18 April 2002 e-Science Architectural Roadmap Open Meeting 1 Support for the UK e-Science Roadmap David Boyd UK Grid Support Centre CLRC e-Science Centre

18 April 2002 e-Science Architectural Roadmap Open Meeting 1

Support for the UK e-Science Roadmap

David BoydUK Grid Support CentreCLRC e-Science Centre

[email protected]


Outline

• What the Grid Support Centre does now

• How this will extend to support the roadmap


Grid Support Centre

• Part of the e-Science Core Programme

• Team of 6 FTE posts based at CLRC(RAL+DL), Universities of Edinburgh and Manchester (but actually provided by a pool of some 25-30 people)

• Exists to help users install and apply Grid software quickly, easily and productively


Provides a range of support . .

• Helpdesk [email protected]– first point of contact for requests and queries– personally contactable during office hours– provides access to technical expertise at all sites

• Web information resource http://www.grid-support.ac.uk– tutorials– evaluation reports– links to other resources

• Grid Starter Kit– downloadable software– installation support– documentation


. . . . and services

• Certificate Authority for the UK e-Science programme– issues X.509 digital certificates usable with Globus GSI– uses network of Registration Authorities to validate users– currently testing web-based procedure using OpenCA software– see http://www.grid-support.ac.uk/ca

• National resource directory service– based on Globus MDS 2– holds published information on Grid-enabled resources

• Training for system administrators– to help with setting up local installations

• Reference software installations on supported platforms– Linux, AIX, Solaris, IRIX, Tru64

• Liaison with software development teams


Software supported

• Currently– Globus Toolkit 2.0 (just moved from beta to production)– Condor– SRB (currently working with SLAC to build a UK

installation with stand-alone MCAT)– Sun GridEngine (expertise at Edinburgh)– EDG network monitoring tools (in collaboration with

GNT)

• In future– Web Services + open-source components– Globus Toolkit 3.0 + Grid Services

convergence


Coming soon . . .

• Early Web Services releases will include – GSI-enabled modification of Apache Tomcat to support

secure Web Service applications• originally developed at Argonne• builds in security at transport level• enables secure higher level Web Service interactions• enhanced and documented for UK use at EPCC

– XML database software based on Apache Xindice• Web Services wrapping developed at EPCC

• Early releases of GT 3 will start to appear in the next few months

• The GSC will provide user support for these as they stabilise


Ongoing support . . .

• Working with software developers to assist transition from alpha/beta to production releases

– help with testing releases at an early stage– relieve developers of ongoing support burden once product is

stable– provide central point for accessing software and

documentation• Encouraging co-operation and pooling of resources to develop new tools

– maximise productive involvement from across the programme• Testing inter-workability of software from different sources

– identify problems and work with developers to resolve• Building and maintaining library of software components and tools

– quality checked, internally consistent, change managed • Gathering and sharing advice and experience from users


Summary

• The Grid Support Centre will continue to support use of Globus Toolkit 2 and other Grid software into the future

• We will maintain the current range of services in support of the centres and projects

• New Web Service and Grid Service developments will come on board as there emerge and stabilise

• We will provide a focus for bringing together, integrating and supporting new developments from across the programme

Documents

18 April 2002 e-Science Architectural Roadmap Open Meeting 1 Support for the UK e-Science Roadmap David Boyd UK Grid Support Centre CLRC e-Science Centre