The SoDa Guide to LLM Computing Infrastructure in the Netherlands

This guide is intended to help researchers in the Netherlands identify and select the right (institutional) infrastructure for using large language models (LLMs) in their research, from simple chat tools to advanced high-performance computing (HPC) workflows. To faciliate this, the guide starts with a walk-through of different ways of using LLMs in typical research workflows (e.g., chat, dashboards, APIs, local and remote deployments, HPC). It then provides an overview of related institutional resources in the Netherlands, including university services and national infrastructure.

It is written for mixed audiences:

  • Researchers new to LLMs who want to understand their options
  • Researchers with some experience who want to scale up responsibly
  • Researchers who must balance speed, privacy, and governance with institutional infrastructure options

What You Will Find Here

  • A clear progression of LLM usage modes, from low effort to high control
  • Practical guidance on Dutch institutional infrastructure
  • Decision support on governance, GDPR, and access pathways
  • Concrete examples and step-by-step workflows for each mode

How To Read This Guide

  1. Start with the chapter overviews.
  2. Choose a usage mode that matches your project needs.
  3. Use the detailed pages to implement responsibly and efficiently.

Chapters

How to use LLMs in research

Focuses on usage modes: chat, dashboards, APIs, local deployments, remote deployments, and HPC.

For each usage mode, the following topics are addressed.

  • What is this?

  • When should you use it?

  • When should you NOT use it?

  • How it works (simple explanation)

  • Concrete examples (tools/platforms)

  • Example workflow (step-by-step)

  • Pros and cons

  • Learning resources

Institutional resources

Focuses on context in the Netherlands: university services, SURF infrastructure, and access models.

For each usage mode, the following topics are addressed.

  • What is this?

  • How it works (simple explanation)

  • Concrete examples (tools/platforms)

Governance

Focuses on aspects of data and privacy governance on the use of LLMs at Dutch Universities and on the national and EU levels.