SADC HPC Framework Adoption Workshop Capetown University of

SADC HPC Framework Adoption Workshop Capetown University of Botswana HPC Roadmap & National opportunities 2 nd -3 rd Dec 2013 Dr T. Motshegwa, Department of Computer Science

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Outline • University of Botswana (CS Department) HPC Roadmap • UB's Research Strategy & Strategic Plan • Outline of HPC Roadmap • HPC/Big Data Landscape & Potential Applications/Opportunities • Road Map Way Forward • How are Innovations around HPC & Big Data like? • National Opportunities & e-Government. • Preparedness: Computer Science Department Infrastructure HPC Framework SADC Workshop, Capetown 4

About UB • Largest established university in Botswana • 7 Established Faculties • Science, Engineering and Technology, Faculty of Health Sciences, Business, Humanities, Social Sciences. • School of graduate Studies • Office of Research & Development • Commercialization unit • Research centres • A detailed updated University Research Strategy (URS) approved by Senate in 2008 • Strategic goals and vision for research intensive institution HPC Framework SADC Workshop, Capetown 5

Research Strategy & UB Strategic Plan To increase staff participation To increase and enhance student research training To increase internal and external research funding To increase international collaborative research To increase the volume and quality of research outputs • To enhance the impact of research • To improve the integration of research and teaching • Therefore HPC Regional initiative fits in with our strategic outlook • • • HPC Framework SADC Workshop, Capetown 6

University of Botswana HPC Roadmap HPC Framework SADC Workshop, Capetown 7

Road. Map: Outline • Formed a Steering Committee to: • Complete and endorse country Needs Assessment Survey (Ongoing). • Identify research problems & projects, e. g. – SKA Related ** – HPC-As-A-Service*** – Bioinformatics* – Health & Medical Informatics – Epidemiological modeling** (Human, Animal diseases outbreaks) – E-Government & Big Data , Analytics Visualization*** – Meteorology**, Geological Surveys*, Remote Sensing*, Environmental observation* – Economic modeling* – Computational Finance* HPC Framework SADC Workshop, Capetown 8

HPC/Big Data Landscape & Potential Applications(1) • University wide HPC-AS-A-Service • Currently: None • Beneficiaries: Faculties, researchers, Government, outside stakeholders • SKA Project. • Currently: Conceived: Botswana to host some array elements and local HPC data center? • Beneficiaries: Physics, Computer Science & Mathematics Dept, Science education HPC Framework SADC Workshop, Capetown 9

Potential Applications(2) • Epidemiological Modeling • Currently: Standard research, hampered by lack of HPC for improved turnaround times • Human health - Some disease models defined • Animal health - None* • Foot & Mouth Disease (FMD) outbreak and management • Animal movement traceability • Vaccine/Vaccination assessments • Economic implications/Policy (EU Beef Exports) • Beneficiaries, Medical Schools, Ministry of Health, Dept of Animal Health, Botswana Vaccine Institute (FMD Regional. Capetown reference Lab) HPC Framework SADC Workshop, 10

Potential Applications(3) • Bioinformatics • Currently: None • Beneficiaries: Biological Sciences, CS – Multidisciplinary research • Potential international collaboration – Biotec Center Dresden, Prof Michael Schroeder? • Capacity building, Local problems focus: Wildlife species genomics, proteomics? • Health & Medical Informatics • Currently: Standard Research, patient records • Exploitation: Analytics, visualisation, policy • Beneficiaries: Ministry of Health, Health sector HPC Framework SADC Workshop, Capetown 11

Potential Applications(4) • Meteorological/Climate modeling • Currently: Some outsourced - third party weather forecast, wild fire monitoring? • Beneficiaries: Meteorological Services, Faculty of science • Stimulation of multidisciplinary research • Hydrology/Geological/Remote Sensing/Environmental observation • Currently: Standard Research • Exploitation: Analytics, visualisation – mineral prospecting, ground water resources: Policy • Beneficiaries: Ministry of minerals resources &, Faculty of science HPC Framework SADC Workshop, Capetown 12

Potential Applications(5) • Economic modeling • Currently: Standard research • Beneficiaries: Government, Faculty of Social Sciences, Economic Thinktanks e. g. Botswana Institute for Development Policy Analysis (BIDPA) • Stimulation of Multidisciplinary research • Policy formulation • Computational Finance / Modeling • Currently: Standard Research • Exploitation: Financial Instruments, Stochastic models, Model validation/caliberation, Analytics, visualisation • Beneficiaries: Finance sector, IFSC, Bo. B, Faculty of Business HPC Framework SADC Workshop, Capetown 13

More Potential Applications(6) • Telecommunications • Network usage, analytics, visualisation • Defence & Security • Penetration games, • cryptology, strategy and • policy making • R&D and Innovation Acceleration • Financial Markets and Financial Transactions HPC Framework SADC Workshop, Capetown 14

UB Roadmap: Way Forward(1) • Complete an extensive research proposal for HPC -AS-A-Service project • Actively seek sources of funding – ORD, EU-Africa FP 7, Wellcome Trust, British council. . . • Build alliance and collaborations • Liaise with regional partners – Formal programme and annual schedule calendar/events • Curriculum review, Parallel & Concurrent Programming course, Comp Finance+ HPC courses • Evaluate further opportunities. HPC Framework SADC Workshop, Capetown 15

UB Roadmap: Way Forward (2): • Infrastructure & Resources • Dedicated labs for HPC • Through networks with CHPC we can receive hardware from Texas Advanced Computing Center • Appointments – Dr D. Mpoeleng – Representation at the Ministry of Infrastructure, Science and Technology – Draft of a country plan for implementation – Dr T. Motshegwa - Operational level interface with country stakeholders and external partners and collaborators HPC Framework SADC Workshop, Capetown 16

Opportunities: Innovations around HPC & Big Data HPC Framework SADC Workshop, Capetown 17

Example of how Academic projects can evolve (UCL) • Satalia NPComplete Ltd, UCL spin off – Prof Antony Finkelstein, Dr Daniel Hulme • Provides Optimisation-As-A-Service • Satalia Solve. Engine • “One stop shop” for state of the art optimisation algorithms • Gives industry access to cutting edge technology/Algorithms • Intelligent use of compute resources • Produces smarter faster solutions to complex problems HPC Framework SADC Workshop, Capetown 18

Example benefits • Provides economic models to academics to commercialise their algorithmic inventions. • Allows academics to get access to critical data to improve their research. • Provides developers of software tools a new revenue mechanism to support development and exposure of their software. • Optimisation problems exist across computer science and engineering. • Satalia Solve. Engine solve problems in graph theory, logistics, system verification, Big. Data and cryptography. HPC Framework SADC Workshop, Capetown 19

How this is done • Provides a software platform • A portal and an API to allow submission of optimisation and retrieve solutions. • New optimisation translators and enconders to provide interoperability between algorithmic formats (SAT, CSP, FZN, LP, GPL, SMT, OPT). • Machine learning to match the right algorithm to the problems received. – Distributed computing running on HPC and on private and public clouds. – Management console for academics to include algorithms in the platform, commercialise IP, access valuable data to enable better research. HPC Framework SADC Workshop, Capetown 20

National Opportunities and Government's View HPC Framework SADC Workshop, Capetown 21

Stakeholders & Gov Institutions • Ministry of Infrastructure, Science and Technology • Department of Research Science and Technology • Mandate is to provide leadership in science and technology through the • Provision of an enabling policy and legislation environment and • Coordination of science and technology activities in the country. • Botswana Institute of Technology, Research and Innovation (BTRI) • Mandate is to undertake research, identify and or develop appropriate technologies in line with national priorities and needs of Botswana • Botswana Innovation Hub • Mandated to support new ventures and existing companies as well as attract companies, universities, research and advanced training institutes t establish in the Science and Technology Park HPC Framework SADC Workshop, Capetown 22

Botswana's National e. Government Strategy • “ 1 Gov” Seamless Government with intergrated Services • High Performance infrastructure and Data Warehousing • Integrated data sources • Improved Service Delivery • Fast and informative business intelligence to guide policy formulation HPC Framework SADC Workshop, Capetown 23

Gap Analysis • Large budget for hardware, software, power, networking and storage • Strong partnerships with private entities • Low levels of expertise – HR capacity building over the near and long term • Policies or frameworks that can nurture HPC advancement HPC Framework SADC Workshop, Capetown 24

Preparedness: Computer Science Department Infrastructure HPC Framework SADC Workshop, Capetown 25

About UB HPC Framework SADC Workshop, Capetown 26

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Thank you tshiamo. motshegwa@mopipi. ub. bw HPC Framework SADC Workshop, Capetown 33