**Researcher: Elizabeth Hicks

ephicks@fastmail.net
Epsilon Delta Labs
Timezone: Central U.S.

Campus Champion
Research Collaboration between Science + Art
https://www.linkedin.com/in/elizabeth-hicks-b3038b32a/

Interview was conducted on Monday 2/3 2-4 pm

Interviewers:
Christine Golus, Rebecca Eveland

Via sign up form:

How should we address you?
Eliza

Please describe your experience with supercomputing
I use supercomputers often

Are you familiar with the U.S. National Science Foundation's ACCESS program?
Yes, I've used ACCESS in my research

Via pre-survey:

Please describe your experience using advanced research computing?
I am an experienced user (10+ years of experience after my PhD). I use ACCESS resources Stampede2/3, Ranch, and Expanse. I run large fluid dynamics simulations using an open source code (Nek5000) and visualization jobs using VisIt.

If you've used ACCESS, what allocation level did you start with?
Discover

What have you used or hope to use the ACCESS website to do?
Find information about computing resources, apply for resources, find out about allocation policies, and manage my account and allocations.

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

What is your research domain?
fluid dynamics

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?
supercomputer information pages

What one thing would you change about the program?
It would always work on my iPad.

Link to interview: video and transcript

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/

Eliza transferred from the xsede program so her entry point into ACCESS was relatively straightforward. She has used Stampede 2/3, Ranch, and Expanse (formerly Comet). She enjoys reading about supercomputing capabilities. She is a Redhat Linux and Firefox user. Had trouble with some features of ACCESS on her iPad. Will follow up in a separate email with information.

• 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 activity represented on the ACCESS website?
  Went to News to find research. Then went to Site map. Eliza noted that she navigates at the top of the page and then will scroll down to the very bottom to find what she needs. She scrolled through and found a News stories that seemed close to fluid dynamics (Wind and Water science story). Usually she gets her info about ACCESS from the newsletter or emails. She reads the newsletter.
  
  
  

• Task 2: Where can you find information specifically targeted for you?
  Went to home page, Get Started button and page, then For Researchers. Had no trouble finding this page.
  
  
  

• Task 3: Are you eligible to use ACCESS? Where can you find eligibility requirements?
  Skipped to Allocations and then found Eligibility since she has been to this section of the website before. Spends a lot of time with the policies. Understands she is not affiiliated with a university so eligibility for “I’m a researcher who is currently unaffiliated with an institution (e.g., retired or self-employed)” was pertinent.
  
  NOTE: Eliza’s navigation strategy is to look at the top and at the bottom of a website for info she is looking for.
  
  

• Task 4: Find information about the cost to use ACCESS.
  Noted there is a no cost statement on the Allocations home page. She remembered “no cost” from her first encounter on ACCESS maybe on home page. Then she has difficulty getting to the ACCESS home page. Clicking logo lands you on various home pages.
  
  NOTE: Home page icon is not very visible and can be easily missed.
  
  

• 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?
  
  Eliza has used both Stampede and Expanse. Stampede for big simulations, Expanse for a lot of smaller stuff so she knows a lot about these systems.
  
  Imagining herself just starting a project, Eliza went to Expanse via the Resource page. She knew to go right away to the Resources link in the top nav. Then immediately went to the user guide (which is located off the ACCESS page on the UC San Diego SDSC website) to learn:

  • What kind of jobs can I run on Expanse

  • What does the technical summary include

  • What nodes are available, how big is the computer

  • CPU computer vs. GPU

  • Queues

• Task 6: What is an allocation? What types of allocation projects can you apply for? How do they differ from one another?
  
  Eliza found her way quickly to the Allocations project table. Differences between project types was clear to her.
  
  As a current ACCESS user she is uncertain how to upgrade between projects. Does she have extra credits to move or lose credits? The initial allocation for the access credits will be half the total amount for the new opportunity, minus the amount consumed at the smaller scale.
  
  NOTE: Clean up content for how to manage a Project Upgrade.
  
  

• Task 7: Where would you go to find the definition of an unfamiliar term or phrase used in ACCESS?
  She would use Search or use Google. Did not find the Glossary. Most terms are familiar except for “test bed” and “composable systems”
  
  

• Task 8: Where can you go for help to use the ACCESS system? Where can you go to open a help ticket?
  
  Starts to go to the Resources first to find an answer and wants to find a user guide to find out how to login, etc. She has used the ticket system. If she had a general question she would try to email ACCESS and finds CONTACT ACCESS. Would log on and use the ticket system.
  
  NOTE: Make Contact ACCESS bigger in the footer.
  
  

• Task 9: If you want to get involved and volunteer with the ACCESS community where would you go?
  
  Eliza knows he has signed up for Affinity Groups.
  
  Lots of scrolling and searching. Tries Knowledge Base. Found Community section via Support nav at bottom of page. Also is an avid Newsletter reader and gets info from there.
  
  NOTE: What phrases are best? Get Involved, Volunteer, Join the Community?
  
  NOTE: Is mega footer navigation confusing?
  
  

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

• Task 11: Where can you find information about citing ACCESS in your publications?
  Goes to Allocations, Policies. Says you can find most things in Policies. Then Allocations mega footer, How To, then finds Acknowledge ACCESS.
  
  

• Task 12: Where do you go to find Systems Status?
  
  Usually Eliza doesn’t check Systems Status on the website. Assumes the systems are reliable and will receive a notification via email if something is down.
  
  

More experienced user questions:

• Task 13: Do you know what the XDMod tool is used for and how to find it?
  Complicated
  
  Checking on your projects performance?
  
  
  

• Task 14: Can you find what resources are running PyTorch?
  Software or tools
  
  
  

• Task 15: Can you find a resource that runs ACCESS On-Demand?
  
  

• Task 16: Can you find an Affinity Group for FABRIC users?
  
  
  

• Task 17: Where can you go for training to use ANVIL?
  
  

• Task 18: Can you find how to get started with ACCESS MATCH services to help you with your research project?
  Match services.
  Dating
  Emailed Matched.
  
  

• Task 19: Please review this page and suggest any additions or deletions.
  
  

• Task 20: How did you determine if the available ACCESS resources can support your research? Are you planning to use ACCESS resources again?
  
  First thing for a resource.
  What software or tools would I use?
  Can I do this on my local computer?
  Then I want to use ACCESS?
  What type of jobs would I run large or small? What size of job would
  lots of small parallel jobs
  Job on number of core
  How would I do this thing on a supercomputer? and the GPUs
  
  

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