Agenda for the ITC-Research Computing Management Meeting
September 25, 2006 at 10:30AM
2015 Ivy Road, 2nd Floor Conference Room

Members: Alice, Hamp, Jim, Joe S., Mark, Robin, Terry, Tim S., Tom S., Tim T.
Chair: Tim T.
Recorder: Alice Howard

I. Corrections to minutes from last meeting on August 28, 2006?

II. Old Business:

• Condo-Cluster 2, aka dogwood-
  • Update on configuration and rollout, per Jim's email of September 17.
  • Any word from Mitch or SEAS faculty that wanted nodes or Infiniband cluster?
  • Tom S. - Any word from your person?
  • Steven de Wakker (EnvSci faculty) is here, still interested, ETF funds for this year.
• Cedar Cluster:
  • OS update schedule of October 20-12 still good
  • Avaki gateway setup-New software version released yet?
  • Can we set timeline for cedar becoming 64 bit cluster? Winter Break would be best opportunity, otherwise we're into summer and needing to setup next new cluster. Getting growing number of applications and users for it.
• Aspen & Birch Clusters: (schedule ofin August will be based on dogwood rollout)
  • Aspen retirement ASAP (after Cedar update? rather than November 20 (Thanksgiving Break)?
  • OS update to Birch October 17-19?
  • Other issues/concerns?
• Oak Cluster: Did "round-robin" logon get enabled on July 5? (TimT will check with Chip)
• Teal Cluster: Any issues or concerns?
• Andrew Grimshaw's request for Linux front-end to campus grid project – still waiting on next version of Avaki.
  • However Marty Humphrey has almost finished a grid Windows client that does direct file transfers and Katherine is experimenting with it.
• Proposal for Linux cluster support as 'for-fee' service. At December meeting, Hamp said he'd translate current hourly Unix support rates into table/information showing cost for supporting cluster of X size for Y years.
• Update on transition from clear text passwords to Eservices for Unix logins/connections to blue.unix, HSM & Longtmp?
  • This transition will involve a major user education issue – especially for blue.unix users. What CDP is this?
  • No timeline for this project yet – it has to wait until after the password synchronization web site is up.
• Mitch Rosen's IT - Infrastructure Supporting Research Task Force (https://www1.seas.virginia.edu/itrtf/). (Maillist is itrtf@virginia.edu) Final Draft is circulating for input. Katherine is doing the final editing. Ed did most of appendices that detail comparisons to other institutions.
  • CI-TEAM NSF proposal funded
  • UVa's participation in ORNL's response to NSF RFP for next generation/iteration of Supercomputing Centers:
• “Priority “ access for participants in condo clusters: Katherine's proposal for PBS "Service Units"(PBS Service Units Proposal)
  • Discussed other alternatives. Need more information
• Update on CSS Research Computing support staff and services relocating to Brown Science & Engineering Library and Alderman Library fourth floor. Things going well.
  • Grand Opening/Open House in Scholars' Lab on October 20 3:00-5:00 PM. Karin & James are invited speakers.
  • Details about the move and space available at: http://www.itc.virginia.edu/research/rcsc-moves.html
• Mitch Rosen & John Hawley's concerns about ITC Research Computing support degradation vis-a-vis move to Brown Library.
  • Meeting with them went well. No further word or follow-up to date.
• Provost's "10 Year Plan for BOV"?

III. New Business:

• Any Items?

IV. Adjourn by Noon and next meeting

• Next Scheduled Meeting of ITC ResComp Management team: Monday, October 30th, 10:30 AM in ITC-2015 Ivy Road, Room #220
  
  Please send suggestions, additions, corrections to: Tim Tolson or Alice Howard
  

Go to: ITC Research Computing Committee Home Page