DiRAC is recognised as the primary provider of HPC resources to the STFC Particle Physics, astroparticle physics, Astrophysics, cosmology, solar system & Planetary Science and Nuclear physics (PPAN: STFC Frontier Science) theory community. It provides the modelling, simulation, data analysis and data storage capability that underpins the STFC Science Challenges and our researcher’s world-leading science outcomes.
On this page you can find information on:
- Project Allocations: compute time and storage;
- How to create a User account on one of our Resources
- The STFC Resource Allocation Committee which allocates compute time and storage to our open projects.
- Annual STFC Call for Proposals to request access to DiRAC resources.
- The Director’s Discretionary Time allows flexible allocation to four classes of project.
- For researchers who would like to try the DiRAC resources, get a feel for HPC, test codes, benchmark or see what the DiRAC resources can do for you before making a full application for resources, an application can be made for Seedcorn Time.
- How to acknowledge DiRAC in a publication
Each year we publish a selection of Science Highlights and a full list of publications from all our projects.
If you cant find what you need on these pages, please email the Project Office
DiRAC Projects
DiRAC serves over 35 projects, with more than 400 active users. Our community is diverse and encompasses Particle Physics, Astrophysics, cosmology, Nuclear Physics. Together their research addresses all the STFC Science Challenges.
Project Allocations
After each Call has been concluded, we publish the compute time allocated to each project, in terms of CPU-Mhours on the DiRAC service on which their calculations are to be run, as well as the Storage Space w[TB] allocated. In DiRAC we have three compute services and due to the different architectures on each service, the CPU-Mhours awarded to each project may not be directly comparable.
User Accounts
Projects and accounts on DiRAC resources are administered through the DiRAC SAFE. SAFE stands for Service Administration From EPCC. It is a large web-based application, provided by EPCC for DiRAC. The same software is used by the Archer UK national supercomputing service and for other facilities at EPCC.
Every DiRAC user has an account on SAFE. You can use your SAFE account to check your use of CPU time and disk space now and in the past, to apply to join other projects and create service machine accounts, to change passwords, to keep your personal details up to date, to check the progress of the helpdesk queries you have submitted, and so on. PIs and project managers can do many other things. such as viewing usage by each member of their project team.
The DiRAC team also uses SAFE to administer the system and to generate reports. The helpdesk software is also part of SAFE. If you are a PI or project manager you can manage your project via SAFE.
You can find all the information you need on SAFE here. For any other information please email DiRAC Support.
Accessing DiRAC
STFC Resource Allocation Committee (RAC)
The Resource Allocation Committee (RAC) is responsible for overseeing the allocation process for all on DiRAC Resources, including compute time, storage and Research Engineering effort.
Call for Proposals
The RAC makes an annual Call for Proposals for requesting time on our Resources.
Notification about any Call will be posted on our News page, and on Twitter.
Any Call Announcement, Guidance Notes and Application Forms are available on our Call for Proposals page.
Acknowledge DiRAC
If you have used the new DiRAC Resources which have been available since the 1st May 2018 for your publication, the new acknowledgement statements for each machine can be found here.
If you have used the DiRAC Resources prior to 30th April 2018 for your publication, please use the statements found here.
