Ursa Major

Modern Research requires advanced computing and data management resources

The University of California, Riverside is proud to announce its latest partnership with Google Cloud Platform (GCP), code-named Ursa Major, designed to provide the research computing support and resources necessary for our researchers to advance their work and unlock new opportunities for innovation and growth.

Ursa Major Resources

Through Ursa Major, UCR’s researchers will have access to the following new and exciting resources:

• Research Workstations: Researchers can access high-performance workstations with ample memory and CPU or storage capabilities.
• Auto-scaling HPC Clusters: Researchers can access cutting-edge high-performance computing clusters, equipped with the latest CPUs, GPUs, and large memory configurations.
• Research AI and Machine Learning Services: Researchers can leverage Vertex.ai, Google’s AI and Machine Learning platform, as well as other services, to support their research endeavors.
• Secure Research Storage: Researchers will have access to secure and optimized storage solutions, ensuring the safekeeping of their valuable research data.

This partnership with Google Cloud Platform is a major milestone for UCR, representing a significant investment in the future of research at our university. Our Research Computing Team is committed to providing a secure research computing infrastructure and research support services that will drive increased research output, grant funding, campus income, and prestige. This, in turn, will lead to the hiring of new faculty, positioning UCR as a leading R1 research university.

Ursa Major Resource Allocation Framework

UCR’s strategic approach to Ursa Major resource allocation ensures equitable access for researchers, prioritizing projects with significant potential for impact. The framework supports both high-value and exploratory projects through a tiered allocation system, optimizing cloud resource distribution and enhancing research capabilities.

Allocation Tiers

• Explore Tier: This tier provides a baseline level of resources suitable for researchers who are new to GCP or conducting small-scale experiments and projects. This tier allows for experimentation with various cloud technologies, small-scale storage needs, and testing code before deploying on a larger scale within the Advanced Tier.
• Advanced Tier: This tier is designed for researchers with larger-scale projects and higher resource demands, including moderate to high use of GPUs and most high-performance computing (HPC) needs involving large CPU and memory usage. Access to this tier will be granted based on a proposal review process conducted by a faculty panel.
• Researcher-Focused Subscription Agreement Tier: This tier, funded by the researcher, offers a dedicated GCP environment managed by ITS in close collaboration with Google. The use cases for this tier are limited only by the funding available on the subscription agreement. This includes use of GPUs, HPC workloads, AI model training, and more.

Requesting a URS Major Resource Allocation:

Submit your Ursa Major Allocation request here:

• Explore Allocation
• Advanced Allocation

The Research Advisory Board will review your project’s allocation request and the available resources to approve your allocation. Once approved, you will receive an email with your allocation details and you can begin using your resources.

Monitoring Allocations:

To ensure the efficient use of resources and to support our researchers in the best possible manner, UCR’s Research Computing team has implemented a comprehensive monitoring and optimization strategy for Ursa Major resource allocations. This approach enables us to track resource usage in real-time, identify bottlenecks, and optimize allocations to support a wide range of research activities effectively.

Researchers and the ITS team can access detailed analytics and insights into their resource usage through the following Ursa Major Dashboards:

Ursa Major Links

• Ursa Major Guidelines
• Knowledge Base
• Training and Workshops

Contact us for help or to learn more! research-computing@ucr.edu - UCR Research Computing Slack