A Docker image for spiking neural network simulators
Docker is a container engine that permits to deploy any application in the form of a container. Like virtual machines, it permits to build a tested environment in which a given software stack is guaranteed to work. However, unlike virtual machines, it also permits to dynamically use all the computing resources available on the host computer. This is essential for neural network simulations that are becoming everyday more heavy and that run in parallel.
The usefulness and future developments of spiking neural network simulators depend on the fact that the software is open source, on the sharing of experimental data and on the sharing of neural network models. It also depends on the spreading of the concepts of spiking neural networks in neuroinformatics and in the scientific community as a whole. For this to happen, there are two types of negative behaviors to deal with :
One one hand, first-time users can be driven away from using the existing spiking neural network simulators by the mere installation of the simulators in their own computer. On the other hand, expert users may not want to try a new software stack to avoid corrupting their existing installations.
Docker images are an answer to both these problems. Indeed, first, it permits to run applications without any installation. Second, through the versioning system of the containers and of the images, it permits to try any new software without breaking a working software stack.
That's why we have publicly released a docker image containing all the spiking neural software simulators used in the European project BrainScaleS [1,2]. We placed it in the docker index. With this, you will be able to run NEST, Brian, NEURON, PyNN and the multi-simulation coordinator MUSIC on any host computer supporting Docker. Given their ubiquity and their strength, we want to promote the widespread use of Docker images in the neuroinformatics community.
References
[1] http://neuralensemble.blogspot.fr/
[2] https://github.com/brainscales/docker-images/tree/brainscales-neural-networks/software
Keywords:
Docker,
virtualization,
spiking neural networks,
PyNN,
NEST,
brian,
Music
Conference:
Neuroinformatics 2014, Leiden, Netherlands, 25 Aug - 27 Aug, 2014.
Presentation Type:
Demo, not to be considered for oral presentation
Topic:
General neuroinformatics
Citation:
Chavas
J
(2014). A Docker image for spiking neural network simulators.
Front. Neuroinform.
Conference Abstract:
Neuroinformatics 2014.
doi: 10.3389/conf.fninf.2014.18.00028
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Received:
04 Apr 2014;
Published Online:
04 Jun 2014.
*
Correspondence:
Dr. Joël Chavas, CNRS, Gif-sur-Yvette, France, joel.chavas@gmail.com