grid and cloud computing alessandro usai switch alessandro.usai@switch.ch sergio maffioletti grid...

Grid and Cloud Computing

Alessandro UsaiSWITCHalessandro.usai@switch.ch

Sergio Maffioletti Grid Computing Competence Centre - UZH/GC3

sergio.maffioletti@gc3.uzh.ch

© 2010 SWITCH 2

Content

• Motivations• Overview of a Grid Job (in a nutshell)• Cloud computing: Amazon Web Services• Grid Job revised• Project Plan• Conclusions

© 2010 SWITCH 3

Motivations: Main idea: dynamic allocation of resources!

• Grid is presented to end users as a large abstract computing and storage farm with virtually infinite resources

• Simple user interfaces are provided for specific usage of the grid infrastructure

• Resources are allocated upon user’s requests

• Users could be charged based on the effective usage of grid resources

• Applying scenarios:

• At peak time we may use extra cpu time/storage as Virtual Machines obtained from a Cloud.

• Virtual Machines from a Cloud could also be used for jobs with particular characteristics e.g. jobs very demanding in cpu/storage.

Clouds can be local or remote.

Virtual Machines also offer advantages in terms of Management/Deployment.

© 2010 SWITCH 4

Overview of a Grid Job (in a nutshell)

• User code + proxies/auth info + resources specs -> broker/match making -> chosen site gateway -> extra code bit added and submitted to the batch system (typically grid oblivious) -> jobs run on Worker Nodes.

• The batch system reports the info to the grid middleware which further propagates it; various checkpoints actions kick in to safeguard the output back to the user.

• Virtual Machines are needed here but: the User Interface, info system, gateway, batch system as well as Worker Nodes might already be all VMs.

X509 proxy + user job

Information System Batch System

© 2010 SWITCH 5

Cloud computing: Amazon Web Services (AWS)You register and you get access to the “clouds” I.e. US

and/or EU zones

X509 or RSA

NAT

Web Services Interface

Account: Username and password

XEN Virtual Machines

XEN Virtual Machines

Storage (s3)

Storage (s3)

© 2010 SWITCH 6

X509 proxy + user job

Information System

Grid Job revised

The Batch System needs to be able to advertise the Cloud in a dynamic way, start up/stop the virtual machines, Submit/manage jobs, ….Some solutions are available (e.g. OpenNebula) but there is still work to be done.

Batch System

© 2010 SWITCH 7

Project Plan

First part:• Assessment of existing solutions: this step also includes

the definition of the use case requirements • Development of the missing functionalities at the Batch

System level

Second part:• Assessment of the authentication/authorization/accounting

requirements• Development/integration of the necessary AAI

functionalities • Implementation of a billing system

© 2010 SWITCH 8

Conclusions

• Cloud computing and dynamic resource allocation: fills in the hole for a use case not supported by traditional grid computing -> more interaction with cloud computing needed: challenging from the authentication, authorization and accounting point of view.

• Switch and the University of Zurich have expressed interest in submitting the project proposal by March 2010. Any other partners interested?

© 2010 SWITCH 9

Questions/feedback (appreciated:)?