Quick Start Tutorial

Step 1

Installation & Setup

Research Wizard provides a beautiful web interface for managing research environments. Let's get it running on your system.

Prerequisites

Go 1.19+ installed
Git for cloning the repository
AWS credentials configured
Web browser (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, or Edge)

Clone and Build

# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/scttfrdmn/aws-research-wizard.git
cd aws-research-wizard/go

# Build the application
go build ./cmd/main.go

# Verify installation
./main --version

💡 Pro Tip

You can add the binary to your PATH for easier access:

sudo mv main /usr/local/bin/research-wizard

Step 2

Launch the Web Interface

Research Wizard provides a complete web-based interface. No command line expertise required!

# Start the web server
./main server --port 8080

# You should see:
# 2025/07/03 Research Wizard Enhanced GUI v2.1.0-alpha
# 2025/07/03 Server starting on :8080
# 2025/07/03 Enhanced GUI ready at http://localhost:8080

🖥️ Web Interface Screenshot

The Research Wizard dashboard with 7 tabs:

Open your web browser and navigate to http://localhost:8080

Step 3

Choose Your Research Domain

Research Wizard includes 22 pre-configured research domains. Each domain is optimized for specific research workflows.

Available Domain Categories

Life Sciences (6 domains): Genomics, Medical Research, Drug Discovery, Food Science, Forestry, Agricultural Sciences
Physical Sciences (5 domains): Climate Modeling, Astronomy, Physics, Atmospheric Chemistry, Renewable Energy
Engineering (4 domains): Machine Learning, Data Science, Cybersecurity, Benchmarking
Computer Science (4 domains): AI Research, Visualization Studio, FinOps, Geospatial Research
Social Sciences (3 domains): Various interdisciplinary research areas

🔬 Domain Selection Interface

Visual grid showing all 22 research domains with descriptions and optimal configurations

🎯 Domain Selection Tips

Each domain includes:

Pre-installed software and libraries
Optimized instance configurations
Domain-specific data connections
Best practice workflows

Step 4

Calculate and Optimize Costs

Research Wizard provides real-time cost calculation and optimization recommendations.

Cost Optimization Features

Instance Sizing: Small, Medium, Large, XLarge configurations
Spot Instances: Up to 70% cost savings
Auto-Shutdown: Prevent runaway costs
Regional Pricing: Compare costs across AWS regions

💰 Cost Calculator Interface

Real-time cost estimation with optimization recommendations

Shows: Hourly cost | Monthly projection | Savings options | Regional comparison

Step 5

Deploy Your Environment

With one click, deploy a fully configured research environment.

Deployment Configuration

Select instance size based on your computational needs
Choose AWS region for optimal performance
Enable cost optimization features
Configure auto-shutdown settings

🚀 Deployment Interface

Configuration options and one-click deployment

Real-time progress tracking with terminal-style logging

⚡ Deployment Tips

Typical deployment times:

Small instances: 3-5 minutes
Medium instances: 5-8 minutes
Large instances: 8-12 minutes
XLarge instances: 12-15 minutes

Step 6

Monitor Performance

Track your research environment's performance in real-time.

Monitoring Features

Real-time Metrics: CPU, memory, disk, network usage
Cost Tracking: Live cost monitoring
Status Management: Start, stop, restart environments
Multi-Deployment: Manage multiple environments simultaneously

📊 Monitoring Dashboard

Live performance metrics and management controls

Shows: Resource usage | Cost tracking | Status indicators | Management actions

Step 7

Explore Advanced Features

Research Wizard includes enterprise-grade features for advanced users and institutions.

Analytics & Insights

Advanced data visualization
Performance analytics
Cost optimization recommendations
Usage pattern analysis

Template Management

Pre-built deployment templates
Custom template creation
Template sharing and collaboration
Quick-deploy functionality

Settings & Configuration

Notification preferences
Cost alerts and thresholds
User profile management
System configurations

⚙️ Advanced Features Interface

Analytics dashboards, template management, and configuration options

Learn More

Get Help

🎉 Congratulations!

You're now ready to use Research Wizard for your research computing needs. The platform handles all the AWS complexity so you can focus on your research.