5 December 2002Wolfgang von Rüden, FOCUS Meeting, IT Review IT Review of the Year 2002 FOCUS December 2002 Thanks to all contributors from IT groups Wolfgang von Rüden

5 December 2002Wolfgang von Rüden, FOCUS Meeting, IT Review Architectures and Data Challenges – ADC (1) Linux: –established 'Linux certification coordination body' to formally –involve main user groups and streamline certification process –implemented Linux release policy: –certified CERN Linux (major changes, six months to certify) –certified CERN Linux (minor release, nine weeks to certify) –central installation service for farm and desktop machines

5 December 2002Wolfgang von Rüden, FOCUS Meeting, IT Review CERN Linux certification Timeline: : Red Hat 7.3 release : CLUG recommendation to certify 7.3, not 8.x : start of the certification : planned end date (delayed by missing libraries, IT & LHCb requested more time) : actual certification New: Linux certification coordination group –Formal participation of divisions and experiments –Defines user environments to certify –Takes decision Good start, but need iterations to map out all user requirements

5 December 2002Wolfgang von Rüden, FOCUS Meeting, IT Review Proposal: and lifetime planning ○ CERN Linux and are now obsoleted by ○ is still needed on LXBATCH and LXPLUS6 until May03, but only for running existing code, shutdown already agreed at FOCUS (but DTF asks for delay) ○ was never used in batch production, desktops are being migrated ○ Rundown schedule proposal – : Feature freeze -- no more application software updates (ASIS) – : end of support: no more security updates, no new installations. Existing machines need to be upgraded or individually secured

5 December 2002Wolfgang von Rüden, FOCUS Meeting, IT Review Objectives and scope of the "Linux certification coordination committee" –To monitor the Linux certification process and adjust it as necessary. –To implement the CERN Linux certification process. Members of the LCCC (*) will jointly take decisions on which vendor release to certify jointly declare start and end of certifications individually ensure that the interests of the CERN Linux user communities they are representing are taken into account in the certification –to decide on CERN-wide Linux issues, after identifying and consulting with stakeholders outside of this committee. (*) : no real name yet

5 December 2002Wolfgang von Rüden, FOCUS Meeting, IT Review Experiences with the new group ○ 3 meetings up to now – : general mandate, ways of working – : compilers for – : planned certification, status update (and decision to delay) ○ Taken up quickly, collaborative atmosphere, fulfills real need ○ Varying “depths” of requirements, explicit package lists ↔ “something like 6.1.1” ○ Planned: monitor progress of gcc-3.2 migration, decide on formal “mini-certification” if things go wrong until January ○ Planned: Red Hat 8.1 certification in spring

5 December 2002Wolfgang von Rüden, FOCUS Meeting, IT Review Current Membership –Bruce Barnett(ATLAS-online) –Eric Cano(CMS-online) –Marco Cattaneo(LHCb) –Günter Duckeck(ATLAS-offline) –Benigno Gobbo(non-LHC experiments) –Jan Iven(IT-services catchall, chair) –Nicolas de Metz-Noblat (PS/CO) –Jarek Polok(Desktop, secretary) –Fons Rademakers(ALICE) –Tim Smith(IT PLUS/BATCH) –Stephan Wynhoff(CMS-offline) –Alastair Bland(SL/CO) –Missing: –Link to CLUG(CLUG chair?)

5 December 2002Wolfgang von Rüden, FOCUS Meeting, IT Review Architectures and Data Challenges- ADC (2) Testbeds : –The testbeds at CERN have been the major place for testing and verification and CERN is the de facto control center of all production and test activities. –In spring EDG passed the project review successful using the testbeds installed, configured and maintained at CERN. –Based on EDG v1.1.2 middleware a first production stile test was run by the ATLAS collaboration in close cooperation with CERN’s support for the EDG testbeds. The set goals of the test have been reached before time and could be extended.

5 December 2002Wolfgang von Rüden, FOCUS Meeting, IT Review Architectures and Data Challenges – ADC (3) Data Challenges: –During the year several Computing Data Challenges were organized to stress and test the different components in our Architecture (network, disk server, tape servers, CASTOR, etc.) e.g. : –ATLAS  DAQ complexity and communication –ALICE  DAQ, 1.8 GB/s event building, 350 MB/s disk I/O –IT  disk server performance + stability at 1 GB/s load, Disk MTBF long term tests, high throughput CASTOR and networking, new tape technology

5 December 2002Wolfgang von Rüden, FOCUS Meeting, IT Review Applications for Physics and Infrastructure – API (1) Geant4 –Detector simulation for LHC experiments Physics verification progressing well – comparison with test beam data CMS plans to use Geant4 for the 2003 data challenge –Other users: Harp, BaBar (1 billion events produced), Space, Medical… –Delta-review done (October) – positive feedback –Collaboration & User Workshops at CERN October and November 2002 –Major new developments: new models in hadronic physics (cascade etc.), extensions in electromagnetic physics, physics lists for major use cases, cut by region, importance biasing and scoring for radiation studies

5 December 2002Wolfgang von Rüden, FOCUS Meeting, IT Review Applications for Physics and Infrastructure – API (2) LCG Applications Area participation –after the SC2 moratorium to stop new developments for Anaphe, a consolidated release was made in October –the Anaphe team members have been assigned to projects in the LCG applications area –API participates LCG applications area projects: software process and infrastructure (SPI), persistency framework (POOL), core libraries and services (CLS) and physicist interface (PI), ROOT CERNLIB –“Last ever” release done in Summer 2002 –Support until Summer 2003 – still following platform/compiler decisions at CERN

5 December 2002Wolfgang von Rüden, FOCUS Meeting, IT Review Supported Platforms 2003 Footnote: Geant4 is supported on Windows 2000/XP with VC++6.0-SP5 CERNLIB with Visual Fortran 6.1 PlatformO/SC/C++FORTRAN LINUX/IntelRH 7.3gcc  3.2g  3.2 Solaris8SC 5.3  5.4

5 December 2002Wolfgang von Rüden, FOCUS Meeting, IT Review Number of Requests for Support Quarter

5 December 2002Wolfgang von Rüden, FOCUS Meeting, IT Review Controls - CO CERN-wide support services continue for: –National Instruments (LabVIEW), PVSS-II, OPC, CAN Bus –PVSS contract extended to all CERN projects (except ST) Support for LHC Joint COntrols Project (JCOP) –Gas Control System: good progress with engineering & UNICOS collaboration –JCOP Framework release 1.2 and well-defined future road map –Detector Safety System project started for LHC experiment equipment safety –Progress with control for Racks, Sub-Racks and Data Interchange Controls for Fixed Target programme –COMPASS, HARP (now terminated), NA48, NA60

5 December 2002Wolfgang von Rüden, FOCUS Meeting, IT Review Communication Services - CS End of the campus FDDI backbone ( x.y) General network backbone made fully redundant Kept pace with the physics data challenges in computer centre openlab reception of 10GE equipment Opening of 622 Mb/s protected production link to Chicago Opening of 2.5 Gb/s link to Chicago New record of long distance file transfer CERN - Triumf Technical network backbone available in all LHC surface areas The GSM/Radio antenna installed in first LHC half-octant Upgrade of the accelerator network has started

5 December 2002Wolfgang von Rüden, FOCUS Meeting, IT Review Databases - DB POOL project activities –SC2 RTAG; leadership and participation COMPASS / HARP migration –Circa 100MB/s Grid Data Management –EDG milestones  preparation for LCG Oracle cluster for physics –2-node Sun cluster: detector DBs etc EDMS replacement (Sun-based) –Joint cluster with main DB server DB market survey  new contract amendment –Covers CERN staff & registered users –Deployment & support issues being worked out

5 December 2002Wolfgang von Rüden, FOCUS Meeting, IT Review Data Services – DS (1) AFS: Migration of all servers to OpenAFS has been completed eliminating two major bugs seen by clients (‘disappearing’ files). Backup: After extensive analysis and testing we are recommending to merge the separate Legato and AFS backup services into a single one based on the IBM Tivoli Storage Manager already in use.

5 December 2002Wolfgang von Rüden, FOCUS Meeting, IT Review Data Services – DS (2) Managed Storage: The CASTOR system now handles the bulk of physics data at CERN with over 1 Petabyte of data stored in 7 million files. It smoothly managed 3 months of Compass data taking at a speed of 45 MB/sec and is currently setting up for the Alice data challenge 4 when it should run for a continuous week at over 200 MB/sec. Symmetric splitting of tapes and drives into two separate robotic clusters was completed. Twenty high performance and capacity STK 9940B tape drives were purchased and are being used in the Alice DC4. We have almost completed migration of required Redwood cartridges to STK 9940A or B media prior to end of support at end 2002.

5 December 2002Wolfgang von Rüden, FOCUS Meeting, IT Review Fabric Infrastructure and Operations - FIO Maintained and developed services as required –LXBATCH/LXPLUS, LSF, Remedy Completed RISC reduction programme –including consolidation of multiple independent Linux clusters into single LXBATCH service. Built foundation for future Tier0/Tier1 services –improved system monitoring in collaboration with EDG/WP4 and evaluation of PVSS as component of monitoring architecture. –improved system management tools; move to Linux standards and modularity; prototyping of EDG/WP4 tools –developed hardware management procedures for large clusters –converted B513 tape vault to machine room

5 December 2002Wolfgang von Rüden, FOCUS Meeting, IT Review

5 December 2002Wolfgang von Rüden, FOCUS Meeting, IT Review

5 December 2002Wolfgang von Rüden, FOCUS Meeting, IT Review

5 December 2002Wolfgang von Rüden, FOCUS Meeting, IT Review Internet Services – IS Mail and Collaborative Services –New mail infrastructure tested, validated and deployed –Calendar, Web interface, Encrypted sessions and better spam fight available on the new service –Service in production in December Web Services –Registration interface improved with access to log files, permission management, quota management –Solaris Cluster migrated to linux PCs, web site data consolidated on AFS Windows Services –Project and divisional data migrated into the DFS tree –More than 4700 W2k PCs remotely managed and secured –VPN pilot service deployed –Windows XP pilot service prepared

5 December 2002Wolfgang von Rüden, FOCUS Meeting, IT Review Product Support - PS In agreement with the users, in particular CMS, Solaris 8 is now certified and SUNDEV has been upgraded this week to this version. CVS service adding more clients; now serving 5 services with several more under test; tests are underway on access models and speeds The migration of EUCLID client platforms to Windows is underway with a completion date of summer No problems so far. Users appreciate jump in performance (factor of about 3). The decision has been taken to migrate the EUCLID server from Alpha to Windows, starting in the second half of The Market Survey to re-tender the Desktop Support Contract (which includes support of computing for several experiments) has started. There will be particular emphasis on service levels and away from manpower. First discussions planned with users of the contract.

5 December 2002Wolfgang von Rüden, FOCUS Meeting, IT Review User Services – US New IT Web site Infrastructure for rental PCs New IT user support model (as of 1 st Sept.) –Higher first-time resolution rate –User feedback (see chart)

5 December 2002Wolfgang von Rüden, FOCUS Meeting, IT Review Major Projects with IT participation (1) EU DataGrid –Successful EU review in March, major progress (ATLAS & CMS stress test) –Close collaboration with US Grid projects, LHC experiments and LCG –High visibility and acceptance within the EU EU DataTAG –New record of long distance file transfer CERN - Triumf LCG –Project now well on the rails with SC2 – PEB - GDB –Major progress in all sub-areas –Review processes with LHCC, C-RRB in place –~50 new people arrived –Funding for phase I still under discussion

5 December 2002Wolfgang von Rüden, FOCUS Meeting, IT Review Major Projects with IT participation (2) JCOP: –Divers range of sub-projects progressing well –External review planned for early 2003 CERN openlab for DataGrid applications –Enterasys, HP and Intel have joined –opencluster components start to arrive

5 December 2002Wolfgang von Rüden, FOCUS Meeting, IT Review Other major events CERN School of Computing – excellent feedback EU-Proposal for EGEE under preparation New medium/long-term plan assures support for LHC computing (to be accepted by Council next week). Adds 20 FTEs for long-term LHC support Introduction of P+M+I Work Package planning –Integrated planning for all services and projects, in personnel, materials and industrial services –Allows to move resources within limits between materials and personnel –Managing this plan in the future is as important as setting it up in the first place –For 2003: System management contract will be gradually in-sourced.

5 December 2002Wolfgang von Rüden, FOCUS Meeting, IT Review Conclusions 2002 was again a very busy year with a lot of achievements From IT’s view, the relations with the users have improved further, also thanks to FOCUS The efforts made by many users has allowed to streamline the services and provide more for less! Financial situation is very tight for the coming years CERN’s computing activities are highly recognised by the CERN Council, EU, US funding agencies and industry We have enormous challenges in front of us and a very diversified programme. Stay focussed!

5 December 2002Wolfgang von Rüden, FOCUS Meeting, IT Review Last, but not least … A big THANK YOU to J. Altaber and M. Delfino