The Center for Research Computing (CRC) manages shared computational and data resources for a wide range of research projects affiliated with Rice University and the Texas Medical Center.

The CRC administers and maintains infrastructure in four core service areas: Shared Computing Clusters, the Research Data Facility, the High-Speed Data Transfer Infrastructure, High-Performance Visualization, and Virtual Machines. While these services often fit together, each provides unique capabilities designed to accommodate specific research tasks.

This page gives an overview of these services, with links to more detailed information on each of them. If you have any questions or find that the services below do not meet your research computing needs, contact our CRC staff via ticket.

Shared computing resources

High-powered computing resources for big datasets.

• Our Resources

  • Details about our resources

  • Apply for Account(s) / Managing accounts

  • How Much Does It Cost?

  • CRC Policies

    • Data Management

    • User Fees

    • Retention Policies

    • Software Policies

    • Service availability and uptime support statement

    • Acceptable Use Policy

  • CRC Tutorials

  • CRC Webinars

  • High-performance clusters

  • Research Data Facility (RDF)

  • Visualization Help
  • REDCap
  • Research Virtual Machines (ORION)
  • Remote Access to Services and Resources
  • Research Client Services
  • Secure research desktop environments
  • Get Help
  • External Unsupported Resource Pointers

• National Resources

  • Part of the mission of the CRC is to serve as an onramp for our researchers to scale their problems up to the minimum size requirements at big national supercomputing resources. One such national resource is the Extreme Science and Engineering Discovery Environment or ACCESS

  • Common Questions About ACCESS/XSEDE

High-Performance Computing Cluster(s) (HPC) 

When your project has outgrown your desktop/laptop.

Research Data Facility (RDF) 

When your project has outgrown your hard disk.

• Cluster Data Backup, Recovery, Compliance, Regulatory Controls, and Restrictions
• Research Data Facility

  • High-speed data transfer (When your project is too big for a regular FTP transfer. Specialized, NSF-funded infrastructure for moving large-scale data sets)

    • Globus Data transfer nodes (DTN)

    • Getting Started

      • Works with: scratch, work, projects, and home directories, your Rice G Suite Google Drive, and remote sites using Globus

    • Off-Campus Transferring to Shared Computing Resources if you can't use Globus
• General OIT Google Drive Information
• General OIT Box Information

Visualization 

Help with Visualization of data.

• Visualization help

REDCap

A secure web application for building and managing online surveys and databases

• CRC REDCap Service

Virtual Machines (ORION) 

Help when your project needs virtual machines.

• Commercial options currently available through Amazon AWS and Google Cloud Computing. The CRC can help you to get a quote and even to get started. Google currently offers $300 in credits to new users. Additionally for Researchers Google offers Research Credits 
• Owl Research Infrastructure Open Nebula (ORION) VM Pool on Rice Campus
• Decommissioned Resources

  • Shared Pool of Integrated Computing Environments (SPICE) Decommissioned: March 27th, 2018

Research Client Services 

• We offer system administration for your local research resources (currently Linux) Desktops, Laptops, Clusters, etc... provided they meet certain criteria. Please contact us to discuss.
• We offer consultation in tandem with your divisional representative for your local research resources

Secure Research Environments

• Facilitating access to a secure Virtual Research Desktop Environment (VRDE)
• Contact us to discuss

Help 

• File a help request ticket

External Unsupported Pointers 

• Git Resources