Primers for the working group¶

Six starting points for discussing computing resources across the College of Information Science. Use the questions to identify evidence and a useful next step.

1. Start with the activity¶

An interactive class, a batch research job, a hosted model and a public website need different services. A GPU is one component; memory, software, storage, accounts and support can be the actual constraint.

Discuss: What must people be able to do, when, and with how many simultaneous users?

Develop a brief · Optional technical estimate

2. Separate availability from dependable access¶

A free account or published machine specification does not reserve capacity or authorize classroom use. Research tolerates some queues; a scheduled class may not. Puma now permits class groups, but teaching and research share the PI allocation. Jobs may queue without deadline priority, and instructors support students.

Discuss: Who is eligible, what is guaranteed, and what happens when access fails?

Resource inventory · Classroom checks

3. Count the people and recurring work¶

Allocations and credits do not automatically supply research software engineers (RSEs), onboarding, accessible interfaces, course support or a backup operator. Estimate tasks and hours before proposing a staffing or funding model.

Discuss: Who maintains the service, supports users and handles renewals and recovery?

Candidate approaches · Pilot hours and grant dependencies

4. Treat data, software and preservation separately¶

Code repositories, licensed datasets, active storage, databases and preservation repositories have different purposes. Check rights, permitted data, exports and restore. A working copy is not an independent backup or a scholarly archive.

Discuss: What may be stored or shared, who owns it, and how will it outlast the account?

Repositories, hosting and data · Campus data and software services

5. Compare routes by the whole commitment¶

Use existing campus services, shared infrastructure, efficient workflows and national allocations where they fit. Free tiers and promotional credits can support bounded experiments; an operating service also needs ownership, support and continuity.

Discuss: What small, reversible test would distinguish the promising options?

Federal platforms · Cloud credits and limits · Classroom 50

6. Keep the evidence proportional¶

A self-reported need, an estimate, a benchmark and an owner-confirmed commitment are different evidence. A few examples cannot establish college-wide demand, savings or available staffing.

Discuss: Whose perspective is missing, what is measured, and which claims still need confirmation?

Needs assessment framework · Report and limitations

A useful output from a discussion¶

Record the activity → the barrier → a route to investigate → a person who can confirm it → the next useful test. Keep unknowns visible. The working materials provide the registers and review framework.