The Next Generation Research Grid: A Path Forward: Final Report

Abstract

This is the final report of the TeraGrid Planning Process Steering Committee. TeraGrid currently uses high-speed network connections to integrate high-performance computers, data resources and tools, and experimental facilities at eleven resource provider sites around the country. To address changes that are already occurring and are anticipated to take place in high-performance computing (HPC) and computational science over the next 5-7 years, the National Science Foundation (NSF) awarded a grant to the University of Michigan's School of Information (UM-SI) to facilitate a planning process to help guide the future evolution of TeraGrid. The TeraGrid Planning Process Steering Committee, representative of key stakeholder communities, was convened to lead the planning process. Our committee was charged to provide a report to NSF and to stakeholders that identifies options for the definition, design, and implementation of the next generation of the NSF TeraGrid program. In conducting our charge, we considered the results of a series of planning workshops, hosted “town hall” meetings, solicited position papers from current TeraGrid users and other national and international stakeholders, examined relevant reports and other documents, incorporated information from the TeraGrid Evaluation Research Study, interacted individually with stakeholders, and deliberated extensively. We strongly endorse a next phase for the TeraGrid program, which we refer to hereafter as the Next Generation Research Grid (NGRG). The NGRG should have an unwavering focus on science: advancing and accelerating science and engineering progress across a broad front.