CloudBank - SDSC

CloudBank is a service-based platform that facilitates access to commercial cloud resources through a flexible, multi-cloud infrastructure. It currently provides access to the following commercial cloud platforms Amazon Web Services, Google Cloud, IBM Cloud, and Microsoft Azure. CloudBank support and training resources are available to assist researchers at all experience levels, from those new to commercial cloud services to experienced users developing or piloting advanced workflows. Starting in December, CloudBank will be available to all researchers.

CloudBank provides the following resources:

• CloudBank Research: CloudBank enables researchers to access commercial cloud platforms through the ACCESS and NAIRR Pilot allocation processes. Awards are made in dollars and usable across the following commercial cloud platforms: Amazon Web Services, Google Cloud, IBM Cloud, and Microsoft Azure. After onboarding, the CloudBank portal automatically creates cloud accounts for the platforms listed in your request, with the option to add more later. In the CloudBank Portal, you can manage which authorized users have permission to your cloud accounts and easily access the cloud vendor platforms using federated login with your ACCESS credentials. CloudBank continuously monitors resource usage, applies charges against your allocation, and delivers automated spend alerts. Regulated data is also supported on CloudBank. Currently, CloudBank is available to early-access users only. CloudBank expects to be available for general ACCESS and NAIRR Pilot users in December. For more information, please see our CloudBank Research User Guide.

• CloudBank Classroom: CloudBank Classroom is a cloud-hosted, small-scale JupyterHub designed for teaching, built on an open-source interactive computing stack (Python, R, JupyterLab, and related libraries). It provides each learner with a modest allocation of persistent storage, memory, and CPUs as well as seamless authentication through their university’s identity management system, allowing them to log in with existing campus credentials. The environment comes preconfigured with widely used data science tools, enabling students to run code, analyze data, and complete assignments directly in the browser without local setup. Instructors can easily distribute materials, manage assignments, and support learners through integrated tools like nbgitpuller and grading extensions. By removing technical barriers, ensuring equity of access, and offering a consistent, reproducible workflow, the JupyterHub lowers the cost of teaching with data while remaining scalable to support classes of varying sizes. For more information, please see our CloudBank Classroom User Guide.