-to-End Science-Driven “Big Data Freeway System”
NSF CC*DNI Grant
$5M 10/2015-10/2020
PI: Larry Smarr, UC San Diego Calit2
Co-Pis:
• Camille Crittenden, UC Berkeley CITRIS,
• Tom DeFanti, UC San Diego Calit2,
• Philip Papadopoulos, UC San Diego SDSC,
• Frank Wuerthwein, UC San Diego Physics
and SDSC

7. Pacific Research Platform Regional Collaboration:
Multi-Campus Science Driver Teams
• Jupyter Hub
• Biomedical
– Cancer Genomics Hub/Browser
– Microbiome and Integrative ‘Omics
– Integrative Structural Biology
• Earth Sciences
– Data Analysis and Simulation for Earthquakes and Natural Disasters
– Climate Modeling: NCAR/UCAR
– California/Nevada Regional Climate Data Analysis
– CO2 Subsurface Modeling
• Particle Physics
• Astronomy and Astrophysics
– Telescope Surveys
– Galaxy Evolution
– Gravitational Wave Astronomy
• Scalable Visualization, Virtual Reality, and Ultra-Resolution Video 7

8. GPU JupyterHub:
2 x 14-core CPUs
256GB RAM
1.2TB FLASH
3.8TB SSD
Nvidia K80 GPU
Dual 40GbE NICs
And a Trusted Platform
Module
GPU JupyterHub:
1 x 18-core CPUs
128GB RAM
3.8TB SSD
Nvidia K80 GPU
Dual 40GbE NICs
And a Trusted Platform
Module
PRP UC-JupyterHub Backbone
UCB Next Step: Deploy Across PRP UCSD
Source: John Graham, Calit2

9. Next Step: Global Research Platform
Building on CENIC/Pacific Wave and GLIF
Current
International
GRP Partners

10. UC Davis PRP Science Drivers
• Particle Physics Data Analysis
– UCSD: A.Yagil, F. Wuerthwein (team leader; UC Davis: M. Chertok, J. Conway, R. Erbacher, M. Mulhearn, M.
Tripathi); UCI: A. Lankford, A. Taffard, D. Whiteson; UCSC: A. Seiden, J. Nielsen, B. Schumm; Caltech: H.
Newman; UCSB: C. Campagnari; UCR: R. Clare, O. Long, S. Wimpenny
• Telescope Surveys Team:
– LBNL: Peter Nugent; UCD: Tony Tyson; Caltech/IPAC/JPL, UCB, Stanford/SLAC, UCI, UCSC, UW
• Microbiome and Integrative ‘Omics Team:
– UCSD: Rob Knight; UCD: David Mills, Carlito Labrilla; Caltech: Sarkis Mazmanian; UCSF: Sergio Baranzini
• Data Analysis and Simulation for Earthquakes and Natural Disasters Team:
– UCB: Steve Mahin, with UCSD, UCD, UCLA, UCI, USC, Stanford, OSU, and UW
• Scalable Visualization and Virtual Reality Team:
– UCSD: Falko Kuester, Tom Levy, Jurgen Schulze; UIC: Maxine Brown; UHM, Jason Leigh; UCD: Louise Kellogg;
UCI: Magda El Zarki, Walt Scacchi; UCM, Marcelo Kallmann, Nicola Lecari; UvA: Cees de Laat.