FAQ
If I’m just starting, who should I speak to if I want to get on the grid?
New users, institutions and projects interested in using the EGI infrastructure
should contact the National Grid Initiatives in their members states.
http://www.egi.eu/cms/about/governance/.
From EGEE to EGI - FAQ
1. Will my jobs still run?
Yes.
The same tools and services will be available to users of the infrastructure,
but coordinated by EGI.eu. Your jobs will still run if the resource providers
that are operating within EGEE continue to make their resource available to
your community in the EGI era.
2. Will services be interrupted?
Our goal is to ensure as smooth a transition as possible.
The current infrastructure will remain operational after the end of EGEE-III,
coordinated EGI.eu.Changes made in order to improve the service levels
and quality will be applied incrementally once the basic operations are established.
3. Can I continue to submit my jobs through the same tools?
Yes.
The infrastructure currently supported by EGEE, with its associated
services and support, will now be coordinated by EGI.eu. There will be no
immediate changes in the deployed software. New and improved services
and tools will be available from EGI.eu’s software providers later in 2010.
4. Will I be part of the same Virtual Organisation (VO)?
Yes.
EGEE’s setup will be the starting point for EGI.
5. What will happen to my data?
Nothing.
The data located on the grid resources within EGEE will also be available
on the EGI grid infrastructure, provided your resource provider continues
to make the resources available to you through your VO. It is expected that the
mechanisms to access your data will remain the same as during EGEE.
6. Will I still be able to access the same sites and resources?
Yes.
However, this depends on the willingness and ability of the NGIs and sites
supporting your VO to join the EGI, as it is up to the NGIs to decide which
resources to make available to each VO.
7. Who will I contact if I have problems?
Continue to use your existing support mechanisms – Global Grid User Support. Your
NGI may also provide a helpdesk for local issues. Additionally, a number of domain
specific Virtual Research Communities (VRCs) will be available to give dedicated
help to specific disciplines. Generic Specialised Support Centres (SSCs) can provide
dissemination, training, application porting and support for new users will help attract
and bring new communities onto the grid.
8. Will the quality of the infrastructure remain the same?
Its quality will increase.
The investments that EGEE-III (and earlier projects) have made in establishing
and refining the operation of the production infrastructure and how it is monitored,
will lead to further improvements in reliability. EGI will continue this work with its
resource and software providers to provide higher levels of reliability and
extended services.
9. What is the benefit of this new arrangement?
The e-Infrastructure that you use will move from short-term EU project funding
to longer-term national funding. This will lead to a more sustainable funding
model for the future. A lasting model will promote long-term science commitments
from ESFRI projects (those within the European Strategy Forum on Research
Infrastructures) and will assure researchers that their data will be safe for years
to come.
10. What will the infrastructure look like in 2 years time? 5 years? 10 years?
This will depend to a large degree on the adoption, use and future requirements
of you, the users, and from the NGIs that provide the majority of the infrastructure
in each country. EGI will also gradually introduce new technology and extend the
scope and interoperability of the infrastructure in response to the feedback from
its users and resource providers.