Computing¶
Why use the Cloud?
Big data are now a critical and valuable tool that can be used in wildland fire science. Working with big data require that you refocus your work on "the Cloud". "Data-proximate computing" means moving your work onto the cloud, both the data and the analyses, using "analysis-ready data" in "cloud optimized" formats. - Abernathy et al. 2021
"Cyberinfrastructure" is a term used in academic settings to describe computational resources.
The "Cloud" is now the dominant paradigm for working with computational big data. The cyberinfrastructure term also includes specialized high throughput and high performance computing (HTC/HPC) resources which are commonly found at large government labs and research universities.
Development Environments¶
What is a Dev Environment?
Development Environments are virtual machines which use containers to give users a fresh software environment on-demand. The following list are 'starter' level services which offer limited compute resources for limited amounts of time. These can all be expanded with paid license agreements.
Colab - Google's CoLaboratory starts a Jupyter Notebook, limited in size but can be increased with subscription.
CodeSpaces - GitHub's CodeSpaces starts a VS Code instance from a GitHub Repository which can be variabily sized (requires subscription)
GitPod - starts a VS Code instance that can be variably sized
MyBinder.org - starts a defined environment (RStudio, Jupyter, VS Code) from a GitHub Repository, limited in size.
Commercial Clouds¶
Azure - free credits for research on Microsoft Azure
Google Cloud - free credits for research on Google Cloud
AWS - free credits for research on Amazon Web Services
CyberGIS¶
There are numerous platforms available online for running computaitonal analyses (models), or for viewing public data sets.
Google Earth Engine¶
All major Earth Observation System (EOS) datasets (e.g. ESA, NASA) are available on commercial cloud
Google Earth Engine is the most widel used cyberGIS for analysing EOS data.
Microsoft Planetary Computer¶
Microsoft has just launched a sort-of-competitor to GEE called Planetary Computer. Planetary Computer runs on Microsoft Azure using a JupyterHub with PANGEO software.
Public Clouds¶
Existing investments in research cyberinfrastructure are available for free to all US based researchers. These resources can be used by non-US researchers under certain conditions.
ACCESS - NSF supported cyberinfrastructure network (HPC, HTC, research clouds)
Jetstream2 - NSF supported cyberinfrastructure (cloud), managed through ACCESS
CyVerse - NSF supported cyberinfrastructure for life sciences
Public Workbenches¶
CyberGIS - HPC and Cloud service for geospatial data anlayses
CyVerse Discovery Environment - multi-platform service for full-stack cloud data management
DesignSafe CI - workbench for natural hazards research.
HydroShare - platform for hydrological science applications supported by CUAHSI
OSF.io - is a free, open source web application that connects and supports the research workflow, enabling scientists to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of their research.
WIFIRE - cyberinfrastructure tools running at UC San Diego Supercomputer Center, register for account.
Broadband¶
Initiatives around improving rural broadband in the USA will bring the internet increasingly into the wildland fire space. The Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program provides $42.45 Billion to expand high-speed Internet access by funding planning, infrastructure deployment and adoption programs in all 50 states, Washington D.C., Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.
FirstNet - nationwide network dedicated to public safety is ready to help law enforcement, fire service, and EMS do their jobs safely and effectively.
Satellite¶
StarLink - the world's first and largest low Earth orbit satellite constellation to deliver internet.
AWS Kuiper - Amazon Web Services (AWS) are launching their own low Earth orbit internet satellite constellation.