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MSU Cloud Computing Fellowship 2022-23

1: Introduction to the 2022-23 MSU Cloud Computing Fellowship

You don't have to face the clouds alone

Welcome!

This is the first 'session' of the MSU Cloud Computing Fellowship (CCF) for 2022-2023. For a description of the program and how sessions are organized, see the CCF home page

The goals of this introductory session are to orient you to this program, introduce ourselves to each other, provide some background on cloud computing, set up our technology, and discuss what all of our expectations are.

If possible during the first week of this semester, please complete the following activities prior to our first synchronous meeting September 2. If you have any issues, trouble with these activities, or won't be able to attend the introductory meeting, or have any questions at all about your participating in the fellowship, please contact us.

Activities:

Introduce yourself on Microsoft Teams

You should have all been given access to a Team "MSU ICER Cloud Computing Fellowship" via your NetID.

Confirm Access to Azure Portal

  • Go to https://portal.azure.com.
  • Log in with your MSU netid and password.
  • Ensure you can access the Azure main web "portal."
  • You don't need to (and shouldn't) create any new resources or work with this website; simply confirm you have access. You may see a list of "resources" and will introduce Azure during our first meeting.

Readings

Introductions

  • Mahmoud Parvizi, Instructor & Research Consultant, ICER
    • Past experience & current role
    • Cloud facilitator
    • Participant in first Fellowship cohort
  • Patrick Bills, Instructor & Staff, Data Management & Analytics Data Science Team.
  • Brian O'shea, Director, MSU Institute for Cyber-Enabled Research (ICER)
  • Danielle Barnes, Associate Director, Data Management & Analytics (DMA), MSU IT Services.

A video of our introductions recorded in 2021 is avaialble on MSU MediaSpace (requires MSU log-in).

Participant Introductions & Discussion

Introductions from the 2022-23 Cloud Computing Fellows:

  • About you: your preferred name and pronouns, which degree program or department if faculty.
  • Research synopsis and methods
  • Previous experience with reseach computing including cloud computing (if any)
  • Current research computing hurdles, roadblocks, challenges & triumphs
  • Your goals for this fellowship
    • For example, how could cloud computing support yuor research? What do you think the cloud is or is good for, in general?

Fellowship Program Overview

Review our "syllabus" on the home page of this website for the schedule and topics we will cover.

Program synopsis:

  • Fall semester materials, activities, seminars and discussions (Pat Bills):
    • Goal, scope and expectation;
    • structure (pre-session materials and activities, "textbook");
    • in-person meeting approx bi-weekly and excluding holidays;
    • our expectations.
  • Winter/Spring semester Projects (Mahmoud Parvizi):
    • Goal, scope and expectation;
    • Proposal write-up and presentation early January;
    • Check-points to discuss progress and hurdles
    • Office hours & help
    • Final presentation during Symposium late april

Goals

Help you get an understanding of:

  • what is cloud computing?
  • what is cloud computing useful for?
  • when should it use it for my research computing?
  • how can I use it?
  • Understanding of the context of the technology we are learning about.

Help you get some practical experience

  • apply cloud to some aspect of your own research
  • apply cloud to generic/canned research-like problem

Non Goals:

  • prepare you for a cloud computing certification (there are many existing resources for that. )
  • become experts in everything
  • build a dot-com empire
  • cover all aspects of cloud

Introduction to Computing and Cloud Computing

Demonstration: Using the Azure Portal

A quick, live demonstration orienting you to the Azure portal and working with budgets. Our next session activities will include a detailed workshop on creating cloud computing resources such as a virtual machine.

Tutorial: "Setting a Cost Alert Using the Azure Portal"

More information about the azure portal including a video walk-through of the Azure portal is available in Session 2 activities.

Questions and Discussion

  • What things are at the top of your mind as you begin this program?
  • Which of these topics resonates with your previous experience using computing or cloud computing (if any)?

Post-session

After our introduction, you may have more qeustions than answers. Here are additional readings for details related

Readings

Additional Cloud background

These resources are abstract introductions or discussions about cloud computing, mostly from an academic perspective. However "academic" can also mean those responsible for maintaining a university's IT infrastructure or websites.