Alberta takes Canadian lead in efforts to integrate cyberinfrastructure assets

Canada playing catch-up

After watching other nations take the lead, Canada is finally moving on developing its cyberinfrastructure (CI) for the research community with longer terms sights set on industry. Alberta is the first out of the gate with the creation earlier this year of Cybera Inc, a not-for-profit organization designed to deliver integrated services and solutions to provincial researchers utilizing CI technologies.

Cybera was formed out of Netera Alliance, a regional high-speed research network serving Alberta. It aims to make CI a shared utility that can be used by any organization or company on demand.

"Cybera is mandated to reach to industry and demonstrate the business case," says Ken Hewitt, Cybera's interim president and former president of Netera.

"Cyberinfrastructure is like the Internet 30 years ago. It's being driven by the research community and the global nature of research collaboration. We realized in Alberta that innovation and economic growth is tied to integrated infrastructure. We need to integrate and coordinate and the starting point is the academic community."

CI is often compared to the Web 2.0, the next generation of the Internet in which two-way, collaborative activity is the norm. CI encompasses information and communications technologies infrastructure including high-performance computing, grid middleware, data storage and collection facilities, visualization tools, remote sensors and collaboration facilities. These tools underpin many of the collaborative research projects being conducted today, with the key element being the grid middleware that makes all of CI's components work together. Many countries have already recognized the importance of CI and are investing heavily.

Cybera has a projected budget of $20 million between 2008 and 2012 and expects to secure funding from provincial and federal sources. That includes applying to CANARIE's new Network Enabled Platforms program launched last month.

"In Alberta, we realized there was a global trend and that the province needed to keep up," says Hewitt. "In the US, cyber infrastructure is led by the National Science Foundation. In the UK, it's called e-science. In the European Union, it's called e-infrastructure and is being funded through the seventh framework agreement."

The genesis of CI in Alberta goes back to 2001 with the launch of the province's first grid project, followed by the growth of sensor deployment, remote instrumentation, high-performance computing and visualization. Realizing that there was an opportunity to contribute to the creation of a globally competitive research infrastructure in Alberta, a Cyberinfrastructure Task Force was formed in 2005, leading to a white paper in early 2006 and a strategic plan later that year. Last January, the Alberta government provided $1.4 million in start-up funding to help Netera transition to Cybera, under the umbrella of Alberta Cyberinfrastructure for Innovation

"Cybera provides a good focal point around the integration and sharing of previously siloed activities. It's also a funded focal point so it has the resources to bring people together," says Hewitt. "The notion down the road is of plugging into CI just like they do today with electricity."

Alberta is well positioned to take advantage of CI. It addition to the province's four universities, it is also home to the Information Circle of Research Excellence (iCORE), which conducts research in computer science, electrical and computer engineering, physics, mathematics and other ICT disciplines. As of November 1st, Lynn Sutherland, iCORE's VP programs, will be taking over the reins of Cybera (see page 7).

Hewitt says one of the challenges Sutherland will face is convincing more industry that CI is critical to its future growth and prosperity. This applies particularly to oil and gas.

"We're planning pilot projects that conform to the province's four economic priorities. Two academic projects have already been approved and are underway," he says. "Cybera is driven by our universities and the major challenge is industry engagement. We want them to kick the tire of CI."

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