CERIT-SC – website
Hosting institution: Masaryk University
E-infrastructure CERIT-SC emerged by transformation of Brno Supercomputing Centre and it is a part of the Masaryk University’s Institute of Computer Science. CERIT-SC primary focus is the flexibility of e-infrastructure services. CERIT-SC is a node of the Czech National Grid Infrastructure. It combines elastic computing and storage capacity with the associated services and know-how, thus complementing production-oriented resources of other components of the Czech national e-infrastructure. CERIT-SC is unique in its experimental approach, its users are encouraged to request unusual configurations or ways of use of the ICT resources while impact on other users is minimized by thorough virtualization of the resources. CERIT-SC is thus systematically participating in research activities of its users and brings into the collaboration the ICT expertise required to carry out competitive excellent R&D in all scientific disciplines. Through efficient use of available ICT resources CERIT-SC contributes substantially to the acceleration of its users’ R&D activities and develops expertise and know how complementary to the CESNET e-infrastructure.
Future development
CERIT-SC focuses on extending its expertise in innovative use and development of e infrastructures. The collaboration with established and emerging research infrastructures and R&D centres will be strengthened to increase the benefits of flexible and innovative use of e infrastructures to their own research. An integral part is also a support of optimal use of their own ICT capacity and resources. Joint R&D activities with academic and commercial partners will keep CERIT-SC at the knowledge edge. Contemporary technological trends and their linkage to users’ needs will be closely followed. To keep a properly combined portfolio of progressive computing and storage platforms, needed to stay ahead of resources directly available to its partners and being able to actually run in silico experiments, CERIT SC will strengthen its close partnership with CESNET e-infrastructure, providing additional expertise on top of combined resources.
Socio-economic impact
Running excellent e-infrastructure in adaptable mode, allowing even disruptive changes, unaffordable in commercial environment, opens ways to collaborative pre-competitive R&D activities that also involve industrial partners. The highest added value of the CERIT-SC expertise is provided in areas directly related to the e-infrastructure construction, operation and use, such as flexible and powerful testbeds, security, scheduling for highly optimized use of e infrastructure, and optimization of applications and algorithms.
