Computational Neuroscience as a Service: Porting MIIND to the Cloud

Abstract

In this paper, we investigate how cloud computing could benefit computational neuroscience. To that end, Multiple Interacting Instantiations of Neuronal Dynamics (MIIND), a computational neuroscience modelling toolkit, was ported to a private, university-owned cloud. The aim was to pave the way for making MIIND more accessible to non-specialist users in virtue of concealing its implementation context as well as rendering local IT infrastructure unnecessary. For that purpose, a customisable MIIND-based workflow model was encased within a virtualised wrapping apparatus. This served to fully automate running configurable MIIND simulations remotely via a convenient web-interface in a transparent manner with the user being incognisant of the cloud and the service orientated architecture behind it. This architecture can be adopted for any application conforming to the workflow characteristics of MIIND and helps inform the porting process of serial and legacy applications.