Members: David Drake, Dawn, Dee, Ed, Hamp, Jim J., Mark S., Robin, Stan, Sue Ellen, Tim S., Tim T., Tom S.,
Convener: Tim T.
In Attendance: David, Dawn, Ed, Hamp, Jim, Mark, Robin, Stan, Sue Ellen,Tim S., Tim T.
Recorder: Tim T.
Next Meeting: January 31, 2000 at 10:30 AM in Astronomy 117.

Click here to see the agenda from this meeting.

To Dos & Old Business:

Research Computing platforms
Ed reported that PBS can run both interactive and batch modes on Orange/Teal (O/T) cluster according to the documentation.
Tim S: The O/T should aim to get many of the serial jobs off of the SP so it makes it more possible to run parallel jobs on the SP and get quick turnaround.
Ed: PBS can be used for interactive parallel debugging, but not sure that LoadLeveller can.
Tom: Could we use the RCSC RS/6000 as debugger platform, he does his debugging on a 1 CPU machine.
Hamp: Could use splogin.sp2 as debugging platform, it's multiprocessor and PowerPC chip. Need to have same architecture for test as compile.
TODO: Hamp> Look at whether LoadLeveller allows interactive use of parallel nodes.
Tom: TotalView is MPI-aware debugger, but is licensed by number of processors per machine. Should we license?
Dawn: Could we license it only for splogin?
Tom: cost about $1500-$2000 per year.
TODO: Tom> Look into licensing, cost of TotalView; whether Grimshaw will help pay for a platform (e.g., Linux)
Hamp: Just got sun cluster management software for mail servers. Haven't had a chance to check it out.

SP update
Hamp: Bill completed update of the nodes, found some bugs and has finished going back through and fixing, rolling it in over last couple of weeks.

TODO (11/99): Hamp> Re-run job stats in mid-December He hasn't had a chance to re-run.
TODO: Hamp> Will install mpich on Sun/SGI in /common, already there for AIX, will have to use IBM's, MPI on SP, because it's switch-aware.
Tom: Mpich usually uses rhost/shost, can it use ssh?
Hamp: Yes.
Tom: SGI has its own MPI, doesn't know if it's better and only for Origins?

HSM update
Hamp: David Seaman is migrated. Now the last account is Special Collections, will be a race to complete it by the end of the year, it's bigger than the 40 GB cache. Need to have an appropriate send off.

Software

Outstanding Software Installs	Received	By/Due	Comments
1. S-Plus 5.1 for Solaris & AIX	June, 1999	Chip/January 15	License issues fixed; running on Solaris, waiting on upgrade of AIX to 4.3
2. SPSS 6.1.4 (Y2K fix) for Solaris & AIX	Bob S. - 12/28/1999	12/30/1999	Bob Schmidt installed same day received; Great JOB!
3. Gauss 3.30	Spring? 1999	Hamp, done for months?	Stan-maybe some outstanding issues; he'll double-check
4.Iris Explorer	Nov. 1999	Necessary?	See discussion below on this, Khoros & Data Explorer
5. SAS TS060 patch for AIX	?,1999	Goes out 12/21	Solaris SAS TS060 patch is outstanding

Hamp:Now that we have IDL, what about other data visualization software we currently have? Data Explorer & Khoros are old versions? and Iris Explorer, can IDL be used in its place?
Ed: Iris Explorer is a data visualization programming environment, so somewhat different from IDL.
Hamp: Is it SGI only or multiplatform?
Tom: We only have a 4 user license.
Tim S.: Thinks only Env.Sci using Data Explorer.
Tom: Khoros, is Watley's group using? He has e-mail about early usage.
TODO: Can we get list of last users for Iris Explorer, Khoros, and Data Explorer and decide if ought to keep. Contact users about migrating to IDL? And if dropping, put message in script to say no longer available as of X date.
Hamp: Khoros doesn't use license manager, it's over 250 executables.
Jim: What about support - do we have any to provide to users?
Tom: We should see what IDL looks like - how similar in look and feel it is to Data Explorer, Khoros, Iris Explorer. He liked having command script. Khoros is not free, Data Explorer is.
(Note: new versions of D.E. not available on AIX).
TODO: Tom> Identify issues with Khoros vs. IDL.

NPACI/Legion
Tom: Report on SuperComputing '99-I never got out of Legion booth. It was VERY popular. Globus seems to have peaked, it's more hardware based, not much software and not much new in two years. Boeing and Brookhaven were interested in Legion.

Research Computing Support Center (RCSC)
Dawn: Center doing well, increasing traffic, direct phone calls. Has slowed down some this week. Have seen several users for extended support.
Tim S: Any engineering folks coming over?
Dawn: No. Medical Center for statistical computing and Math department. No engineering and no astronomy users.
Tom: Is statistical computing support available at RCSC? Are they prepared to help users of the Clinical Data Repository (CDR) - newer users trying to do reports from these data?
Tim T.: Yes and yes.
Tom: Would we be willing to co-author/colloborate on articles?
Tim T.: Yes, up to a point - grey area.

Discussion on colloborations, funding for staff to do this.
David pointed out need to find middle ground, not doing the bulk of the work, avoiding just busy work, but we are providing real assistance to researchers.

New Business
None

Meeting adjourned around 11:45, next meeting January 31, 2000, 10:30 AM

Go to: ITC Research Computing Standing Committee Home Page

by Tim F.J. Tolson