Minutes of the ITC-Research Computing Standing Committee

(ITC-2015 Ivy Road, Room 102)

Meeting on November 29, 2004

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

Attending: Alice, Bill, Ed, Hamp, Kathy G.,Katherine H., Mark S., Robin, Terry, Tim S., Joe Simard

Chair: Tim T. Recorder: Alice

Click here to see the agenda from this meeting.

I. Corrections to minutes from the last meeting on September 27, 2004? None.

II. Ongoing Discussion Topics:

1. Cluster projects:

· Teal cluster:

– Have a machine ready to go for a frontend – decided to make the change on Wednesday, Dec. 8, and to name it ‘teak’.

– MPT has been there all along; PBS is installed and working.

· SUN netras in orange cluster:

– Orange1 is the head node – will rename to ‘oak’ as part of bringing new netras into cluster..

The new Sun netras and racking equipment are ordered but not yet arrived.

– Users who are still attempting to do interactive logins need to use PBS.

· Aspen & Birch cluster upgrade to 2.6 kernel? Timeline dependent on ROCKS upgrade.

– Next version of Enterprise Linux is in beta – so we might get ROCKS in April – and then it might be feasible to do the cluster upgrade over Summer ’05.

2. Additional disk space for /longtmp and script to automate checking usage and reminding users.

· The Library has one more server to migrate – then we can expand /longtmp.

3. Schedule for adding additional disk space to /common on jeeves for pending software installs (e.g., SAS, Maple):

· /common is as big as it can get.

4. Update on SEAS SUR grant clusters:

· Both SEAS clusters are up and running.

5. Proposal for Linux Cluster support as a for-fee service:

· 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.

· Working on what Hamp sent around as a separate announcement.

· Need to get rate approved.

6. Condo Cluster proposal – minimum participation is 4 nodes with a 3 year support/replacement cycle.

· Announced in September Research newsletter – got two inquiries – December 12 is the deadline for joining – Tim T will check with interested people this week and next.

· See http://www.itc.virginia.edu/research/itc-clusters/cluster-purchase.html. Order submission deadline is December 17, 2004. Assuming no shipping delays, have in production for users by March 30, 2005.

III. New Topics:

7. Three terabyte disk storage arrays for Aspen and Birch clusters?

· Ordered and are arriving in pieces – all here except that we are missing the second CPUs for each – everything else is here. Going ahead and configuring them anyhow.

8. Linux license server, “linux.license.virginia.edu”, for FlexLM license managers. Several packages no longer supporting 32-bit AIX and therefore dropping FlexLM license managers on AIX.

· Will go ahead and set up another license manager.

9. Computer Sciences “grid clustering” proposal/interest. Headed by Andrew Grimshaw.

· This proposal/interest is for something at a production level.

Next meeting is scheduled for Monday, December 20, 10:30 AM in ITC-2015 Ivy Road, Room #102.

This meeting was cancelled and next scheduled meeting became February 28, 2005, same time and place.

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