**Educator: David Zeng

david.zeng@dsu.edu
Dakota State University
Timezone: Central U.S.

Associate Professor, Predictive Analytics for Decision-making, Programming for Data Analytics (Python), Business Intelligence & Visualization, Deep Learning
https://dsu.edu/directory/zeng-david.html

Availability:

Via sign up form:

Please describe your experience with supercomputing
I have never used a supercomputer

Are you familiar with the U.S. National Science Foundation's ACCESS program?
I don't use ACCESS but have heard of it

Via pre-survey:

How should we address you?
David

Please describe your experience using advanced research computing?
Limited experience of using advanced research computing, such as HPC, Linux, GPU environment

If you've used ACCESS, what allocation level did you start with?
Not applicable

What have you used or hope to use the ACCESS website to do?
Gain information about ACCESS resources such as training courses, HPC, grant opportunities etc.

Remind us what your role is, as it applies to working with ACCESS:
Educator

What is your research domain?
No answer

What courses do you teach?
No answer

What is advanced research computing is your resource particularly well suited for?
No answer

Who are your stakeholders?
No answer

What one thing do you appreciate most about the program?
Resource-sharing and training opportunities

What one thing would you change about the program?
Creating more local (such as small Midwest institutions) meetups and program

Interview guide:

60–90 minute interview. Each task will take approximately 5-10 minutes.

• Login, introductions, set up screen share, record to cloud, click transcript, at end of interview save transcript

We ask that you “talk aloud” as you are completing your task – telling us what you are thinking about and looking for as you complete your task. Begin here:

https://access-ci.org/

• Task 1: Where would you go to find out what type of research is being conducted using ACCESS? Is your institution’s area of research/study/classroom activity represented on the ACCESS website?
  Interview notes here

• Looked in Resources page, Needed some guidance to find research projects .

• David was encouraged to click in to Resources and did enjoy reviewing the Recent projects in the resource one we got into it.

• He had started the process of using ACCESS a few years ago but felt there was too big of a learning curve for research assistants and my doctoral students and was easier to use customer support at their university
  
  

• Task 2: Where can you find information specifically targeted for you (as an educator)?
  Interview notes here

• Looked in events and training, in his role as Campus CHampion he often shares events through email

• Support > Knowledge Base > Overview , QA Bot

• Did not find landing page
  NOTE: Make Landing page more discoverable - maybe we should link to on support landing page? Check if QA Bot links to landing pages

• Task 3: Are you eligible to use ACCESS? Where can you find eligibility requirements?
  Interview notes here

• Went to Allocations > Create an Account (maybe didn’t understand question)

• Found Researcher on footer the Eligibility Quick link for landing page
  
  

• Task 4: Find information about the cost to use ACCESS.
  Interview notes here

• Looked through Allocations policies. Looked in Introduction. “Good Question” Could not find.

• Looked in “Get Started”. Still could not find.

• He had the expectation that it was no cost but thought new user might not know that.

• (eventually found on Resources page)
  NOTE: Add no cost to Allocations Policy?

• Task 5: What is an ACCESS resource? Where can you find the type of resources that are available through ACCESS? How would you select an ACCESS resource?
  Interview notes here

• Went to Resources. (Found “No-Cost there”)

• Hard to compare - similar and too many to choose

• Filters GPU Compute - What kind of GPU ? Didn’t know were to find Tech Specs, from main page didn’t immediately see the specs, or that he could drill into the resource.

• Would like to be able to compare across resources.

• Would base decision on having an easy to use User Interface and availability of Technical Support (how available are they?).

• Task 6: What is an allocation? What types of allocation projects can you apply for? How do they differ from one another?
  Interview notes here

• Challenging from him to find the project types (~42:00)

• Went to Resources. Support>Documentation>ACCESS OnDmenad

• Went to Allocations Landing page > looked for examples

• Then found under Get Started > Project Types

• NOTE: Would it be helpful to have project type link on Allocations landing page?

• Task 7: Where would you go to find the definition of an unfamiliar term or phrase used in ACCESS?
  Interview notes here

• Support > Documentation > used Search

• NOTE: Glossary link and other footer links blocked by QA Bot
  
  

• Task 8: Where can you go for help to use the ACCESS system? Where can you go to open a help ticket?
  Interview notes here

• Easily found ticketing system on the support landing page

• Believes if is an issue about access, policy, allocation he can submit a ticket here, but if it is technical he’d submit a ticket with the admin of the system.
  
  

• Task 9: If you want to get involved and volunteer with the ACCESS community where would you go?
  Interview notes here

• Went to About looked through page content and then found “Get involved” on the side bar
  
  

• Task 10: What’s the first step to get started using ACCESS?
  Interview notes here

• create account, login, apply
  
  

• Task 11: Where can you find information about citing ACCESS in your publications?
  Interview notes here

• Found side bar on About page
  
  

• Task 12: Where do you go to find Systems Status?
  Interview notes here
  ”I don't assume we can find that kind of information on the website okay .”

• Could not find - looked in resource catalog

• Would not think to look in “News”

• “System Status Notifications?”

• Resource catalog: Had questions about Wait time. How often is it updated, etc.

• NOTE: Does System Status News need to be more easily findable?

• NOTE: Is there other explanatory text that would be helpful with wait times section in Resources catalog?
  
  More experienced user questions:
  
  

• Task 13: Do you know what the XDMod tool is used for and how to find it?
  Interview notes here
  
  

• Task 14: Can you find what resources are running PyTorch?
  Interview notes here
  Looked on Resources page – couldn;t fine

• Software Discovery System was very helpful for him

• Curious about process if software is not installed - which RPS would install or let you install

• NOTE: Would be good to link to software discovery?

• NOTE: Do we have copy about process if software is not installed - which RPS would install or let you install
  
  

• Task 15: Can you find a resource that runs ACCESS On-Demand?
  Interview notes here
  Remembered seeing in Support > Tools

• Task 16: Can you find an Affinity Group for FABRIC users?
  Interview notes here
  Went to About > Get Involved > Support > Affinity Groups

• Searched for Fabric

• NOTE: Should all Affinity Groups be alphabetical and not grouped with ACCESS groups first?

• Task 17: Where can you go for training to use ANVIL?
  Interview notes here
  Went right to Events > typed Anvil in Search

• Task 18: Can you find how to get started with ACCESS MATCH services to help you with your research project?
  Interview notes here

• Found on Support home page
  
  

• Task 19: Please review this page and suggest any additions or deletions.
  https://access-ci.org/get-started/educators
  Interview notes here

• Did not find landing page

• Would like more case stories, videos showing examples

• NOTE: Make LP drop-down more clickable

• NOTE: Do we want to include more Case Stories variety? Videos?
  
  

• Task 20: Do you understand that ACCESS resources can be used in the classroom as a training tool, not just for research projects?
  For an educator who has used ACCESS: What was your timeline to get an ACCESS resource ready for use in your classroom activities? Would you be willing to lead up an ACCESS educators affinity group?
  Interview notes here

It is difficult at his school to create a uniform platform for education (1:36) so this would be a big benefit of the program, but how efficient would the process be?

NOTE: More educator user stories would be helpful

• Wrap up, thank you, at end of interview save transcript