System Update for the Academic Research Cloud System
The Academic Research Cloud System (ARCS) will terminate operation of its current system at the end of August 2026 and begin operation of a new system in September 2026.
Concept of the New System
In response to the growing computational demands of research activities and the expanding use of research data in recent years, the new system will evolve from a service centered on virtual machine (VM) hosting to one focused on providing a research computing infrastructure. For VM services currently used for web servers, mail servers, and similar applications, alternative platforms better suited to the characteristics of those systems will be utilized. ARCS will strengthen its role as a computing and data-utilization platform dedicated to supporting research activities.
The new system will also provide high-speed integration with on-campus computing systems and storage resources, while offering a secure research environment capable of handling highly confidential research data and data that cannot easily be transferred outside the university. Specifically, the new system is planned to integrate with the on-premises storage platforms RDM Drive and RDM ObjectStorage, as well as the Edge Computing Infrastructure, which is currently being developed as a container-based computing service. By leveraging container technology, the system will improve the reproducibility and portability of research environments while reducing the administrative burden associated with installing and updating operating systems and software.
At the same time, in light of rising hardware and software costs in recent years, the services provided will be reviewed to ensure sustainable operation. In particular, licensing costs for the software used in the virtualization infrastructure have increased significantly. Therefore, to secure the necessary functionality within a limited budget, the configuration of the virtualization platform will be revised. As a result, migration to the new system will, in principle, require the shutdown of VMs, except in certain exceptional cases.
With respect to availability and business continuity, the system will provide redundancy within the platform to ensure stable service operation. However, because ARCS is designed primarily to enhance computing performance and data utilization environments required for research purposes, off-site backup services will not be included in the system. Users are therefore requested to design backup strategies as needed, either independently or in combination with other services.
As a next-generation research platform that organically integrates research data, computing resources, and storage infrastructure, ARCS will support the advancement and efficiency of research activities and contribute to strengthening the university's research capabilities.
System Configuration
Services to Be Discontinued
As part of the system update, the following pilot services will be discontinued:
（Center for Information Technology Infrastructure, Institute for Information Management and Communication）
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