On the TeraGrid, what types of allocations are available?

Note: A TeraGrid allocation is not an account. An account is the specific method individuals use to log into resources to use the time or space granted in the principal investigator's allocation. A principal investigator can add users to an existing allocation via the TeraGrid User Portal; see How can I add or remove a user from an existing TeraGrid allocation?

A TeraGrid allocation is a grant of computing time or data space on TeraGrid resources that is awarded to a researcher who serves as the principal investigator (PI) of an approved project. There are three types of TeraGrid allocations, each with a defined amount of computer time and storage space allotted, typical usage, and request process:

• Startup allocations: These are appropriate for code development, experimentation with TeraGrid platforms, and application testing. Most first-time TeraGrid users should request a Startup allocation. PIs may request a single computational resource or a combination of resources, or an assorted set of resource. For Startup allocation limits on current and planned TeraGrid resources, see the Resource Catalog.

  Startup data allocations provide limited storage in databases, disk collections, and tape archives. Startup data allocations provide up to 5TB on disk and 25TB on tape. For a list of available data resources, see the Data Resources section of the Resource Catalog.

  Startup allocations expire after one year, and a PI may have only one active Startup allocation at a time. Although renewals for Startup allocations are permitted with appropriate justification, a PI should consider requesting a Research allocation to continue work on the TeraGrid.

• Education allocations: These allocations are appropriate for use in classroom instruction or training activities. Education allocations have the same service unit (SU) and storage limits as Startup requests.
  
  
• Research allocations: Most Research allocations allow PIs to continue work they began with Startup allocations. However, a Startup allocation is not a prerequisite for requesting a Research allocation. A successful Research allocation request requires a detailed justification of resource usage. For more, see About applying for a Research allocation on the TeraGrid. Requests are reviewed four times a year by the Resource Allocations Committee.

For more on allocation types, sizes, and request guidelines, consult the Allocations and Accounts page in the TeraGrid User Support documentation.

This document was developed with support from the National Science Foundation (NSF) under Grant No. 0503697 to the University of Chicago and subcontracted to Indiana University. Additional support was provided by IU through its participation in the TeraGrid, which is supported by the NSF under Grants No. 0833618, SCI451237, SCI535258, and SCI504075. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the NSF.

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