Minutes for the
ITC-Research Computing Management Meeting
October 30, 2006 at
10:30AM
(2015 Ivy Rd, 2nd
floor Conference Room)
Members:
Alice, Hamp, Jim, Joe S., Mark, Mike, Robin, Terry, Tim S., Tom S., Tim T.
Attending: Alice, Bill P, Jim, Joe S., Mark, Mike,
Keith M. (for Robin), Terry, Tim S., Tom S., Tim T.
Chair: Tim T. Recorder: Alice Howard
I.
Corrections to minutes from last meeting on September 25, 2006?
No.
II.
Ongoing Discussion Topics:
*
“Condo” Cluster #2 – aka Dogwood:
o
Update
on configuration and rollout per Jim’s email of September 17: Having some disk failures and Cisco
switch performance issues. After
the recent power outage, the majority of nodes came back up on their own. Bill P will get with Networks person (Tang or Keith) to help determine what's going on with Cisco switch. Might keep just head node up next time power down system.
o
Any
word from Mitch or SEAS faculty that wanted nodes or Infiniband cluster? No
word yet.
o
HS faculty may purchase 8-16 of the
existing nodes when he gets here; Tom S talking with Bill Woolfolk about Steve Rich's request
o
Steven
de Wakker (EnviSci faculty) is here, still interested, ETF funds for this year.
*
Cedar
Cluster:
o
Avaki
gateway setup – new software version released yet? Not heard anything yet.
o
64-bit
test cluster? Bill needs to use
this for other testing right now.
o
Disk
drive is failing in the head node – will contact HP.
*
Aspen
& Birch Clusters:
o
Aspen
retired week of October 16 – turned off and will be surplussed. Under ETF until Summer 2007.
o
Other
issues/concerns? Watson (a Sun
with large RAM) is being replaced – any interest? – could be available in a
couple of weeks. TimT will check
on Athena use.
*
Oak
Cluster: Did the round-robin login
get enabled? (Tim T. checked with Chip – no word back yet.)
*
Teak
Cluster: Any issues or concerns?
o
Do
we need to set a “retirement” date for this equipment (which is hardly
used)? Still have the Gaussian
licensing issues – we do have Gaussian98 recompiled and working on linux
clusters – but only have binary for Gaussian03 so it can only run on Teak – and
there are big! licensing issues with the vendor. TimT will check on this.
*
Andrew
Grimshaw’s request for Linux front-end to campus grid project – still waiting
on next version of AVAKI.
o
Are
all clusters now running Marty Humphrey’s Globus gatekeeper client that does
direct file transfers? No – but
it’s on Steve’s list.
*
Proposal
for Linux cluster support as ‘for-fee’ service. Hamp has done a table of cost for supporting clusters (http://www.itc.virginia.edu/unixsys/support.html#hpcc). Not really pushing this service as we’d
prefer to encourage condo cluster participation.
*
Any
update on conversion to authenticate to Eservices via Kerberos for Unix
logins/connections to blue.unix, HSM, & Longtmp (AKA Phase 2 of the
NetBadge CDP)? No.
o
This
transition will involve a major user education issue – especially for blue.unix
users.
o
No
timeline for this project yet – it has to wait until the password
synchronization web site is up.
o
ftp
to blue.unix is being phased out, ITC
Service Transitions CDP working on schedule.
*
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 the
appendices that detail comparisons to other institutions. Expect that we will be moving forward
with something close to the Task Force recommendations – in phases.
o
CI-Team
NSF proposal funded! Course has a time and
course number (CS494 Computational Mathematics) for spring07. TimT will check with Andrew about the
inclusion of Biology-related topics/students in this curriculum.
o
UVa’s
participation in ORNL’s response to NSF RFP for next generation/iteration of
Supercomputing Centers: our
partnership’s preliminary proposal was approved; the full proposal is due on
2/2/07.
*
“Priority”
access for participants in condo clusters: Katherine’s proposal for PBS “Service Units.”
o
Discussed
other alternatives. Need more
information.
o
Will
have this topic on next month’s agenda.
*
Update
on longtmp and HSM upgrades:
III.
New Business
*
Is
it time to de-commission the “itc-rescomp” mail list? Not for now – will continue to use it selectively.
*
Should
we be responding to the SURA survey that went to Ariel? It would definitely take some
effort. TimT will check with Ariel
to see if it’s important to do this.
Next
Scheduled Meeting of ITC ResComp Management team: Monday, November 27, 2006,
10:30 AM in ITC-2015 Ivy Road, Room #220.
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