Measuring XSEDE: Usage Metrics for the XSEDE Federation of Resources: A comparison of evolving resource usage patterns across TeraGrid and XSEDE

The Extreme Science and Engineering Discovery Environment (XSEDE) program and its predecessor, the TeraGrid, have provided a range of advanced computing resources to the U.S. research community for nearly two decades. The continuously collected data set of resource usage spanning these programs provides a unique opportunity to examine the behaviors of researchers on these resources. By revisiting analyses from the end of TeraGrid, we find both similarities and differences in ecosystem activity, not all of which can be explained by the technological advances of the past decade. Many of the basic metrics of computing system use show familiar patterns, but community composition and engagement have evolved. Along with growth in the number of individuals using the resources, we see significant changes in the fraction of students in the user community. And while many individuals have only short-term interaction with the resources, we can see signs of more sustained use by a growing portion of projects.