Agenda for the ITC-Research Computing
Standing Committee Meeting
April 25, 2005 at 10:30AM in ITC-2015 Ivy Road, Room 102

Members: Alice, Bill, Dawn, Ed, Hamp, Kathy G., Katherine H., Jim, Mark S.., Martha, Robin, Sue Ellen, Steve, Terry, Tim S., Joe S., Tom S.
Chair: Tim T.
Recorder: Alice Howard

I. Corrections to minutes from last meeting on March 4, 2005 (Feb Mtg)?

II. Old Business:

• Cluster projects:
  • "Condo" Cluster: Will operate as 32-bit cluster for at least first year.
    • Is 4 node test cluster setup? Would like to have Katherine start testing the "Fair Share" PBSPro setup we think will give researchers their 80% usage.
    • Have four researchers participating: Leo Zhigilei (lz2n) - 8 nodes w/ ETF $; Jeff Shabanowitz/Dina Bai (Chemistry)- 8 nodes; Phil Parrish/Rich Gregory - 4 nodes; Matt Neurock - 4 nodes.
    • see http://www.itc.virginia.edu/research/itc-clusters/itc-linux-cluster-purchase-dec04.pdf for details.
  • Teak Cluster: Any outstanding issues?
  • Oak Cluster: Any outstanding issues?
  • Aspen & Birch cluster: Timeline for OS upgrade and upgrade to 2.6 kernel.
• /longtmp disks from Library available, thought possibly bring online mid-March?
  • script to automate checking usage and reminding users.
• Linux license server, cluster of three lm1., lm2, & lm3.license.
  Propose moving, if possible, all research software licenses off of aix.license onto linux.license server
• blue.unix upgrade of nodes to new 64-bit nodes and new version of OS. ITC-Transitions CDP is tracking as well. Is holmes converted over yet?
• Timeline/order of these projects?
• Discuss/ thoughts on Andrew Grimshaw's "grid clustering" presentation
  

III. New Business:

• Upgrades to PGI and Intel compilers on linux clusters. PGI to Version 6.0 and Intel to Version 8.1
  • Scalapak doesn't work on Aspen and Birch. Need to install newest version of Intel compiler (8.1) in order for Scalapak to work. Have researchers who need.
• Need /jobtmp symbolic link on all clusters (aspen,birch, cedar, oak, teak, etc.)
• Jim Oberhauser's complaints about aspen.itc queue management and practice.
  • Users allowed to get 18 nodes (36 CPUs) for parallel jobs and 24 nodes serial.
  • Fair Share scheduling makes it possible for longer job to run before shorter job based on amount user's job have using cluster recently.
• VORTEX: Impact on most researchers, how to advertise/describe to researchers?
  • Possibly have short article in May ResComp Newsletter?

V. Adjourn by 12:00PM and next meeting

• Next Scheduled Meeting of this group: Monday, June 27th, 10:30 AM in ITC-2015 Ivy Road, Room #102
• Next Scheduled Meeting of ITC ResComp Management team: Monday, May 23rd, 10:30 AM in ITC-2015 Ivy Road, Room #220
  
  
  Suggestions, additions, corrections to: Tim Tolson or Alice Howard
  

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