Nightshift

Pilot request

Start with one lab.
See what’s possible.

Let’s find a practical starting point for your campus. Tell us about your computers and the work you want to make possible.

  1. 01
    Tell us a little

    A few details about your lab and team.

  2. 02
    Start a conversation

    We’ll discuss fit, setup, and a pilot scope.

  3. 03
    Try a real task

    Validate the workflow on an enrolled computer.

No payment or commitment. Your mail app opens with a draft for you to review and send.

A good place to begin

Your campus, after hours.

Your details go only to Thabhelo Duve at Talladega College, by email, from your own mail app.

Here is your message

If your mail app did not open, copy this and send it to thabhelo.duve@talladega.edu. 

 
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Before we begin
A few good questions.
 
 
 Why not just use Google Colab or the cloud? 

Nightshift is designed for queued computing tasks on machines your campus already owns. It provides a task workspace rather than an interactive notebook. The right choice depends on your workload, available hardware, and campus support.

 
 
 Lab computers do not have big graphics cards. Can they really train AI? 

Honest answer: a lab of ordinary machines is great for data science, simulations, and
          running models, and it handles most coursework. Heavy training wants specialized
          hardware. That is why the Run button matters more than the lab. Sponsors can fund extra
          compute through the same button, and a campus can add a single high-end machine to the
          pool. The lab is the starting point, not the ceiling.

 
 
 HTCondor is free. Why would a college pay for this? 

HTCondor needs a systems administrator to set up and look after. Small colleges usually
          do not have one. Nightshift is the packaged, supported, student-facing version. People
          pay for Slack when IRC was free for the same reason.

 
 
 Is it safe to run student code on school computers? 

The hosted pilot requires Docker isolation on enrolled lab machines. IT configures the approved environment and resource limits. When a machine becomes unavailable, interrupted tasks are requeued and restart from their original project bundle; saved execution state is not migrated.

 
 
 What about the electricity bill? 

The machines are already on. Running them at night adds a modest amount, and Nightshift
          can be limited to off-peak hours. It is still a small fraction of buying dedicated
          hardware.

 
 
 Who at the college signs? 

Usually the IT department or academic affairs. The license is priced under one
          workstation so it fits an existing equipment budget.