2. ICHEC overview
National Technology Centre
Established in 2005
Hosted by NUI Galway
Mandate:
HPC & Big Data/Data Analytics
Industry engagement
Platform Science & Technology
25 staff in Dublin & Galway
Mix of software developers,
domain specialists
4 in Climate/Environmental area
EPA Climate Workshop, 19 September 2013
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3. Old vs New: a x1000 step change
Old:
• Everybody downloads the
data
• e.g. data on 50km
grid. Few MB/day.
• 1-3 bands.
New:
• Move the work to the data
– 100+ GB/day
– 20-60m resolution, 12-15
bands
EPA Climate workshop, 19 September 2013
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4. Big Data: Networking
• ICHEC and HEAnet have 10gb links
– Not affordable on commercial rates
– Used in CMIP5 data project with eINIS
– Point-to-Point with European partners
• Move one copy to Ireland, process it at an
“Exploitation portal”
– Share workflows.
– Processing triggered on data arrival
EPA Climate workshop, 19 September 2013
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5. Big Data: Compute
• Workflows are no longer a “hobby” task
– Not on a simple PC at 20-50m, but …
• GPGPUs/ Intel MIC Accelerators:
– 80 Tflop/s of capability on upcoming ICHEC system
– C.f. 40 Tflop/s needed to process EUMETSAT data
• Shared workflows: atmospheric correction, QA
• ICHEC has portal experience: BDI, Bioportal,
• Automated: repeatability.
SFI Review – Royal Irish Academy, Dublin – 21st October 2010
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6. Curation: an unsolved problem
• What to keep?
• Useful to Ireland:
– Products, raw data not archived at primary sites
– Archiving “just Ireland” gives valuable time series
ICHEC could provide a platform for this:
– Funding needed from Beneficiaries or agencies.
– Lack of sustainability a problem (C4I, CMIP5)
– Curation needs human work: data scientists.
SFI Review – Royal Irish Academy, Dublin – 21st October 2010
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7. Processing in Ireland ?
• Some products may not be
produced upstream
– E.g. Algal blooms for North
Atlantic
• Need rapid processing
of raw data
• Critical for aquaculture
• Time critical.
– May pave way for ground
station for later satellites
EPA Climate workshop, 19 September 2013
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8. Data Fusion
• Combining Remote Sensing
data with other datasets:
– Ground truthing
– Precipitation, soil
moisture (SMOS), runoff,
river gauges, …
• Needs consistent data,
interoperability:
– Technical limitations
– Orgs. To make data
available to each other:
collaborations
EPA Climate workshop, 19 September 2013
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9. Combining with models
• Experience with weather and climate
• Coupling models and data
assimilation key science skills at
ICHEC
• “Virtual Ireland” : assimilating
observations and model data for
• Pollution control: e.g. ICOS
• Flooding, hydrology
• Policy analysis
EPA Climate workshop, 19 September 2013
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10. Other datasets
• Not just Remote Sensing:
– Make other datasets available: same grids, etc.
• Model data, observations,
– Somewhere for users to upload data:
• Indexed, Archived, remapped to new formats
• Data scientists who understand metadata and the
science behind the data
EPA Climate workshop, 19 September 2013
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11. Citizen Science
• Data to the citizen:
– A portal for making datasets available:
– Making WxS layers available for GIS, Google
Earth, …
– Enable “mashups”, analysis apps.
• From the citizen:
– Smart apps for uploading observations,
measurements
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12. Global opportunities
• Commercial spinoffs: tech. startups looking for
testbeds of global opportunities
– Promote tech. sector in Ireland, not just
exploitation of data in Ireland
e.g. showcase big databases, fast networks
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13. New value in old data
• The big investment has been made
– Ireland’s contribution to ESA,
– “Random” Datasets in public sector, academia
• Applications in:
– Agriculture
– Policy and planning
– Tourism
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