SJ – Mar The “opencluster” in “openlab” A technical overview Sverre Jarp IT Division CERN

SJ – Mar Definitions The “CERN openlab for DataGrid applications” is a framework for evaluating and integrating cutting-edge technologies or services in partnership with industry, focusing on potential solutions for the LCG. The openlab invites members of the industry to join and contribute systems, resources or services, and carry out with CERN large-scale high-performance evaluation of their solutions in an advanced integrated environment. “opencluster” project The openlab is constructing a pilot ‘compute and storage farm’ called the opencluster, based on HP's dual processor servers, Intel's Itanium Processor Family (IPF) processors, Enterasys's 10-Gbps switches and, at a later stage, a high-capacity storage system.

SJ – Mar LHC Computing Grid LCG Project Selection, Integration (technology) and deployment (full scale) Full Production service Worldwide scope 09

SJ – Mar CERN openlab LCG Framework for collaboration Evaluation, integration, validation (of cutting-edge technologies) 3-year lifetime CERN openlab

SJ – Mar Technology onslaught Large amounts of new technology will become available between now and LHC start-up. A few HW examples: Processors SMT (Symmetric Multi-Threading) CMP (Chip Multiprocessor) Ubiquitous 64-bit computing (even in laptops) Memory DDR II-400 (fast) Servers with 1 TB (large) Interconnect PCI-X  PCI-X2  PCI-Express (serial) Infiniband Computer architecture Chipsets on steroids Modular computers ISC2003 Keynote Presentation Building Efficient HPC Systems from Catalog Components Justin Rattner, Intel Corp., Santa Clara, USABuilding Efficient HPC Systems from Catalog Components Justin Rattner Disks Serial-ATA Ethernet 10 GbE (NICs and switches) 1 Terabit backplanes Not all, but some of this will definitely be used by LHC

SJ – Mar Vision: A fully functional GRID cluster node Gigabit long-haul link CPU Servers WAN Multi-gigabit LAN Storage system Remote Fabric

SJ – Mar opencluster strategy Demonstrate promising technologies LCG and LHC on-line Deploy the technologies well beyond the opencluster itself 10 GbE interconnect in the LHC Test-bed Act as a 64-bit Porting Centre CMS and Alice already active; ATLAS is interested CASTOR 64-bit reference platform Storage subsystem as CERN-wide pilot Focal point for vendor collaborations For instance, in the “10 GbE Challenge” everybody must collaborate in order to be successful Channel for providing information to vendors Thematic workshops

SJ – Mar The opencluster today Three industrial partners: Enterasys, HP, and Intel A fourth partner to join Data storage subsystem Which will “fulfill the vision” Technology aimed at the LHC era Network switches at 10 Gigabits Rack-mounted HP servers 64-bit Itanium processors Cluster evolution: 2002: Cluster of 32 systems (64 processors) 2003: 64 systems (“Madison” processors) 2004/05: Possibly 128 systems (“Montecito” processors)

SJ – Mar Activity overview Over the last few months Cluster installation, middleware Application porting, compiler installations, benchmarking Initialization of “Challenges” Planned first thematic workshop Future Porting of grid middleware Grid integration and benchmarking Storage partnership Cluster upgrades/expansion New generation network switches

SJ – Mar opencluster in detail Integration of the cluster: Fully automated network installations 32 nodes + development nodes RedHat Advanced Workstation 2.1 OpenAFS, LSF GNU, Intel, ORC Compilers (64-bit) ORC (Open Research Compiler, used to belong to SGI) CERN middleware: Castor data mgmt CERN Applications Porting, Benchmarking, Performance improvements CLHEP, GEANT4, ROOT, Sixtrack, CERNLIB, etc. Database software (MySQL, Oracle?)

SJ – Mar The compute nodes HP rx2600 Rack-mounted (2U) systems Two Itanium-2 processors 900 or 1000 MHz Field upgradeable to next generation 2 or 4 GB memory (max 12 GB) 3 hot pluggable SCSI discs (36 or 73 GB) On-board 100 Mbit and 1 Gbit Ethernet 4 PCI-X slots: full-size 133 MHz/64-bit slot(s) Built-in management processor Accessible via serial port or Ethernet interface

SJ – Mar Opencluster - phase 1 Perform cluster benchmarks: Parallel ROOT queries (via PROOF) Observed excellent scaling: 2  4  8  16  32  64 CPUs To be reported at CHEP2003 “1 GB/s to tape” challenge Network interconnect via 10 GbE switches opencluster may act as CPU servers 50 StorageTek tape drives in parallel “10 Gbit/s network Challenge” Groups together all openlab partners Enterasys switch HP servers Intel processors and n/w cards CERN Linux and n/w expertise

SJ – Mar Enterasys extension 1Q FastEthernet Disk Servers Gig copper Gig fiber 10 Gig node Itanium cluster200+ node Pentium cluster E1 OAS

SJ – Mar Why a 10 GbE Challenge? Demonstrate LHC-era technology All necessary components available inside the opencluster Identify bottlenecks And see if we can improve We know that Ethernet is here to stay 4 years from now 10 Gbit/s should be commonly available Backbone technology Cluster interconnect Possibly also for iSCSI and RDMA traffic We want to advance the state-of-the-art !

SJ – Mar Demonstration of openlab partnership Everybody contributes: Enterasys 10 Gbit switches Hewlett-Packard Server with its PCI-X slots and memory bus Intel 10 Gbit NICs plus driver Processors (i.e. code optimization) CERN Linux kernel expertise Network expertise Project management IA32 expertise CPU clusters, disk servers on multi-Gbit infrastructure Stop Press: We are up and running with back-to-back connections

SJ – Mar Opencluster time line Jan 03Jan 04Jan 05Jan 06 Install 32 nodes Start phase 1 - Systems expertise in place Complete phase 1 Order/Install G-2 upgrades and 32 more nodes Order/Install G-3 upgrades; Add nodes openCluster integration EDG and LCG interoperability Start phase 2 Complete phase 2Start phase 3

SJ – Mar Opencluster - future Port and validation of EDG 2.0 software Joint project with CMS Integrate opencluster alongside EDG testbed Porting, Verification Relevant software packages (hundreds of RPMs) Understand chain of prerequisites Exploit possibility to leave control node as IA-32 Interoperability with EDG Testbeds and later with LCG-1 Integration into existing authentication scheme GRID benchmarks To be defined later

SJ – Mar Recap: opencluster strategy Demonstrate promising IT technologies File system technology to come Deploy the technologies well beyond the opencluster itself Focal point for vendor collaborations Channel for providing information to vendors

SJ – Mar The Workshop

SJ – Mar IT Division 250 people About 200 are at engineering level 10 groups: Advanced Projects’ Group (DI) (Farm) Architecture and Data Challenges (ADC) Communications Services (CS) Fabric Infrastructure and Operations (FIO) Grid Deployment (GD) Databases (DB) Internet (and Windows) Services (IS) User Services (US) Product Support (PS) Controls (CO) Groups have both a development and a service responsibility Most of today’s speakers are from ADC and DB

SJ – Mar High Energy Physics Computing Characteristics Independent events (collisions) Trivial parallel processing Bulk of the data is read-only versions rather than updates Meta-data in databases linking to files Chaotic workload – research environment - physics extracted by iterative analysis, collaborating groups of physicists  Unpredictable  unlimited demand Very large aggregate requirements: computation, data, i/o

SJ – Mar SHIFT architecture Three tiers Interconnected via Ethernet StorageTek Powderhorn 6,000 1/2” tape cartridges CPU servers (no permanent data) DISK servers (cached data) Tape robots

SJ – Mar 2003 reconstruction simulation analysis interactive physics analysis batch physics analysis batch physics analysis detector event summary data raw data event reprocessing event reprocessing event simulation event simulation analysis objects (extracted by physics topic) Data Handling and Computation for Physics Analysis event filter (selection & reconstruction) event filter (selection & reconstruction) processed data CERN

SJ – Mar Backup