May 1-2, 2018
9:00 am - 4:30 pm
Instructors: Chris Geroux, Lee Wilson, Jasmine Hoover
This two day workshop will start with a quick overview of advanced research computing and how it can be leveraged by researchers in the humanities and social sciences. Participants will also receive a brief overview of current trends and topics in Research Data Management, with a focus on the development of Data Management Plans (DMPs).
One new aspect of advanced research computing is of particular interest to the humanities and social sciences, cloud computing. The cloud portion of the workshop begins by introducing cloud computing as a concept and the role it can play in your research, whether you need a persistently available computing environment for a web service, or more computing power than your laptop can offer for Big Data problems and anything in between. The first project we will cover is setting up a standard HTML based website in order to introduce all the basics of working in a cloud computing environment. We will then walk through using the command line and how it can be used to configure your cloud computing environment for your specific research projects. Mediawiki, Omeka, Joomla, Drupal, and WordPress are popular content management systems (CMS) that have almost identical deployment methods and so while we will choose one of these to introduce security topics such as data encryption and software updates it will be representative of all these deployments.
Who: The course is aimed at researchers and students in the humanities and social sciences at Cape Breton University. You don't need to have any previous knowledge of the tools that will be presented at the workshop.
Where: Centre for Sound Communities, near 140 University Boulevard, room/area AC-223. Get directions with OpenStreetMap or Google Maps.
When: May 1-2, 2018. Add to your Google Calendar.
Requirements: Participants must bring a laptop with a Mac, Linux, or Windows operating system (not a tablet, Chromebook, etc.) that they have administrative privileges on. They should have a few specific software packages installed (listed below). They are also required to abide by Code of Conduct.
Accessibility: We are committed to making this workshop accessible to everybody. The workshop organizers have checked that:
Materials will be provided in advance of the workshop and large-print handouts are available if needed by notifying the organizers in advance. If we can help making learning easier for you (e.g. sign-language interpreters, lactation facilities) please get in touch (using contact details below) and we will attempt to provide them.
Contact: Please email chris.geroux@ace-net.ca or lee.wilson@ace-net.ca for more information.
Surveys
Please be sure to complete this survey after the workshop.
| 09:00 | How Can Advanced Computing Expand My Research? |
| 10:00 | Coffee |
| 10:30 | Research Data Management Workshop |
| 12:00 | Lunch break |
| 13:00 | Cloud Powering DH Research |
| 14:30 | Coffee |
| 16:00 | Wrap-up |
| 16:30 | END |
| 09:00 | Cloud Powering DH Research cont. |
| 10:00 | Coffee |
| 12:00 | Lunch break |
| 13:00 | Cloud Powering DH Research cont. |
| 14:30 | Coffee |
| 16:00 | Wrap-up |
| 16:30 | END |
To participate in a this workshop, you will need access to the software and accounts described below for the sections of the workshop you are participating in. In addition, you will need an up-to-date web browser.
The research Data Management workshop will use your laptop's web browser. To fully participate in the Research Data Management workshop it is recommended to sign up for a portage account prior to the workshop.
Bash is a commonly-used shell that gives you the power to do simple tasks more quickly. Having access to the Bash shell on your laptop is a critical requirement for the cloud workshop. Without it you will not be able to follow along with the instructor for much of the workshop or participate in many of the hands on exercises. We will use the Bash shell to connect to our cloud virtual machines and interact with them.
The default shell in all versions of macOS is Bash, so no need to install anything. You access Bash from the Terminal (found in /Applications/Utilities). You may want to keep Terminal in your dock for this workshop.
The default shell is usually Bash, but if your machine is set up differently you can run it by opening a terminal and typing bash. There is no need to install anything.
If you expect to continue using the cloud after the workshop having a Compute Canada cloud account will be helpful as it will allow you to keep your work and continue to have access to the cloud environment afterwards. If you are unsure if you will want to use the cloud after the workshop using a guest account in a shared project for the duration of the workshop is recommended. If afterwards you decide you do want to continue to use the cloud, you may then request a Compute Canada cloud account.
Getting an account usually takes a few business days as there are humans involved in the process. Ensuring you have a Compute Canada Cloud account at least a week before the course begins is recommended. There are two steps to getting a CC Cloud account:
If you have any questions about getting a Compute Canada account or a Compute Canada cloud account please don't hesitate to contact the organizers of the workshop.