Building custom web portals for HPC and mid-tier computing

High-Performance Computing (HPC) and mid-tier computing play crucial roles in scientific research. To overcome the challenges associated with accessing and managing these resources, customised web portals have emerged as a viable solution. This abstract presents our approach to developing custom web portals for HPC and mid-tier computing environments, leveraging the power of Open OnDemand (OOD).

Our development process involved utilising OOD, an open-source platform that simplifies access to HPC resources through web-based portals. We engaged in comprehensive user requirement analysis, collaborating with domain experts and end-users to identify their specific needs. Building upon OOD’s capabilities, we designed intuitive user interfaces with features such as job submission, data management, and result visualisation. By integrating OOD with sophisticated backend systems, we ensured efficient management and scalability of complex computational tasks. Agile methodologies enabled us to rapidly prototype, gather user feedback, and iteratively enhance the web portals.

The implementation of customised web portals powered by OOD has yielded significant onboarding improvements for both users and support staff. Researchers and PhD students can seamlessly interact with HPC and mid-tier computing infrastructures, benefiting from the simplified access provided by OOD.

Customised web portals have empowered researchers and PhD students to harness the potential of HPC and mid-tier computing resources. The iterative development process, coupled with OOD’s usercentric design principles, has ensured close alignment with end-users’ needs.

ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Blair Bethwaite is the NeSI Solutions Manager responsible for user support services on the NeSI platforms, from onboarding and application support to optimisation of the science codes that are run on the Platforms.

Thomas Berger is a Product Manager at NeSI. Thomas has been focused on improving the user experience of NeSI services by continuously improving my.nesi, a researcher-facing portal, and also the NeSI JupyterHub. Thomas brings to NeSI over a decade of experience in product management skills with strong user focus and value driven approach.

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