Role of RIST Kobe Center
Since FY 2012, the RIST Kobe Center has been carrying out the usage promotion service of the “Specific High-speed Computer Facilities” (then the K computer, now the supercomputer Fugaku since FY 2020), as the “Registered Institution for Facilities Use Promotion” based on the “Act on the Promotion of the Public Utilization of the Specific Advanced Large Research Facilities” (hereinafter referred to as the “Public Utilization Act”) , and has also been in charge of the usage promotion services , which are part of the management of the “innovative High Performance Computing Infrastructure (HPCI)”. The “innovative HPCI” is a publicly-called project commissioned by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT).
The Kobe Center has also been selected to undertake the above-mentioned commissioned project starting from FY 2017, and designated to take the role of the Representative for HPCI Operation. Thus, the RIST Kobe Center carries out the following work successively.
Registered Institution for Facilities Use Promotion
With regard to the Specific High-speed Computer Facilities of the Specific Advanced Large Research Facilities that are subject to the “Public Utilization Act”, it is required that the opportunities to use these facilities should be open to researchers in various fields including industry, through transparent and fair procedures in accordance with the “Basic Policy on the Promotion of the Public Utilization of the Specific High-speed Computer Facilities” (hereinafter referred to as the “Basic Policy”), which has been regulated by MEXT pursuant to the Public Utilization Act.
The RIST Kobe Center promotes the fair user selection and appropriate user support in accordance with laws and policies including the Public Utilization Act and the Basic Policy.
Commissioned Project Work of the Representative for HPCI Operation
In the HPCI operation, it is essential:
- to enable the matching of the computational needs to the resources throughout Japan,
- to accelerate the utilization of high performance computing (HPC) in a wide range from small-scale challenging researches to large-scale researches covering industrial use,
- to foster and enlarge the communities related to computational science and technology, and
- to contribute to the society by making the most of the research achievements,
by establishing and offering the system and mechanism in which a wide range of HPC users in Japan are able to effectively utilize the nation-wide HPC resources.
For these purposes, RIST establishes a system cooperating closely and integrally with the HPCI operators: RIKEN, the University of Tokyo, the University of Tsukuba, the Research Organization of Information and Systems, and the Foundation for Computational Science (FOCUS). Then, the RIST Kobe Center promotes various services such as general coordination for HPCI operation, project selection, management of the common contact point and user support, operation of the Access Point Tokyo, and promotion of industrial use.
Organization of RIST Kobe Center
As of April 1, 2021
Scope of Work
for each Department and Division of RIST Kobe Center
Project Planning Division
- Preparation of the Implementation plan
- Management of research results
- Certification of research achievements
- Development, operation and utilization of the HPCI Publications Database
- Publication of the HPCI User Reports
- Publication of the HPCI Research Report (the electronic journal issued by RIST)
- Promotion of collaboration with other organizations
- Promotion of complementary use with large experimental facilities
- International cooperation
Information Security and Management Division
- Management and operation of user management support systems
- Activities to ensure the security and reliability of the information processing
- Management and operation of such as the network and the email server
Department of Administrative Affairs
- General affairs, contract, budget, accounting and personnel affairs of the RIST Kobe Center
- Administration of each Department and Division
Department of Shared Use Promotion
- User selection for the HPCI system
- Administration for the Selection Committee and the Project Screening Committee
- Promotion of shared use of the HPCI system, such as user consultation through Helpdesk
- Work as the HPCI Operations Office
Department of Industrial Promotion
- Industrial use promotion work such as user consultation
- Support on conversion and tuning of application software for industrial use
- Administration of HPCI Access Point Tokyo (AP Tokyo)
Department of HPC Support
- User consultation for application software used on the HPCI system
- Support on conversion and tuning of application software used on the HPCI system
- Training, seminars and workshops to promote the use of the HPCI system
- Activities to promote the understanding of the computational science
Public Relations Division
- Work for public relations, dissemination and enlightenment on computational science and technology using the HPCI system, as well as on research achievements and various information
- Management and operation of the HPCI portal site for user support and relevant home pages
HPCI Coordination Division
- General coordination as the Representative for HPCI Operation
- Research on the future way of the HPCI operation
- Technical planning/coordination of the HPCI operation
Department of Research Promotion Support
- Research analysis on implementation of research and development promotion projects commissioned by the government
Contact information
| ［ RIST Kobe Center ］ | 6F, Kobe KIMEC Center Building, 1-5-2, Minatojima-minamimachi, Chuo-ku, Kobe-shi, Hyogo-ken, 650-0047 Japan [ MAP ] TEL: +81-78-599-9511 FAX: +81-78-599-9512 |
| ［ RIST Tokyo Office ］ （HPCI Access Point Tokyo） |
7F, Sumitomo Hamamatsucho Building, 1-18-16, Hamamatsucho, Minato-ku, Tokyo, 105-0013 Japan [ MAP ] TEL: +81-3-6433-0670 FAX: +81-3-6433-0673 |
| ［ RIST Tokai Office ］ | 2-4, Shirakata,Tokai-mura,Ibaraki-ken 319-1106, Japan. [ MAP ] TEL: +81-29-282-8352 FAX: +81-29-282-0625 |
Please see here for the history and other details of RIST.
Please refer to RIST Kobe Center or RIST Tokyo Office for the neighborhood center. (in Japanese)