WestGrid

WestGrid
Name	WestGrid
Formation	2000s
Type	Research computing consortium
Region served	Western Canada
Parent organization	Compute Canada

WestGrid WestGrid is a regional research computing consortium serving institutions in western Canada, providing high-performance computing, data storage, and support to researchers. It partners with national consortia, provincial agencies, and academic institutions to enable computational research across multiple disciplines. WestGrid’s resources support projects in physics, climate science, genomics, astronomy, and social science, linking with international facilities and initiatives.

Overview

WestGrid operates as a distributed research infrastructure network connecting universities and colleges across British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba. It integrates compute clusters, data storage arrays, and visualization resources to support projects associated with University of British Columbia, University of Alberta, University of Calgary, University of Saskatchewan, and University of Manitoba. WestGrid collaborates with national and international organizations including Compute Canada, CERN, National Research Council Canada, NSERC, and provincial research networks such as BCNET, Cybera, and Saskatchewan Research Council. Its user base spans faculties from Simon Fraser University, University of Victoria, University of Lethbridge, to colleges like British Columbia Institute of Technology and SAIT Polytechnic.

History

The consortium emerged during expansions in Canadian research computing in the early 2000s, paralleling initiatives at CANARIE and the establishment of regional efforts such as ORION in Ontario and ACEnet in Atlantic Canada. WestGrid’s growth coincided with national programs led by Compute Canada and predecessor organizations such as Compute/Calcul Canada. Major milestones include procurement cycles synchronized with national projects like upgrades following collaborations with XSEDE partners and technology transitions inspired by developments at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and Argonne National Laboratory. Institutional commitments from universities including McGill University and University of Toronto influenced national interoperability standards affecting WestGrid. Over time, partnerships with agencies like Genome Canada and collaborations with observatories such as Canada–France–Hawaii Telescope expanded research domains served.

Infrastructure and Technology

WestGrid’s infrastructure comprises high-memory compute nodes, GPU-accelerated clusters, parallel filesystems, and large-scale archival storage, interoperating with national fabrics like CANARIE and provincial networks such as BCNET and Cybera. Hardware platforms have incorporated technologies developed by vendors and labs associated with NVIDIA, Intel Corporation, AMD, and storage solutions informed by projects at Fermilab and SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory. Software stacks include resource managers and schedulers used at institutions like Oak Ridge National Laboratory, middleware compatible with Globus, and workflow systems influenced by tools from European Grid Infrastructure and PRACE. WestGrid sites feature visualization facilities comparable to setups at Perimeter Institute and data stewardship practices aligned with recommendations from Canadian Institute for Advanced Research and Tri-Agency Open Science initiatives.

Services and Programs

WestGrid provides user support, training workshops, and allocation programs for computational projects, mirroring models used by XSEDE, PRACE, and NeCTAR. It offers services in high-performance computing, big data analytics, machine learning support with GPU access, and research data management aligned with standards promoted by DataCite and Research Data Canada. Educational programs include workshops drawing on curricula from Software Carpentry and ACM conferences, while specialized support teams collaborate with domain networks such as Canadian Meteorological Centre researchers, Canadian Space Agency projects, and initiatives at TRIUMF. Allocation committees include academic representatives from faculties at University of Calgary, McMaster University, and Queen’s University.

Governance and Funding

WestGrid’s governance involves institutional partners, advisory boards, and stakeholder committees similar to structures at Compute Canada and regional consortia like ORION and ACEnet. Funding sources have included federal agencies such as Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada and provincial ministries, as well as institutional contributions from member universities including University of British Columbia and University of Alberta. Procurement and policy decisions align with national strategies influenced by entities like Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada and agreements with technology vendors and research infrastructures such as CANARIE and CERN collaborations.

Research Impact and Collaborations

WestGrid supports research across astronomy, climate science, genomics, materials science, and digital humanities through collaborations with observatories and laboratories including NRC Herzberg Astronomy and Astrophysics Research Centre, TRIUMF, Canadian Meteorological Centre, and international partners like European Southern Observatory and NASA. Projects leveraging WestGrid resources have contributed to studies published by researchers at University of British Columbia, University of Alberta, University of Calgary, and allied institutions, and have interfaced with large-scale initiatives such as Human Genome Project-related efforts and climate assessments akin to work by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. WestGrid’s collaborations extend to computational chemistry groups linked to Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and machine learning efforts inspired by research from Vector Institute and Montreal Institute for Learning Algorithms.

Category:Research computing in Canada