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About ColdFront

ColdFront is a framework written in Python that provides a central web-based portal and back-end infrastructure for the administration of shared resources, allocation management, and the collection of data useful for determining the impact of cyberinfrastructure resources. It was created to help HPC centers manage access to a diverse set of resources across large groups of users and easily automate the management of those shared resources following their organization’s policies. ColdFront reduces the staff time necessary for managing access to a center's infrastructure, provides decision makers with accurate reporting, and provides greater visibility & transparency to the center's users about what resources are available to them and how their allocations have been utilized.

Initially developed for use at the University at Buffalo's Center for Computational Research (UB CCR), ColdFront was intended to solve a two-fold problem:

  • We needed to capture information from faculty on the type of research they were doing with the center's resources
  • We wanted to alleviate the load on center staff for managing user access to shared resources

UB CCR's director envisioned a portal that would require faculty to update their project information regularly and provide information about grants and publications tied to their use of the center's systems. The center's system administrators desired more automation, less human error, and a secure method by which faculty could manage their own group's access.

From the start, ColdFront was developed with flexibility in mind. We knew that other HPC centers faced the same resource management issues as we did, but also knew they likely didn't have identical policies and workflows as us. ColdFront's flexibility and extensibility have made it easy to customize and implement for HPC centers of various sizes, from around the world. Some utilize ColdFront to manage a single cluster, some have multiple shared resources, and others are using ColdFront to manage resources across collaborating organizations.

In 2025, with community contributions to the project flowing in and interest growing quickly, UB CCR decided to pass the torch and make ColdFront a true community project. We welcome you to join us!