Agenda for the ITC-Research Computing
Combined Standing Committee & Management Meeting
December 16, 2005 at 2:00PM
in ITC-2015 Ivy Road, Room 102

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

I. Corrections to minutes from last Standing Committee meeting on October 31, 2005?

II. Old Business:

• Cluster projects:
  • "Condo" Cluster #2 -
    • http://www.itc.virginia.edu/research/itc-clusters/cluster-purchase.html
    • Timeline? We were off by four months on our promised "go-live" date for cedar.
  • Cedar Cluster Outstanding issues:
  • Is Avaki Gateway node setup on Cedar?
  • PBSPro - priority queuing for paying participants and usage reporting.
  • Aspen & Birch cluster: Any issues or concerns?
  • All the Linux clusters: At August meeting we agreed to create script/alias for most frequently used password commands (e.g., passwd) to invoke message that users need to change password on blue.unix not on cluster front-end. Still Outstanding...
  • Oak Cluster: Any issues or concerns?
  • Teak Cluster: Any issues or concerns?
• /longtmp
  • Script to automate checking usage and reminding users. (Hamp & Tim T. to collaborate on this.)
• blue.unix upgrade of nodes to new 64-bit nodes and new version of OS. We need to test software carefully. Names: blue[1-3].itc
  • Rollout timeline? - how will current names "nodeX.unix" be handled when switchover?
  • Will "gather" command/tools still work?
  • Are there other software packages that were node specific (e.g., Lisrel was) that we need to take into account?
• Ganglia web pages: Need to add cedar.itc.
  • Can we get teak and oak clusters separated out from general research computing cluster so can see nodes easily?
  • Is it possible to add athena.itc (SMP)?
• Andrew Grimshaw's request for Linux front-end to campus grid project - Hamp was going to follow-up on this.

From ResComp Management Meeting agendas:

• Proposal for Linux cluster support as 'for-fee' service. (@March 28, 2005 was in progress per Hamp)
  • Need guidelines for how to handle support for researchers who don't purchase cluster support but expect assistance and guidance from ITC for their cluster.
• New "disk wedge" leasing rates? Ability to get additional disk storage space is a CRITICAL issue for researchers.
  • Also - recently learned that ITC offers disk space behind a firewall for HIPPA data. Do we have Web page on service and rates?
• Acquiring monitoring tools, as discussed in March, especially, MPI Link Checker? (65 to 128 nodes is $4250 less 20% = $3400.
• Phil Parrish leading UVa's participation in responding to NSF's Request for Proposals for next generation/iteration of Supercomputing Centers. UVa partipating via ORNL and its consortium schools and likely one or two others outside consortium.
• Birch maintenance contract expires when? Will it be renewed?

III. New Business:

• Is it t ime to dust off, re-polish, and shop the Advanced Computational Support Center (ACSC) proposal since the announcement in Inside UVa of MAJOR gift to SEAS from Rice Family Foundation to further construction of planned $50 million IT engineering building?
  http://www.virginia.edu/insideuva/2005/20/engineering_gift.html
• What or what more can we be doing towards recruitment of 10 NAS-level faculty?
• CSS Research Computing support staff and services re-locating to Brown Science & Engineering Library and Alderman Library fourth floor in summer 2006. TimT will remain in Wilson for time being.

V. Adjourn by 12:00PM and next meeting

• Next Scheduled Meeting of this group: Monday, February 27, 2006 10:30 AM in ITC-2015 Ivy Road, Room #102 ** I will NOT be here to chair this meeting. **
• Next Scheduled Meeting of ITC ResComp Management team: Monday, January 30, 2006 10:30 AM in ITC-2015 Ivy Road, Room #220
  
  
  Suggestions, additions, corrections to: Tim Tolson or Alice Howard
  

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