vScaler is now a key component of the MSc Advanced Computer Science course at Keele University, not only to teach theoretical cloud concepts but also to apply and evaluate practical solutions for researchers.
THE OBJECTIVE
Keele University sought a simple to use and cost-effective cloud-based platform for research and development on the Advanced Computer Science Masters course. The objective was to find a platform that enabled High-Performance Computing (HPC), Big Data and software containers in a training environment.
OUR SOLUTION
vScaler was installed onsite, providing the University with an optimised private cloud platform, with built-in application stacks to support HPC on demand and Big Data workloads. The platform supports Docker and Kubernetes which provide application portability with other container-based systems.
The platform is currently being used by academics, demonstrators, researchers and teaching staff alike, and has been directly embedded into teaching at the School of Computing and Mathematics which runs the MSc Advanced Computer Science course. One of the key modules of the course is ‘Cloud Computing’. This module teaches the fundamentals of cloud technologies such as different delivery methods, infrastructure and data mechanisms. vScaler is a key component of the MSc course, not only to teach the theoretical cloud concepts but also to apply and evaluate practical solutions.
“vScaler empowers teaching to educate the next generation of computer scientists, and to provide unique and on-demand resources for research”. Dr. Misirli, Lecturer, Keele University
Lectures are supported by vScaler workshops, where students learn how to set up their own cloud infrastructure and develop software. vScaler is also part of the coursework to develop cloud applications and to critically evaluate the processes behind cloud technologies.
The platform is also used to support third-year dissertation projects which may require custom requirements. Due to the variety and number of projects changing every year, vScaler is an important tool that enables the staff to provide a flexible infrastructure for students.
vScaler is also used by the staff in research projects. Computational resources required for research vary greatly based on the project and time-line. It is crucial to support the staff with appropriate resources at any given time to generate reproducible scientific data. vScaler provides a unique opportunity to utilise and distribute on-demand computational resources at the School. This resource is also used in funding applications of different projects.
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ABOUT KEELE UNIVERSITY
Keele University is proud to be joint No.1 in England for Course Satisfaction in the Guardian University League Table 2019, in addition to having been ranked No.1 in England for student satisfaction in the 2018 National Student Survey, of broad-based universities. The University was also awarded Gold in the 2017 Teaching Excellence Framework. For more visit www.keele.ac.uk