The National Grid Service Applications Repository is designed to help users already familiar with specific applications to get started using grid resources. This image was produced using the AMBER or Assisted Model Building with Energy Refinement application, which is featured in the NGS repository. Image courtesy of AMBER and Matt Lee

The UK National Grid Service (NGS) recently released the NGS Applications Repository, a new and easy way to access NGS computing resources and installed applications.

“We would like to open up the grid to a whole new community of users,” explains Dave Meredith, the lead developer.

“Researchers who want to use the software they are familiar with can now use the portal to describe, publish and submit their job, without the need for middleware commands or grid knowledge.”

The Repository offers users access to the expertise of domain-experts and resource providers.

No certificate or account is required to explore the Repository; certificates are only needed to run a job.

Features of the Applications Repository

The NGS Applications Repository is accessible via the Web and includes a user-friendly graphical interface. It can be used for:

• creating templates which describe applications
• sharing templates with others
• viewing and using public templates
• job submission and monitoring

Templates are stored in the repository and contain details for each application on:

• overview of template
• arguments to application
• input and output files
• environment variables to set up
• hosts to run application on
• the Job Submission Description Language (JSDL) of the job

The search function allows users to find templates in their area of interest and modified templates can be saved for personal use or shared with others.

Please contact the NGS support center for more information on the NGS Applications Repository, or for requests for software application installations

- Katie Weeks, National Grid Service