The Extreme Science and Engineering Discovery Environment (XSEDE) is a partnership of 17 institutions that claims to offer the most advanced, powerful, and robust collection of integrated advanced digital resources and services in the world.

XSEDE, which replaces and expands the TeraGrid project begun more than a decade ago, offers more than just computing resources, however. According to the website, the XSEDE User Access Layer provides a comprehensive view of the resources available -- not just those at XSEDE partner sites, but any resources. It integrates authentication and job monitoring and provides a comprehensive overview and single point of contact for the cyberinfrastructure. The project also offers advanced cybersecurity to ensure protection from attack, training, education, and outreach, and advanced support for novel and innovative projects.

Additionally, the Technology Insertion Service allows researchers to recommend technologies for inclusion in the XSEDE infrastructure and lets the XSEDE team evaluate and incorporate them where appropriate.

"Enabling scientific discovery though enhanced researcher productivity is our goal, and XSEDE's ultimate reason for being," explained Barry Schneider, a program director in the Office of Cyberinfrastructure at the National Science Foundation (NSF) in the August press release announcing the formation of the project. The NSF will fund the XSEDE project for five years, at a cost of US$ 121 million.

Currently, XSEDE supports 16 supercomputers and high-end visualization and data analysis resources across the country.

To learn more, including how to get an allocation of computing time, visit the XSEDE project:

https://www.xsede.org/home