RESEARCH COMPUTING GROWS UP BRIITE: Biomedical Research Institutions Information Technology Exchange 3 5 May 2006, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY BRIITE MISSION BRIITE is an informal organization of research IT leaders from a number of biomedical research institutions. The mission of BRIITE is to facilitate the successful deployment of IT in support of research by: establishing personal contacts among those responsible for research computing activities at biomedical research institutions identifying and documenting common problems and interests seeking opportunities for partnership / consortium activities identifying common issues that should be brought to the attention of home institutions, of government agencies, and of funding or regulatory organizations MEETING GOALS Information technology plays an essential role in almost all biomedical research. The evolution of biomedical research computing has been rapid and in the past systems were often developed on a shoestring,with success depending more upon the heroic efforts of volunteers than upon formal methods followed by professional IT staff. History shows that, for any field, when sufficient computing power becomes available at an appropriate cost, an information technology revolution occurs in the field, usually transforming the competitive landscape. After the revolution, access to robust, professional-quality IT system becomes a necessity. This has already occurred in the fields of high finance, transportation, and discount retailing. Now an IT revolution is sweeping through biomedical research. Best effort, no matter how good, is no longer enough. We need robust systems, solid disaster recovery plans, and 24/7 support. An increasing regulatory burden creates demands for systems with perfect audit logs of use and with full documentation of all permitted uses. Although the need for industrial-strength systems is widely recognized, many research organizations are experiencing some culture shock when they try to integrate the methods and demands of professional IT infrastructure into the creative, dynamic culture of investigator-initiated research. Although demand for professional IT support of biomedical research is increasing dramatically, federal budgets for research are flat or declining. How can we reconcile these conflicting facts of life to provide research with the stable and validated infrastructure it needs? This is the subject of the next BRIITE meeting. In our plenary sessions we will hear from some of our peers about approaches and initiatives, developed both inhouse and collaboratively, to provide professional-quality IT support for biomedical research. We will also consider some impediments to delivering such systems, along with some approaches that have worked. Then, smaller, selforganizing working groups will convene to consider issues of mutual interest. We have already found possible interest in having groups convene around the following subjects: project management; high-availability servers; Hosted by Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center http://www.mskcc.org
BRIITE Semi-Annual Meeting 2 disaster recovery planning; bullet-proof email; off-hour support; and the increasing burden of meeting regulatory requirements. Other topics will surely emerge at the meeting. MEETING LOCATION Every meeting event, with the exception of the Wednesday Data Center tour and the Thursday dinner/reception, will take place on the Ground Floor of MSKCC s Rockefeller Research Laboratories (RRL) Building, at 430 East 67 th Street, New York, NY 10011. This is between First and York Avenues, on Manhattan s Upper East Side. A bus will be provided from the meeting location to the Data Center on Wednesday. The Thursday dinner/reception will take place in the Benjamin and Irma G. Weiss Research Building of Rockefeller University, a five minute walk from the meeting location. The entrance to Rockefeller University is at East 66 th Street and York Avenue. Most attendees are staying at the Bentley Hotel, 500 East 62 nd Street at York Avenue, also a five minute walk from the meeting location. MEETING SCHEDULE Day 0, Wednesday May 3, is primarily a travel day. The bus trip to tour MSKCC s off-site Data Center leaves the meeting location at 12 noon. Meeting registration on Day 0 is from 4:00pm until 7:00pm. The opening reception and dinner start at 6:00pm. Participants arriving late are free to join us after 7:00pm, but may not be able to pick up their conference materials. Day 1, Thursday May 4, is a full day from 8:15am through 6:00pm, ending with a reception and dinner at Rockefeller University (starting at 6:30pm). Day 2, Friday May 5, will end at 3:30pm. MAY 3 (WED) SCHEDULE DAY 0 12:00 noon Campus Bus Lines bus leaves for optional tour (advance notice required) of MSKCC Data Center facilities (box lunch will be provided) Pickup location outside RRL, 430 East 67 th Street 3:30 pm Bus returns from tour of MSKCC Data Center facilities Drop-off location outside RRL, 430 East 67 th Street 4:00 pm Conference Registration Opens Foyer, Rockefeller Research Laboratories Building, 430 East 67 th Street 4:00 pm BRIITE Steering Committee Meeting Room RRL103, Rockefeller Research Laboratories Building, 430 East 67 th Street 6:00 pm Reception RRL Foyer and Board Room, Ground Floor, Rockefeller Research Laboratories Building, 430 East 67 th Street 7:00 pm Welcoming Comments & Dinner John Speakman, Director, Clinical Research Informatics, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center Robert J. Robbins, PhD., VP/IT, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center RRL Board Room, Ground Floor, Rockefeller Research Laboratories Building, 430 East 67 th Street 8:00 pm Conference Registration Closes 3 5 May 2006
BRIITE Semi-Annual Meeting 3 SCHEDULE DAY 1 MAY 4 (THU) 7:15 am Conference Registration Opens RRL Foyer, Rockefeller Research Laboratories Building, 430 East 67 th Street 7:30 am Continental breakfast RRL Board Room, Ground Floor, Rockefeller Research Laboratories Building 8:15 am PLENARY PRESENTATION: Welcoming Comments Introduction to BRIITE John Speakman, Director, Clinical Research Informatics, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center Pat Skarulis, Vice President and Chief Information Officer, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center Robert J. Robbins, PhD., VP/IT, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center RRL Auditorium, Ground Floor, Rockefeller Research Laboratories Building 8:30 am PLENARY PRESENTATION: Research Computing Grows Up Robert J. Robbins, PhD., VP/IT, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center RRL Auditorium, Ground Floor, Rockefeller Research Laboratories Building 9:30 am PLENARY DISCUSSION: Effective Management of an Off-Site Data Center Bruce Kenney, Director, Technical Resources, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center Patrick Carragee, Director, Integrated Client Services, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center RRL Auditorium, Ground Floor, Rockefeller Research Laboratories Building 10:30 am BREAK RRL Board Room, Rockefeller Research Laboratories Building 11:00 am PLENARY DISCUSSION: Stress Testing of Research Systems Ron Hood, Chief Security Officer and Manager Voice and Data Operations, FHCRC RRL Auditorium, Ground Floor, Rockefeller Research Laboratories Building 12:00 pm LUNCH RRL Board Room, Ground Floor, Rockefeller Research Laboratories Building 1:30 pm PLENARY PANEL: Establishment of a Project Management Office Paul Demediuk, PhD, Director of Projects and Planning, Salk Institute for Biological Studies Juany Jardines, Manager, SKI Research Computing, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center Judy Maus, Director of Projects and Planning, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center RRL Auditorium, Ground Floor, Rockefeller Research Laboratories Building 3 5 May 2006
BRIITE Semi-Annual Meeting 4 SCHEDULE DAY 1 (CONTINUED) MAY 4 (THU) 2:30 pm Working Group Sessions (self-organizing) Examples: Project Management formal or informal Research Libraries and Research IT Optimizing the Data Center Equipment Test Plans Federated Security Regulated IT Working with the IRB Biospecimen Inventory Tracking Storage Centralization Ground Floor Meeting Rooms 1, Rockefeller Research Laboratories Building 3:30 pm BREAK RRL Board Room, Rockefeller Research Laboratories Building 4:00 pm Working Group Sessions (continued) Ground Floor Meeting Rooms, Rockefeller Research Laboratories Building 6:00 pm Adjourn 6:30 pm Reception, Dinner Benjamin and Irma G. Weiss Dining Room, Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue (entrance at East 66 th Street) 1 Rooms available for breakout groups include: RRL 101 (10 people), RRL 102 (10 people), RRL 118 (20 people), RRL 117 (25 people) 3 5 May 2006
BRIITE Semi-Annual Meeting 5 SCHEDULE DAY 2 MAY 5 (FRI) 7:45 am Continental breakfast RRL Foyer, Rockefeller Research Laboratories Building, 430 East 67 th Street 8:15 am PLENARY PRESENTATION: Welcoming Comments John Speakman, Director, Clinical Research Informatics, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center Robert J. Robbins, PhD., VP/IT, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center RRL Auditorium, Ground Floor, Rockefeller Research Laboratories Building 8:30 am PLENARY DISCUSSION: Computing and Biology: Present and Future Chris Sander, Head, Computational Biology Center, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center RRL Auditorium, Ground Floor, Rockefeller Research Laboratories Building 9:15 am PLENARY DISCUSSION: BRIDG A Formalized Domain Model for Clinical Research Doug Fridsma, MD, PhD., Center for Biomedical Informatics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine RRL Auditorium, Ground Floor, Rockefeller Research Laboratories Building 10:15 am BREAK RRL Board Room, Rockefeller Research Laboratories Building, 430 East 67 th Street 10:45 am PLENARY DISCUSSION: Reports from the Working Group Sessions Speakers chosen by groups RRL Auditorium, Ground Floor, Rockefeller Research Laboratories Building 12:30 pm LUNCH (Box Lunch) RRL Board Room, Ground Floor, Rockefeller Research Laboratories Building, 430 East 67 th Street 1:30 pm PLENARY DISCUSSION: Information Technology Exchange (Identify things that worked/things that didn't - brief presentations) 3:30 pm ADJOURN RRL Auditorium, Ground Floor, Rockefeller Research Laboratories Building 3 5 May 2006
Getting to Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) MSKCC is located in the Upper East Side of Manhattan. The meeting will be held on the ground floor of MSKCC s Rockefeller Research Laboratories (RRL) building, at 430 East 67 th Street, between 1 st and York Avenues. RRL is the building numbered #10 in the diagram below. RRL is also the location for the opening reception and dinner. The Bentley Hotel, at 500 East 62 nd Street, at York Avenue, is between five and ten minutes walk to the meeting location. If you are arriving by air: Take a cab to the Bentley Hotel (62 nd and York) or the meeting location (67 th between 1 st and York). From La Guardia Airport (LGA) it will cost about $25 and will take between 30 and 45 minutes depending on traffic. From John F. Kennedy Airport (JFK) or Newark Liberty Airport (EWR) the cab will cost about $50 and take between 45 and 90 minutes depending on traffic. The subway is not really a viable option from the airports see the NYC subways document for more information if you are determined. If you are arriving by train: A cab from Penn Station (Amtrak, New Jersey Transit, and Long Island Railroad) to the Bentley Hotel (62 nd and York) or the meeting location (67 th between 1 st and York) will cost about $10 and take between 20 and 30 minutes depending on traffic. Subway is a viable option from Penn Station if you don t mind twenty minutes or so of walking (i.e., if you don t have much luggage) see the NYC subways document for more information. If you are arriving by car: Driving in Manhattan is not for the faint of heart. if in doubt you might wish to consider the train instead. Parking garages are plentiful in the MSKCC area but can easily exceed $50 per 24-hour period. The MSKCC parking garage is in the basement of the RRL building (the meeting location); its vehicle entrance is on 66 th Street between 1 st and York Avenues.
Map of NYC area, showing airports and New Jersey Data Center; inset of immediate MSKCC area
Taxis Manhattan is small, so taxis are relatively cheap. It s hard to spend more than $10-$15 if you re traveling between any two points in the city below 96 th Street. Penn Station to the meeting, for instance, will be about $10. Advanced taxi hailing: first locate yourself on an uptown/downtown (i.e., North-South) avenue, not a crosstown (i.e., East-West) street. Also try and get on an avenue that s going in the direction you want to go (if you know which direction that is). Hailing a cab is as simple as stepping off the curb and holding out your arm, like the Statue of Liberty. Be demonstrative. It only gets complicated when you need to figure out why many New York taxis seem to drive by without stopping for you. The answer is in the lights atop the cab they are not a two-state machine (available and unavailable) but a threestate machine (available, occupied and off-duty): Center light (on duty when this light only is lit; this cab s medallion number is 5N10) Side lamps (off duty when lit) When just the center light (i.e., the medallion number) is lit, the cab is available. When both the medallion number and the side lamps are lit, the cab is offduty. When no lights are lit, the cab already has a fare they are bringing to a destination. State your destination as Street / Avenue coordinates, e.g.: The meeting location is 67 th between 1 st and York the Bentley Hotel is at 62 nd & York Tips: 15-20%.
Subways Taxis are the suggested mode of transportation, especially to/from the airport. Subways are fast and convenient within the city, if you don t mind fast moving crowds and a walk from the subway station. They are not convenient to and from the airports, especially with luggage. Subway Stations There are three subway stations within fifteen minutes walk of the meeting location. The nearest subway station to the meeting location is the 68 th Street / Lexington Avenue Station on the 6 (green local) line. Walk one block south to 67 th Street then turn east (left) for three and a half blocks to the meeting location, 430 East 67 th Street. Also within walking distance is the 63 rd Street / Lexington Avenue Station on the F (orange) line walk four blocks north to 67 th Street and then turn east (right) and walk three and a half blocks to the meeting location. You can also use the 59 th Street / Lexington Avenue Station walk eight blocks north to 67 th Street and then turn east (right) and walk three and a half blocks to the meeting location. Fares Subway fare is a $2 flat fare for each trip, including transfers within stations. Purchase a MetroCard from the agent or the machine at each station. You will need to figure out how many rides you want the purchase the card for. MetroCards can be used on the JFK AirTrain but will cost $5 per ride. MetroCards cannot be used to/from Newark. Subway from Penn Station (Amtrak) Exit Penn station and walk two blocks east to 6 th Avenue. Take the uptown F (orange) train at 34 th Street and 6 th Avenue and get off at the 63 rd Street / Lexington Avenue Station on the F (orange) line. The subway ride will take about fifteen minutes. Walk four blocks north to 67 th Street and then turn east (right) and walk three and a half blocks to the meeting location. Subway from Airports There is no train service from La Guardia (LGA). From JFK Airport you can take the JFK AirTrain to Jamaica station, transfer to a Manhattan-bound E subway, then transfer at 51 st Street and Lexington Avenue to an uptown 6 train two stops to the 68 th Street / Lexington Avenue Station on the 6 (green local) line. Walk one block south to 67 th Street then turn east (left) for three and a half blocks to the meeting location. You can use MetroCards at $5
per ride. The journey to the 68 th Street Station will take approximately 60 minutes. From Newark Airport (EWR) you can take the Newark AirTrain to Newark Liberty Airport Train Station, then transfer to a New Jersey Transit train to New York Penn Station. The Newark Airtrain ride costs $5.50 (MetroCards are not accepted) and the New Jersey Transit ride costs $14.00 weekdays (again MetroCards are not accepted). Once at New York Penn Station, Exit Penn station and walk two blocks east to 6 th Avenue. Take the uptown F (orange) train at 34 th Street and 6 th Avenue and get off at the 63 rd Street / Lexington Avenue Station on the F (orange) line. The subway ride will take about fifteen minutes. Walk four blocks north to 67 th Street and then turn east (right) and walk three and a half blocks to the meeting location. The whole train ride will take about 90 minutes. Complete New York subway and bus maps and other information can be found at www.mta.info. JFK AirTrain information can be found at www.panynj.gov/airtrain/. Newark AirTrain information can be found at www.panynj.gov/airtrainnewark/.
RESEARCH COMPUTING GROWS UP BRIITE: Biomedical Research Institutions Information Technology Exchange 3 5 May 2006, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY MEETING GOALS Information technology plays an essential role in almost all biomedical research. The evolution of biomedical research computing has been rapid and in the past systems were often developed on a shoestring,with success depending more upon the heroic efforts of volunteers than upon formal methods followed by professional IT staff. History shows that, for any field, when sufficient computing power becomes available at an appropriate cost, an information technology revolution occurs in the field, usually transforming the competitive landscape. After the revolution, access to robust, professional-quality IT system becomes a necessity. This has already occurred in the fields of high finance, transportation, and discount retailing. Now an IT revolution is sweeping through biomedical research. Best effort, no matter how good, is no longer enough. We need robust systems, solid disaster recovery plans, and 24/7 support. An increasing regulatory burden creates demands for systems with perfect audit logs of use and with full documentation of all permitted uses. Although the need for industrial-strength systems is widely recognized, many research organizations are experiencing some culture shock when they try to integrate the methods and demands of professional IT infrastructure into the creative, dynamic culture of investigator-initiated research. Although demand for professional IT support of biomedical research is increasing dramatically, federal budgets for research are flat or declining. How can we reconcile these conflicting facts of life to provide research with the stable and validated infrastructure it needs? This is the subject of the spring 2006 BRIITE meeting. MEETING LOCATIONS Every meeting event, with the exception of the Data Center Facilities tour and the Thursday dinner/reception, will take place on the Ground Floor of MSKCC s Rockefeller Research Laboratories (RRL) Building, at 430 East 67 th Street, New York, NY 10011. This is between First and York Avenues, on Manhattan s Upper East Side. The bus for the Wednesday afternoon tour of the MSKCC Data Center Facilities will leave from in front of the RRL Building. The dinner/reception on Thursday will be held in the Weiss Dining Room, which is in the Weiss Building on the campus of Rockefeller University (not to be confused with the Rockefeller Research Laboratory Building, which is part of Memorial Sloan-Kettering). The maps on the following page show the locations of the Bentley Hotel and the RRL and Weiss Buildings. See the agenda for the specific times for the various meeting events. Note that Rockefeller University has a secure, fenced perimeter so that you will need to enter the campus through the main gate as shown on the maps, even if you are coming from the hotel. Hosted by Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center http://www.mskcc.org
BRIITE Semi-Annual Meeting 2 3 5 May 2006
Walking from the Bentley Hotel (500 East 62 nd Street, at York Avenue) to the meeting location (Rockefeller Research Labs, 430 East 67 th Street between 1 st and York Avenues): Exiting the hotel, turn left. Turn right at the first crosswalk, over East 62 nd Street Continue up York Avenue, crossing the double lanes of traffic at East 63rd Street. Beware of traffic turning right across the crosswalk: wait for the WALK sign.
Continue up York Avenue, passing East 64 th, East 65 th and East 66 th Streets on the left and the Rockefeller University campus (and its main entrance, the 66 th Street Gate) on the right. At East 67 th Street, turn left and cross York Avenue. The main MSKCC hospital building is diametrically opposite you, but don t cross East 67 th Street. stay on the left side. Continue on East 67 th Street to the first entrance on the left. This is the RRL building, 430 East 67 th Street.
Enter the building. The meeting is on the ground floor. Walking from the meeting location (Rockefeller Research Labs, 430 East 67 th Street between 1 st and York Avenues) to the location of the reception and dinner on the second day (Weiss building, Rockefeller University): Exiting the RRL building, turn right and walk down East 67 th Street. Walk straight across York Avenue.
Turn right. The Rockefeller University campus, with the Caspary Auditorium dome, will be on your left. Enter the main Rockefeller University 66 th Street gate (on your left). There is a pedestrian entrance just to the side. The guard at the gatehouse will direct you to the Benjamin and Irma C. Weiss Research Building (aka Weiss Building where the reception and dinner will be held. There will also be signs, or you can consult the Rockefeller University Campus Map document (Weiss Building is #20). Walk a few steps up the hill, then turn right on a white marble path just after the small parking lot and walk to the end of the path, then take steps to your left and enter the Weiss building (on your right) through the glass doors.
Returning to the Bentley Hotel (500 East 62 nd Street) from the reception and dinner on the second day (Weiss building, Rockefeller University): Turn left out of the main Rockefeller University gate on the near sidewalk (York Avenue). Continue down York Avenue, passing East 65 th street and East 64 th Street on your right. Cross the double lanes at East 63 rd Street, again being careful of turning traffic.
At East 62nd Street, the Bentley Hotel is across the street to your left.
the rockefeller university Campus Map New York-Presbyterian Hospital and Weill Medical College of Cornell University 68th Street Gate 1. 2. Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Hall Caspary Auditorium Avery Gate Parking 17 N 3. 4. 5. Caspary Hall Detlev W. Bronk Laboratory Faculty House 6. Flexner Hall 18 7. Founder's Hall York Avenue 2 1 3 6 8. 9. 10. 11. Gasser Hall Graduate Students Residence Hospital Nurses Residence 66th Street Gate and Main Entrance 65th Street Gate 64th Street Gate Parking 16 14 9 4 12 7 10 8 11 13 19 Franklin Delano Roosevelt Drive East River Esplanade 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. The Peggy Rockefeller Plaza John D. Rockefeller, Jr. and David Rockefeller Research Building Sophie Fricke Hall Scholars Residence Tennis Court Theobald Smith Hall Smith Hall Annex Welch Hall (Library) Benjamin and Irma G. Weiss Research Building 20 York Avenue East River 5 15 The Rockefeller University 1230 York Avenue New York, NY 10021 Tel. (212) 327-8000 Fax. (212) 327-7974
If you are driving to MSKCC s New Jersey Data Center (NJDC) instead of using the Campus bus NJDC s address is 1050 Wall Street West, Lyndhurst, NJ 07071. It is just south of the intersection of Routes 3 and 17. If you are driving your own vehicle to NJDC, plan to be there about 1:00pm. Look for the Campus Bus Lines bus. If you want to know where the bus is, or you are lost, call John s cell phone (646 591 2078). Be aware that driving in the NY/NJ metro area is not for those uncomfortable with urban driving. From New England and points North: 1. Take I-95 South to exit 16W to Secaucus/Rutherford/Lincoln Tunnel (Route 3) - go 0.8 mi 2. Bear right onto the RT-3 W ramp to Rutherford - go 1.6 mi 3. Take the RT-17 S exit to Lyndhurst - go 0.3 mi 4. Take the RT-17 S ramp to Lyndhurst - go 0.4 mi 5. Bear right at Rutherford Ave - go 0.1 mi 6. Turn left at Polito Ave - go 0.2 mi 7. Turn left at Wall St W - go 0.1 mi 8. 1050 is the building on the right surrounded by a parking lost park anywhere in the lot. From Washington DC and points South: 1. Take I-95/New Jersey Turnpike North to the RT-3 exit 16W to Secaucus/Rutherford/Sports Complex - go 1.1 mi 2. Follow from 2 in From New England and points North. From New York City and points East: 1. Take Lincoln Tunnel to New Jersey, merge into I-495 W - go 0.6 mi 2. Continue on RT-495 W - go 2.8 mi 3. Take the RT-3 W ramp to Meadowlands Sports Complex/Garden State Parkway/Secaucus - go 4.3 mi 4. Follow from 3 in From New England and points North.
Driving back from NJDC to the MSKCC Parking Garage: 1. Head northwest from Wall St W - go 0.1 mi 2. Turn right at Polito Ave - go 0.2 mi 3. Turn right at Rutherford Ave - go 0.1 mi 4. Bear right into the RT-17 N entry ramp - go 0.2 mi 5. Bear left onto the RT-17 N/RT-3 ramp - go 0.1 mi 6. Bear right onto the RT-3 E ramp to New York - go 4.2 mi 7. Bear right onto the RT-495 E ramp to Lincoln Tunnel/Kennedy Blvd - go 3.0 mi 8. Continue on I-495 E - go 1.1 mi 9. Turn left at W 34th St - go 0.8 mi 10. Continue on E 34th St - go 0.7 mi 11. Turn left at FDR Dr Service Rd E - go 0.1 mi 12. Bear right into the FDR Dr N entry ramp - go 1.2 mi 13. Take the E 61st St exit - go 0.1 mi 14. Turn left at E 61st St - go 200 ft 15. Turn right at York Ave - go 0.1 mi 16. Turn left at E 66th St - go 30 ft 17. Turn right into MSKCC parking garage