Computing Allocations Overview
Computing allocations are awarded based on the number of Service Units (SUs) requested, with 1 SU equal to 1 CPU-hour. Allocation requests are subject to a committee review process. Allocations are typically for one year, although experienced users may apply for a multi-year award. Time can be requested on more than one machine as long as the total time does not exceed the award limits.
- Academic Associates Program (University of California only)
Researchers from University of California campuses, including graduate students, can apply for free access to SDSC resources through the Academic Associates Program. Through startup accounts, AAP helps UC researchers learn how to use SDSC resources, paving the way to larger allocations. - Development (Start-up) Allocations: 0 - 30,000 SUs
These small awards target new users, classroom accounts, and PIs with modest computational needs. Submissions are accepted at any time and responded to within 1-2 weeks. Only an abstract of your project and the PI's CV are required. - Medium Resource Allocations: 30,001 - 500,000 SUs
Medium-sized awards are appropriate for most users with mature computational projects. Proposals are reviewed quarterly by the Medium Resource Allocation Committee (MRAC). - Large Resource Allocations: greater than 500,000 SUs
Large awards (no SU request limit) are intended for experienced users with very extensive computational requirements. Proposals are reviewed twice yearly by the Large Resource Allocation Committee (LRAC).
A complete description of the NFS allocations process
is available at the Teragrid web site.
SDSC also offers data allocations for long-term storage, data collection hosting, and database hosting. See SDSC Data Central.
