Research Developer Cloud
a research cloud for easy and adaptable collaboration around research data
 Attribution: Cloud-native services
develop and manage custom, interactive solutions for researchers |  Attribution: Programmable infrastructure
apply DevOps practices enabled by Infrastructure as Code to help you automate, measure, collaborate and learn |  Attribution: Partnership-led approaches
partner with NeSI’s DevOps specialists to build software tools or manage a platform that can benefit your research community |
Platform news
January 2025
Supporting teams building the next generation of workflows and platforms
Pilot projects from Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research, GNS, the University of Otago, and the University of Auckland are active on NeSI's Research Developer Cloud. They are helping us identify user needs and make continuous improvements to the service before we widen access. All of the pilot projects share commonalities around themes of machine learning (ML), pipeline development for ML, and back-end development of applications. The Research Developer Cloud is seen as the enabler for these projects to improve on their existing workflows via automation and DevOps. If you'd like to join this early access cohort, click here to apply.
Our upcoming talk at the eResearch NZ / eRangahau Aotearoa 2025 conference (11-13 February, Ōtautahi Christchurch) will share some of our learnings from working with these projects.
Alongside the ongoing development of our cloud services, we are also working towards building Blueprints for useful patterns that can support your research applications and pipelines. If you’ve got a specific use case in mind, get in touch.
Features
Our platform's cloud building blocks include:
Virtual machines optimised for high-performance computational needs. Multiple flavours of CPU and GPU resources to support a range of compute and memory requirements.
→ Get started with our Compute User Guides
Tailored operating systems to meet your research computing and data needs. Ready-to-use options available, as well as capability to create custom images and contribute to a pool of community-developed images.
→ Get started with our Images User Guides
Scalable storage space that can be dynamically mounted to your Compute instances. Options to encrypt storage volumes for added security.
→ Get started with our Storage User Guides
Fast, reliable, and secure connectivity built on the REANNZ national network. Options for network customisation and security groups.
→ Get started with our Networks User Guides
Identity management services to create application credentials and control access to your projects.
→ Get started with our Identity User Guides
All services are programmable via a public API to enable repeatable definition of infrastructure through software code.
Pricing
Billable services in the Research Developer Cloud include:
- Virtual Machines (VMs)
- General Purpose Graphical Processing Units (GPUs)
- Storage
For full pricing details, visit our Pricing page.
Get started
We invite you to apply for early access if you are:
- developing complex solutions that support custom workflows and a range of user experiences
- seeking a locally owned and sovereign cloud computing platform to build and develop tools that can support research data collaborations
- interested in partnering with NeSI to apply DevOps approaches and best practice to your research activities
Underpinning this platform is a collaborative culture, focused on supporting national research communities and missions. For an deeper dive into the vision and initial capabilities available, watch this explainer video on NeSI's YouTube channel.
If you'd like to chat with us about how our platform can support your research, get in touch.
What’s next
This new platform is being developed in phases based on agile and lean-startup principles, supporting iterative development and delivery of value alongside continuous discovery and learning. As more tenants are brought onto the Flexible HPC platform, we'll be expanding its capabilities and sharing our experiences and insights with the wider community.
Learning as we grow
Collaboration and learning are among the pillars of DevOps practices. With that in mind, we're keeping our roadmap open as we explore opportunities to engage with developers in the research space. We're keen to learn what sorts of skills, features, use cases and support you need to build solutions that work best for your communities.
We want to work with you to strengthen Aotearoa's research developer ecosystem, rolling out future cloud services that are tailored to meet research DevOps needs. Want to be part of our journey? Let's talk.
Sharing what we know
Through past collaborations with research groups, our team has gained expertise in technologies such as Keycloak (identity management), Kubernetes (infrastructure management), and Ansible/Terraform (automated deployment).
As part of our collaborations with platform tenants, we will share blueprints of solutions created so that others can learn from them and apply similar approaches to their projects or build upon the solutions developed to deliver expanded benefits.
Case studies from some of our current collaborations:
- Advancing the wellbeing of Aotearoa New Zealand through co-designed solutions
- Building a treaty-compliant data archive for New Zealand's taonga species
Shared responsibility model
NeSI delivers secure, high performance, and flexible eResearch computing services to support New Zealand research communities. Within NeSI’s cloud-native infrastructure, security is a shared responsibility. NeSI’s team and research teams work in concert to ensure the platform and everyone’s data and software remain secure.
The way we work together on this platform is captured within a Shared Responsibility model. Shared Responsibility emphasises the kaitiakitanga, the collaboration, and the coordination essential to its maintenance and to protecting the research communities it enables. This shared way of working is becoming more common, yet there is plenty to learn.
NeSI are openly exploring how we can bring greater value to, or reduce the risk of your research efforts, and of how best to refine the attributes of this sovereign platform and how we carry our shared responsibilities. We’ll share our experiences and insights, and welcome you sharing yours. Reach out anytime.
