chep 2000, 10.02.2000

1CHEP 2000, 10.02.2000 Roberto Barbera

Roberto Barbera

Meeting INFN-Grid, 18.10.2000

“Farming” with VENUS

2Roberto Barbera

Dipartimento di Fisica dell’Università di Catania and INFN Catania - Italy

ALICE Collaboration


Goals of VENUS• Simplify administration of heterogeneous Unix/NT clusters• Increase efficiency of administration• Increase productivity of users• Providing a single system image• Simplify software integration and installation• Central point of administration• Integration of Unix with WindowsNT• Considering special needs in complex engineering and scientific computing environments

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ALICE Collaboration


Design of today‘s clusters

HP

SGI

IBM

SUN

Compaq

DEC

Compute Servers File Servers

Backup Servers

Firewall

WEB

Email

Printer

Printer

Pre-, postprocessingCAD/CAE Simulations

Batch, JobflowmanagementBackupArchivPDM

PlotprocessingDatabases

Communication

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ALICE Collaboration


Today‘s problems in system management I

Complexity of structure: grouping of hosts, users with different working environments

Complexity of data and filesystemstructures: Many projects,databases, centralized and decentralized filesystems

Maintaining consistency in login behaviour: user management

Fast changes in hard and software

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ALICE Collaboration


Today‘s problems in system management II

Complexity of software:

• many software packages used: graphical (CAD, Pre/postprocessing)• sometimes big packages (>500 MB)• many software releases per year, patch management• licensing using different mechanisms (flexlm, netls,...)• integration into the desktop (CDE, KDE, ...)• integration into the filesystem• integration into the printer environment

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ALICE Collaboration


Today‘s needs in system management

• Methods to install software and patches to be fast and reliable• User management to be simple, providing best user environment for users• Well defined filesystem structure to provide a global file name space• Well defined operating system status (which OS, which patches) to assure quality and reliability• Independence of special knowlegde of system administrators• Quality driven system management instead of „quick“ but undocumented solutions• Flexibility to solve daily problems methodically

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ALICE Collaboration


Single system image (SSI) I

Definition: For users, an ideal cluster presents itself as a single system image, i.e. a heterogeneous workstation server cluster appears like a single big computer with many (intelligent) terminals attached.

• Single point of authentification• Same password on any node in the cluster• Unique access rights on each node• Unique file space : Global file name space

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ALICE Collaboration


Single system image (SSI) II

• Common login environment on each node• common (architecture dependent) variables (e.g. $path)• shell aliases• desktop configuration (CDE, KDE, GNOME,...)

• Considering needs of users and goal to simplify the login environment • Access to all printers, peripherals available for the user or user group

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ALICE Collaboration


Overview of VENUS functionalities

User- and file systemmanagement

Uniform view of thefile system

/home/$useradd

sc del usrch grouplist

/$map/$keyadd

sc del keychlist

SoftwareManagement

• Software depot server• Full documented

software packages in VENUS format

• Pre/post/install/remove methods and procedures

• VENUS tools to create VENUS software packagesscsoftpkg, scsoftfilescsoftinfo

• sc{add|ch|del|list}pkg

ConfigurationManagement

• central storage of allconfiguration differencesto original OS

• As global as possibleas specific as necessary

common architecture groups hosts• VENUS methods

to configure subsystems

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ALICE Collaboration


User management I

scadduser, scchuser, scdeluser• modify passwd map and automounter maps or corresponding information bases on NT• Create, move, or delete user homes on target nodes

scadduser -u calvin -h schoolschool: /v/school/home/calvin

scchuser -u calvin +h playgroundmoves calvin from school to playground

scdeluser -u calvinremoves user calvin

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ALICE Collaboration


User management II

Unix

Unix

NT/DFS Server

File Server

Unix

UnixPDC,samba

NT

NT

NT

Local file system

Local file system

NFS

SMB

VENUS Master

Unix: passwd mapAutomounter map

WindowsNT: PDC configurationDFS configuration

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ALICE Collaboration


Configuration management II

Methods properties

• Methods are tasks to be executed on a client to configure a client subsystem• Methods are (usually) shellscripts• subsystems are: tcpip, nis, nfs, mail, resolver, xwin,cde, printer, etc.• Methods are „dataless“, i.e. they are automatically configured in their specific context• Methods are able to communicate with the configuration depot on the VENUS master• Methods are able to install VENUS software packages• Methods use the VENUS lookup hierarchy: host > groups > architecture> common• Methods have an „install“ and an „uninstall“ section• Methods can be modified, extended and administrators can develop their own methods

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ALICE Collaboration


VENUS architecture

scrsh

rshd

scinstall

scvenusinetd

venusd

MethodsContext

Software

Depots

VENUScommands

Accesscontrol

VENUS master VENUS client

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ALICE Collaboration


VENUS software management I

Goals:

• Installing Software by a simple command including

configuration, licensing, pre and postinstallation

• Automatic maintenance of a software inventory

• Parallel installation of software

• Installing the correct software version (architecture,

i.e. OS)

• Ability to create software packages from any 3rd

party vendor

• Easy removal of software from a client

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ALICE Collaboration


VENUS software management II

VENUS Software packages consist of:• All files to be installed• pre/post installation procedures and/or VENUS methods• filelist, version, architecture, author

Application integrationIntegration using wrapper scripts:

• setting path and environment• creating symbolic links (in installation method !)• wrappers are located in the standard path

(e.g. /usr/local/bin)

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ALICE Collaboration

Meeting INFN-Grid, 18.10.2000DEC

VENUS software management III

VENUS master

MethodsContext

Software

Depots

SGI

IBM

SUN

Compaq

SoftwareDepot

HP

SGI

IBM

SUN

Compaq

DEC

HP

Parallelized SoftwareInstallation !

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ALICE Collaboration


VENUS software management IV

Commands for software management

scaddpkg lsf lsfhosts

This command will install LSF on each node contained in thehostgroup „lsfhosts“. Each client asks the VENUS master to providethe proper software package

• for the correct operation system type• and the latest version

The software package will be transfered from the „nearest“ software depot to each client. This makes it possible to parallelize the softwareinstallation process. If the installation is finished successfully, VENUS makes an entry into the software inventory.The installation of the configuration files is done automatically in the installation method.

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ALICE Collaboration


VENUS software management V

Commands for software management

scdelpkg lsf lsfhosts

This command will remove LSF on each node contained in the hostgroup „lsfhosts“. If done successfully, the entry in the software inventory is also removed.

sclistpkg hostname

This command creates a list of software installed on „hostname“and displays the current version of the software.

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ALICE Collaboration


VENUS references I

DaimlerChrysler: 1600 CAD Workstations in car design(SGI, HP, IBM,SUN)Main appl.: CATIA

300 CAE Workstations in engineering(SGI, IBM, HP, SUN, CRAY, NEC)100 different applications

80 CAE Workstations in truck engineering(SGI, IBM, HP)

200 Workstations in DaimlerChryslerResearch Center Stuttgart (SGI, Linux, IBM, HP)

100 Workstations in bus design and engineering (EVOBUS)(SGI,HP,IBM)

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ALICE Collaboration


VENUS references II

DaimlerChrysler: Details in CAE

• 5 departments with different tasks: Structuremechanics, crash, engine development,various applications (> 100)

• High end Unix workstations and > 30 compute servers (HP, SGI Origin, NEC SX4, IBM SP)

Using VENUS specials:• Managing all printers with original VENUS printer method• Installing complex Pre/postprocessors using VENUS methods

e.g. Medina from debis, abaqus, etc.• Configuring batch (LSF, NQS), Jobstarter and batchsystem using

VENUS depots

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ALICE Collaboration


VENUS references III

BMW: 1600 CAD Workstations in car design(SGI, HP, IBM,SUN)Main appl.: CATIA

400 CAE Workstations in engineering(SGI, IBM, HP, SUN, CRAY)Compute Center with

CRAY SV1, T90, OriginIBM SP, SUN HPC

100 different applications50 Workstations at BMW Technik Gmbh

(Designers of Z1)

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ALICE Collaboration


VENUS references IV

300 CAD/CAE Workstations in engineering and design(SGI, HP, IBM,SUN)

30 Workstations at BOSCH Research

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ALICE Collaboration


VENUS references V

330 CAD Workstations in ECAD design (SUN)

planned: 1200 Workstation (Autumn)

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ALICE Collaboration


VENUS references VI

Details

ECAD at Infineon in the memory products division:• >250 workstations using cadence, mentor software• Big fileserver, used as file and codeserver

All nodes are completely managed using VENUS methods:• standard VENUS NIS, NFS, but using SUNs automounter• TCPIP, DNS setup• printer method modified: using lpngr • Installing backup client software (legato networker) using VENUS• Installing and configuring LSF using VENUS• security method, SUN patch method, method to create CAD-Admin-users

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ALICE Collaboration


VENUS references VII

Details cont´d

Benefits:• Reducing costs by increasing the efficiency for administrators:

• > 50 Workstations managed by one administrator• Parallel execution of tasks (methods)• documented and well defined status of any clients

• Quality driven administration in contrast to manually changing configurations• Increasing efficiency of users by high stability and uptime of clients• Avoiding conflicts between different administrators by VENUS

multi-administrator ability: Locking of methods and central filese.g. NIS sources, passwd.Error prevention !

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ALICE Collaboration


VENUS references VIII

Details cont´d

Benefits: ROI (Return on investment)

Service costsbefore using

VENUS Service costs using VENUS

Costs to introduce VENUSand licensing

0 3 months Time

Break even

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ALICE Collaboration


Costs

chep 2000, 10.02.2000

Documents

fisica delluniversit

system management methods

software integration

todays problems

filesystem integration

software packages

reliable user management

software releases