The STScI Advanced

Computing and Testing

Laboratory

The STScI Advanced Computing and Testing Laboratory (ACT Lab) serves as a technology

incubator and test laboratory for the STScI business,

technical, engineering and scientific communities to

evaluate and experiment with advanced computing concepts and

solutions. The facility provides computing platforms

and infrastructure for development, hardware and software systems testing.

The STScI ACT Lab is jointly operated by OED, ITSD and OPO.

The lab actually has been operating for a while in a

controlled manner to work out issues, such as security

(FDCC), environmental (power & cooling), scalability and

infrastructure (resource and budget).

Samples of projects from the past 12 months...

What we have learned thus far...

What works...What didn’t...

Going forward...

Lab Infrastructure Evolution

“What do we do?”

• A Sandbox environment that is separated from the production environment for isolated testing, evaluation and experimentation with potential technological solutions

• Software and hardware testing

• Development testing

• Regression testing

• Training ground to learn about new technologies

• Support customers

“For whom do we do it?”

• Missions

• Testers for product development and testing

• Testers for IT development and testing

• Incubator for new ideas and technology solutions

• Test bed for IT, tech solution development and testing

• External Clients

“How do we excel?”

• Conditions:

• Synergy

• Resources - financial and personnel

• Management commitment

• Processes:

• A lifecycle process for the lab

• Listen to needs from stakeholders, determine “real” needs

• Create environment, keep it dynamic and updated

• Manage and maintain

• Continuous feedback process

Project Lifecycle

Request CycleRequest Cycle

ContactContactMeetMeetPlanPlan

Resource Resource allocationallocation

Service CycleService Cycle

ExecuteExecuteMonitorMonitor

MigrationMigration

Completion Completion CycleCycle

ClosingClosingArchivingArchivingLessons Lessons LearnedLearned

Lab Architecture Concepts

•Virtualization

•Follow layering principles

•Separate infrastructure from projects

•Separate prototype - implementation - deployment - production

•Sandbox - Transition - Production

How are policy decisions made?

• Policy and procedural decisions are determined by a steering committee.

• Members of that committee are: Melissa Russ, Paul Lee, Sandy McCarthy and Jonathan Eisenhamer.

• Input from the lab support team, security mandates and division management weigh in heavily.

What resources are available?

• The ACTLab provides a host of physical servers and small storage array in which to accommodate almost any platform request. These servers are shared by all stakeholders.

• The lab is also equipped with standalone systems for each platform.

• We share resources among OED, ITSD or OPO. Currently, we do not have a dedicated pipeline in which to move ITSD initiatives from conception to production.

How do I request lab resources?

• Lab resources must constantly be recycled in order to guarantee access for the entire Institute. Therefore, we ask that you either see a member of the lab support team or submit a remedy ticket.

• Remedy tickets should include the reason for the request, approximate length of time the resource is needed and a point of contact for the support team.

What are the means of communication?

Mailing lists:

•lab_support@stsci.edu

•lab_user@stsci.edu

Websites

Future

•Dedicated ITSD pipeline for proof of concept testing.

•Automation

•Capacity on demand

•Standardization

To schedule a meeting or field visit to the lab

and to discuss to see if your project is suitable for running

in the lab...

Contact us at: act_lab@stsci.edu