2.1 Introduction to Loome

What is Loome?

Loome is a cloud resource management platform built on Azure that provides researchers with low-friction access to cloud computing. It offers a single portal for managing projects, computing costs, and elastic demand, allowing you to focus on your research rather than cloud infrastructure.

The Problem It Solves

Researchers need powerful compute — HPC clusters, GPU workstations, scalable storage — but Azure’s native interface is complex and cost management is manual. Loome wraps Azure in a simplified portal with built-in budgeting, curated templates, and on-demand scaling.

Key Benefits

Benefit Description
Single Console Manage compute, storage, and costs in one place
Simple Provisioning Deploy from curated templates without Azure expertise
Automatic Cost Tracking Costs tracked against budgets in real-time
On-Demand Scaling Turn resources on/off, scale clusters up/down
Curated Templates Resource templates optimized for specific analysis needs

Who Should Use It?

Use Loome if you:

  • Need Azure-based compute resources (workstations, HPC clusters)
  • Want simplified cost management and tracking
  • Require HPC clusters or powerful workstations
  • Prefer a managed experience over direct Azure access
  • Need to scale resources up and down frequently

Consider direct Azure access if you:

  • Need advanced Azure services not available through Loome
  • Require custom network architectures
  • Have Azure expertise and need full flexibility

Loome vs Other Platforms

Feature Loome Compute Service Azure Direct
Cloud Provider Azure AWS Azure
Management Level Managed Fully Managed Self-Managed
HPC Support ✅ Strong Limited ✅ Full
Cost Tracking ✅ Built-in ✅ Built-in Manual
Setup Complexity Low Low High
Flexibility Moderate Limited Full

Common Use Cases

Use Case Description Recommended Resource
HPC / Simulations Large-scale simulations and batch processing HPC Clusters
Machine Learning Training models with GPU acceleration GPU Workstations
Data Analysis Interactive analysis of large datasets High Memory Workstations
Development Building and testing research software Standard Workstations
Collaboration Shared data and environments Storage + Workstations

How It Works

  1. Request Access — Contact the RACE team with your project details
  2. Log In — Access the Loome portal with your credentials
  3. Browse Templates — Choose from curated resource templates
  4. Create — Provision your resource (typically 5-15 minutes)
  5. Connect — Access your workstation or cluster
  6. Manage — Start, stop, scale, and monitor costs

Ready to get started? Next up: Getting Access