17/1/2005 1

NGS StatusStephen Pickles

Technical Director, GOSC

(with thanks to Andy Richards, NGS Co-ordinator)

CERN, 17/1/2005

http://www.ngs.ac.ukhttp://www.grid-support.ac.uk

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Outline

• Users– registrations, usage, helpdesk queries

• Services & Middleware– what we offer today– managing change

• Expansion– “joining” the NGS

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Users

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Gaining AccessNGS core nodes

• data nodes at RAL and Manchester• compute nodes at Oxford and

Leeds

• free at point of use• apply through NGS web site• accept terms and conditions of use• light-weight peer review

– 1-2 weeks• to do: project or VO-based

application and registration

• all access is through digital X.509 certificates

– from UK e-Science CA– or recognized peer

National HPC services

• HPCx

• CSAR

Must apply separately to research councils

Digital certificate and Conventional (username/ password)

access supported

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User registrations so far

Number of Registered NGS Users

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

180

04 April 2004 24 May 2004 13 July 2004 01 September2004

21 October2004

10 December2004

Date

Nu

mb

er o

f U

sers

NGS UserRegistrations

Linear (NGS UserRegistrations)

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UKGSC: Queue Totals For Month Prior To (10:11 AM, 26/11/2004)

Notes•Certification still dominant query type•General contains GGUS related queries from EGEE/GGUS helpdesk(A separate project for this has now been created)•LCG savannah generated queries are increasing through this helpdesk

Helpdeskhttp://www.grid-support.ac.uk

support@grid-support.ac.uk

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NGS Core Services

Globus, SRB, Oracle, OGSA-DAI, and others

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NGS Core Services: Globus

• Globus Toolkit version 2– GT 2.4.3 from VDT 1.2

• Job submission (GRAM)• File transfer (GridFTP)• Shell (GSI-SSH)• Information Services (MDS/GIIS/GRIS)

– Information providers from GLUE schema– Use BDII implementation of MDS2 (as does EGEE)

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NGS Core Services: SRB

• Storage Resource Broker from SDSC

• Location transparent access to storage• Metadata catalog• Replica management

• Clients on compute nodes• Servers on data nodes

• Issues/to do:– licensing– MCAT replication and failover

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NGS Core Services: Oracle

• Oracle 9i database• Only on data nodes

• Populated by users/data providers• Infrastructure maintained by NGS

database administrators

• Accessed directly or via OGSA-DAI

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NGS Services: OGSA-DAI

• Developed by UK e-Science projects OGSA-DAI and DAIT• OGSA-DQP (Distributed Query Processing)• Experimental service based on OGSI/GT3 on Manchester

data node only– containment: 2 cluster nodes reserved for development and

production– will consider WS-I and WSRF flavours when in final release

• Uses Oracle underneath• User-provided Grid Data Services validated on test system,

then transferred to production during scheduled maintenance

• Early users from e-Social Science (ConvertGrid)• Established liaisons with OGSA-DAI team

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NGS Core Services: other

Operated by GOSC for NGS and UK e-Science programme

In production:• Certificate Authority• Information Services (MDS/GIIS)• MyProxy server• Integration tests and database• Cluster monitoring• LCG-VO

In testing:• VOMS• EDG Resource Broker

In development:• Accounting

– using GGF Usage Record standard for interchange, software from MCS project and TeraGrid• Portal

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Managing middleware evolution

• Important to coordinate and integrate this with deployment and operations work in EGEE, LCG and similar projects.

• Focus on deployment and operations, NOT development.

UKCampus

andother Grids

OMII

ETF

NGSOther software sources Software with proven

capability & realistic deployment experience

‘Gold’ services

Prototypes &specifications

Feedback & future requirements

EGEE…

Deployment/testing/advice

Operations

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Maintaining Compatibility

• Operating a production grid means valuing robustness and reliability over fashion.

• NGS cares about:– alignment/compatibility with leading international Grid efforts– special requirements of UK e-Science community– easy migration/upgrade paths– proven robustness/reliability– based on standards or standards-track specifications

• NGS cannot support everything• Everyone wants service-oriented grids

– but still settling out: WS-I, WS-I+, OGSI, WSRF, GT3, GT4, gLite• Caution over OGSI/WSRF has led to wide convergence on GT2 for

production grids and hence some inter-Grid compatibility– but there are potentially divergent forces at work

• Significant changes to NGS Minimum Software Stack will require approval by NGS Management Board on conservative time scales

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Expansion

Adding new resource providers

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ExpansionResource providers join the NGS by• Defining level of service commitments through

SLDs• Adopting NGS acceptable use and security policies• Run compatible middleware

– as defined by NGS Minimum Software Stack– and verified by compliance test suite

• Support monitoring and accounting

Two levels of membership1. Affiliation

• a.k.a. connect to NGS2. Partnership

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AffiliationAffiliates commit to:• running NGS-compatible middleware

– as defined in NGS Minimum Software Stack– this means users of affiliate’s resources can access these using

same client tools they use to access NGS• a well-defined level of service and problem referral

mechanisms– SLD approved by NGS Management Board and published on

NGS web-site• providing technical, administrative, and security (CERT)

contacts• providing an account and mapping for daily compliance

tests (GITS++)• accepting UK e-Science certificates• maintaining baseline of logs to assist problem resolution

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PartnershipPartners commit to same as affiliates, plus:• making “significant” resources available to NGS users

– creation of accounts/mappings– in future, VO support, pool accounts, etc

• recognise additional CAs with which UK e-Science programme has reciprocal agreements

• publish/provide additional information to support resource discovery, brokering

• ability to compile code for computational resources

Bristol and Cardiff going through certification process now.• supported by “buddies” and NGS-Rollout list• useful feedback on viability of NGS Minimum Software

Stack

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BenefitsAffiliation:• NGS brand

– certified NGS-compatible• better integrated support for local users who also access

NGS facilities• assistance/advice in maintaining NGS-compatibility over

time

Partnership:• higher brand quality• representation on NGS management board

– either direct, or through regional or functional consortia

NGS brand must be valuable to make this work.

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Recent Developments and Summary

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Recent Developments

• NGS newsletter• OMII helpdesk• Resource Broker (LCG) available for early adopters• TeraGrid

– UK certificates accepted on TeraGrid– Looking at INCA monitoring with Jenny Schopf

• Trial of accounting software from MCS project– using GGF Usage Record draft standard (as EGEE)

• Meeting with Open Science Grid’s iGOC• Collecting user exemplars

– Agreed form of acknowledgement• Workshop towards an NGS user induction course. Need:

– Easier access (e.g. user interface machines and portals)– T-infrastructure

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Summary

TODAY• 4 core nodes operational• 150 Users registered (50 since 1 September ’04)• Grid enabled – Globus v2 (VDT distribution v1.2) at present• BDII information service (GLUE + MDS Schemas)• Data Services – SRB, Oracle, OGSA-DAI• Growing base of user applications• MyProxy and CA services• VO Management Software – LCG-VO• User support: Helpdesk

Next…• Other Middleware [gLite/OMII etc…]• NGS Portal• Resource Broker• SRB production service• Accounting• Continued expansion