Italian Grid Initiative (IGI)

1. Grid and Cloud Infrastructures From research and development to sustainable innovative services The national grid: IGIThe IGI middlewareRelations with EMI and EGIMirco MazzucatoIGI DirectorGCCP 2011Bratislava, Slovak RepublicOctober 24-26, 10-2011

2. Italian Grid Initiative (IGI) • IGIis the Italian NGI supported by the Italian Ministry of Research and Education. • The organization developing and operating the grid (and cloud) services of the Italian grid infrastructure • Services enabling the discovery easy access and sharing of distributed resources across sites from multiple research institutes and multiple disciplines • Born to grant the sustainability of the national grid infrastructure part of EGEE-III and of several other regional and national institutional Grids • A JRU collaboration represent IGI today until a new legal entity will be formed. Formally defined by a MoU. • It Includee all major Italian Research Organizations (INFN, CNR, ENEA, INAF….), Universities and Compute Centers • At the end of 2010 the Ministry has provided the basis of the IGI sustainability with a long term line of budget to form a new legal entity. • New Statute of IGI Consortium being finalized • Current skilled personnel will be employed by IGI to preserve know how and continuity of services

3. www.italiangrid.org 58 Sites 30.000 Core 30 PB Disk Store 8 PB Tape Store 50 VOs 10 Application Domains

4. A new IGI legal Entity: Why? • To stabilize and collect in one Consortium the nuclei of expertise which have grown in Italy in different institutions after 10 years of National and European Grid projects and use them for common general innovative objectives • Generalize the usage of the Distributed Computing and Data Infrastructures from a restricted number of pioneer organization to the whole research sector and beyond (Public Administration. eGov..) • To act as innovation engine in the Distributed Computing and Data infrastructure in Italy supporting R&D in this domain • To consolidate new general services that IGI offers to the Research sector and beyond based on SLAs. • To foster new business model in Italy and Europe based on Open Software components • In Europe the R&D on grid has produced software components Open Source which have shown a high production quality and to be able to support effectively the activities 24 x 7 of various research communities Mirco Mazzucato CC IGI 2-7-10 4

5. IGI Plan and Services • Today IGI Consortium is progressively taking over JRU activites with personnel paid by MIUR funds within INFN • IGI Funding model: • MIUR funding • EC projects funding (EGI InSPIRE and EMI……) • National funding agencies (Resources) • IGI membership fees and service payments • IGI: initial Grid services offer: • Customized IGI release • Grid site-level services support (CE, SE, site BDII, etc.) • Grid core services operation (WMS, VOMS, top-level BDII..) • VO services: through the Scientific Support Clusters • IGI Grid infrastructure Monitoring and Accounting • In a near future: Cloud services for research teams and resource allocation

6. An open Issue at European level • IGI in connection with EGI provides “in principle” a sustainable framework to guarantee a long term support to the national and European e-infrastructure and its innovative evolution • The Ministry (or other) national funding of IGI and of the other NGIs guarantee the support to EGI.eu and EGI as a whole (to be consolidated in practice with users and useful services) • However the Grid and Cloud software is still provided by projects and in particular EMI (10 M€) is the reference one • EMI in the last meeting launched a process for the creation of a Foundation for the Open Scientific Software to guarantee its long term support on the line of what has been done for Apache, Red Hat etc. • IGI has decided to support the Italian software used in EGI and EMI to guarantee its long term availability to users communities • IGI fully endorse the process for a creation of an Open Software Foundation CC IGI

7. IGI: Timing and strategy • 2 Phases: • Phase 1: Special Project inside INFN managed by the JRU • Phase 2: IGI as an autonmous legal entity • Phase 1: • Foreseen duration of about 1 year (approve the statute) • Activity: • Transfer in the Special Project all the personnel and general grid activities today shared within the partners • Take over the commitments in EMI and EGI-InSPIRE and those towards the Virtual Research Communities from INFN • Set up the new IGI technical organization • Preparare the new Statute and create the IGI Consortium • Develop a strategy for the sustainability and the autonomous admistration of the Consortium” • Phase 2: • From the creation of the Consortium • Provide the autonmous operation of the services and support to users • Provide long term contracts to personnel CC IGI

8. The transition phase • The management of Grid and Cloud services is taken progressively over by the personnel of the Units of the Special Project together with the activities related to InSPIRE and EMI • INFN and the other partners keep the responsibility of their current community services to allow IGI to concentrate on the consolidation of the baseline general services • In future IGI will take over some of the community services • IGI will progressively buy the hw resources necessary to host the IGI services and will locate them within the partners’ computing facilities (mainly CNAF) CC IGI

9. IGI: only Grid or also“Cloud ” • “Cloud ”has indicated originally a “privately developed “ offer via WEB of virtual resources assigned on demand according to the user request by commercial providers, as Amazon, Google IBM…. • Today the word “Cloud” express generically a computing and storage distributed infrastructure which include not only the orginal Cloud offer but also Grids, HPC etc. • GRID is a set of Open Services to discover, access and share ICT resources located in different admistrative domains to support e-Science. Gridr are the foundation of collaborative eScience • based on general protocols, standards and policies • “Cloud” has certainly made much simpler and easier than grids the access to a single remote resource thanks to virtualization and a new friendly WEB interface but there seems not to be a clear demand for Cloud by current research users of EGI and IGI • ….users are quite happy with the grids • IGI has made an effort to understand which new “Cloud type “ functionalities could be useful to research users as additions to the current Grid services Mirco Mazzucato CD INFN 9

10. Concrete user problems present in EGI that IGI has started to address • Users require an easy way to replicate their working environment in the Grid compute nodes General vitualization offered by Cloud is certainly the solution and should be largely adopted in grids • Users now want interactivity. Grids support only batch jobs. Should introduce the possibility for users to ask and use when necessary virtual clusters for interactive work • Users want to continue to get the possibility to discover, access and share remote resources as they do with grids, but pretend that this become easier automated • User want the possibility to allocate compute and storage resources when they need them via WEB and ( as in the EGI Cloud TF) but it is not seen as a top priority This requires to change the current IGI resource funding model. Need IGI resources to be offered freely to users requiring limited capacity CC IGI

11. Concrete centers’ problems that IGI has started to address • Centers have developed with time a large expertise on the tools they use to provide their services: Security, Batch Systems, Parallel file systems, monitoring and accounting… • These are their assets which work at large scale and they are very reluctant to replace them • Grids have been so successfull because they have provided services on top of existing operational tools leveraging on existing know how and centers assets • Centers strongly ask technology providers to: • lower the entrance barrier • provide tools for general resource virtualization • provide tools for an extension of their offer to interactivity • a general “Cloud type” offer but starting from what exist CC IGI

12. IGI Solution: WNoDeS Convergence of Grid and Cloud Services on Dynamically Provisioned Resources New USER PC, PA AAI Token AAI unificato Archive Catalog Typical IGI site VirtualizationLayer SE SE SE SE IGI become also a IaaS Mirco Mazzucato CC IGI 2-7-10 12

13. WNoDeS, a Grid / Cloud Integration Framework http://web.infn.it/wnodes (wnodes@lists.infn.it)

14. The WorkerNodeson DemandService, a.k.a.WNoDeS, in One Slide • A software framework created by INFN to integrate Grid and Cloud provisioning and adopted by the Italian Grid Infrastructure (IGI) as a production Grid/Cloud integration solution • All resources (Grid, Cloud, or else) are taken from a common pool • Scalable and reliable – it is in production at several Italian centers, including the INFN Tier-1 (CNAF, Bologna) since November 2009 • Currently managing about 2000 on-demand Virtual Machines (VMs) there • Totally transparent for both Grid and users of traditional Computing Centers • Supporting a native Cloud interface • OCCI (Open Cloud Computing Interface) compliant • A Cloud Web portal • Integrating authentication, policy and accounting • Leveraging proven open source software technologies like Linux KVM, Torque/Maui (Platform LSF also supported), gLite middleware • Easily expandable in Python WNoDeS in a Nutshell 14

15. WNoDeS use cases WNoDeS status and development • WNoDeS1 in production now at severalItaliansites • WNoDeS2tobereleasedby 2011withimportantenhancements, amongthem: • Increased I/O efficiency, Torque/Mauisupport, the Cloud Web portal, the VirtualInteractive Pool (VIP) interface • Researchprogramongoingfocusing on key areaslike: • Dynamic network virtualization • VM imageabstraction and repositories • Inter-cloudconnectivity • CollaborationwithotherEuropeanpartnersis welcome Customized environments for batch jobs in a traditional computing center and in Grid distributed computing Efficient self-provisioning of Virtual Images for interactive usage via API, web portal, or local scripts WNoDeS use cases and architectural requirements fully described in the document “Requirements for Virtualized Services” available at http://web.infn.it/wnodes WNoDeS in a Nutshell 15

16. WNoDeSUse Case#1:LocalUsers • Jobs submitted locally by users to a traditional computing center • Users submit jobs to a computer farm asking to run in their usual working environment • WNoDeS can associate jobs belonging to a user or a set of users to Virtual Machines specifically created for them • This is completely transparent for users • No need to change anything from the users’ point of view. WNoDeS in a Nutshell 16

17. WNoDeS Use Case#2:Grid Users • Jobs submittedbyusersof a Grid-baseddistributedinfrastructure. Twopossibilitieshere: • AlljobsbeloningtocertainVirtualOrganizations (VOs) can bedirectedtopre-packagedVMs. Thisiscompletelytransparentforusers. • Gridusers can specifywhich VM theywanttheirjobstorun on • Using standard EMI (EuropeanMiddlewareInitiative) gLite job management tools. WNoDeS in a Nutshell 17

18. WNoDeS Use Case#3:Cloud Computing • Self-allocationofcomputeresources (CloudComputing). This can happen via: • A standard API called Open CloudComputing Interface (OCCI), developedby the Open Grid Forum (OGF) • Rarelyemployeddirectlybyusers. • A Cloud Web portal • A user-friendly way toself-allocateresources; • Whichwillbeintegratedinto a genericresourceallocation and management portal, usableforbothCloud and Gridcomputing. WNoDeS in a Nutshell 18

19. WNoDeSUse Case #4:VirtualInteractivePools (VIP) • Self-allocationofsystemsbyusersof a traditionalcomputing center • Systems are provisioned so thatusers can log on tothemwiththeirlocal account (no rootaccess). • Usersmayspecifycharacteristicssuchas VM image, numberofCPUs, amoutof RAM, localfilesystemstobemounted. • Thesesystems can beemployedbyusersforinstanceto create poolsofmachinesforinteractiveanalysis or toinstantiatead-hocservices. Thisis a kindofcloudcomputingappliedto a traditionalcomputing center designedtoefficientlyoffernewservices, withoutincurring the overheadto dedicate resourcesforthispurpose. WNoDeS in a Nutshell 19

20. WNoDeS Key Advantages • Use of a common pool of resources • There is no need to dedicate resources to “user interfaces”, “Grid computing”, “Cloud computing”, “local users” – all types of resources are taken from a common pool, resulting in overall better utilization of resources. • Re-use of ten years of worldwide development, expertise and resources brought about by Grid Computing and Centers’ tools (e.g. Batch Ssytems) • Applied to the key areas of Authentication, Authorization, Accounting, Information Systems, Brokering • This will make it possible for example to inter-connect Clouds without starting from scratch in these areas again. • Flexibility and scalability • At the core of WNoDeS there is a standard batch system used for resource provisioning and policing – a mature, stable piece of software found in any sizeable resource center. No need to rewrite this key and complex part. • Possibility to access resources also from external providers • Acting as a transparent broker for users – for example, to serve extra load-requests. WNoDeS in a Nutshell 20

21. Clouds and Grids in theItalianGridInfrastructure (IGI) • IGI, through a solutionbased on the WNoDeSframework, planstoofferanintegratedcomputing and storageinfrastructureproviding: • GridComputingservices • As weknow and usethemtoday; • Butaccessiblealsotouserswho are not part oftraditionalVirtualOrganizations, and who do notuse X.509 digitalcertificates. • “Cloud” Computingservices, targetedto: • Gridusers, whowillaccessCloudservicessimplyusingtheirexistingGridauthentication (and possibly policy) mechanisms; • Otherusers, whowillaccessCloudservicesusingeithercredit-basedmechanisms or federatedidentitieslike, forexample, Shibboleth-basedfederations. • Interconnection ofCloudComputingresourcecenters • Capitalizing on the multi-yearexperience in interconnectingresourcescenters via Gridinfrastructures. WNoDeS in a Nutshell 21

22. Current IGI Structure Coordination Committee/ Partners’ Council Advisory Board EGI Council President Executive Committee Director Administration office Board of Auditors Unit Outreach and Budget Unit Operation Unit R&D, Planning Middleware Rel.&Support Unit Training and User support services EGI.eu units EMI Mw Consortium Specialized Support Centre IGI Management Structure – 22

23. IGI Activities IGI activities are structured in 4 main Units:  • Training and Support to users • Operations • Middleware Research and Maintenance • Research&D • Middleware deployment, customization and maintenance • Support to the Distribution of the Middleware Release • Administration, Dissemination and Reach out All tasks are performed within the collaboration and the agreement with the most important European Projects in the field, such as EGI and EMI, of which IGI is an important partner, contributing with ideas, human and financial resources to the achievement of impressive goals such as the accomplishment of cutting edge, innovative technologies. 23

24. IGI Operations Head: Paolo Veronesi Deputy Head: Riccardo Brunetti 24

25. IGI • IGI is the Italian Grid infrastructure, run for the benefit of the research and education communities in Italy and worldwide. • IGI is the Italian NGI in EGI • IGI offers more than 25000 computing cores and 30 PB of storage resources distributed across about 60 computing centres

26. IGI Operations Center Services offered by the IGI Operations Centre include: Management of central Grid and Cloud services for the good running of the general infrastructure and of for the users; Proactive monitoring and problem tracking of Italian Grid sites and services; Operations of a middleware certification testbed to test, validate new middleware and foster innovation; Support to users and Grid site managers on middleware installation, configuration and management; Certification of new sites; Grid security coordination in collaboration with EGI; Management of a monitoring and accounting system for the national infrastructure The required manpower is quite high. Need to make more automated the installation and operation of local services ( possible new IGI central offered service) 26

27. Accounting and VOs 27 Settembre 2011 Comitato Tecnico di IGI 27

28. Accounting layout in IGI Service provided centrally by IGI for all resource centers Distributed Grid Accounting System (DGAS) sensors collect accounting information at Grid site level Site data are sent to site or multisite Home Location Registers (HLRs) A top-level HLR receives Usage Records (URs) from all the Grid HLRs HLRmon retrieves data from the top level HLR and presents them through a web interface. Aggregated data are also sent to the European Grid Infrastructure (EGI) Accounting Portal 28

29. A new development:The IGI access portal • IGI (Italian Grid Initiative) is developing a new web portal to ease the access to grid and cloud services. • The main goal is to hide the “complexity” of X509 certificates (request and management) using existing idP • Moreover IGI want: • Make easier VO membership • Minimize Job failure rate • IGTF policies and guidelines have been taken into account when designing the framework

30. Main Issues • Portal open source and modular based on Liferay Framework • Each service is implemented by Portlet (JSR 168/286) • Strong user identification by means of an IdP belonging to an accredited identity federation • The certificate management and VO membership is easier and more transparent for the user • For the user without certificate portal asks for a certificate to a CA-online on behalf of the user • Interface to VOMS for VO management • Personal views and fields for user belonging to different organization

31. Portal Architecture The poster on the IGI portal has been awarded as the best of the EGI-TF 2011 http://www.italiangrid.org/poster/portal-ca-online-posterA0-EGITF2011.pdf

32. IGI user support and Helpdesk model The IGI HelpDesk supports both national and international users and VOs together with the IGI resource site managers. Tickets opened by external users, and EGI operations teams are routed inside the IGI HelpDesk through the GGUS The first level support is organized in weekly shifts. The sites are monitored using dedicated Nagios tests and, in case of problems, tickets are opened by the ROD and a first help is provided. The second and third level support is provided by specialized teams from the operations and by the middleware developers. IGI Site Administrators IGI Users IGI ROD (Regional On Duty) (First level) Regional Helpdesk facility Based on a open source tool (XOOPS/xHelp) Interfaced via SOAP WS with the GGUS IGI Operations experts and software developers (Second and third level)

33. IGI Middleware Unit • New Head: ValerioVenturi • The IGI Middleware Unit inherits the efforts done by INFN and other partners in the past ten years researching and developing the grid middleware that is at foundation of the Grid infrastructure in Europe • The unit is responsible for ensuring the continuity of commitment in the European Middleware Initiative (EMI) project • developing core middleware for the European Grid Infrastructure: VOMS, ARGUS, CREAM, WMS, StoRM, DGAS • Develops middleware also for the Italian Grid: • Grid Portal, WNoDES….. • Plan the evolution of Grid services and infrastructure • Research future directions of Distributed Computing Infrastructures

34. IGI Middleware Unit: people • Around 15 people • 4 development teams plus a group dedicated to testing, certification and release • Wide range of expertise in software engineering • Experts in all domains of Distributed Computing • EGI and EMI projects work package and area leaders, OGF working group chairs

35. IGI Portal • Currently under development • Designed to make using the Grid accessible to any user • Authentication with italian campus federation IDEM • Hid the PKI infrastructure, certificates, proxy • Will allow submission of jobs, data movement, accounting from a single, easy of use web interface • Reusable for implementing science gateways

36. Storage StoRM • designed to allow direct access to the storage resource (file protocol), as well as other standard grid protocol as gsiftp and rfio • support for standard protocols as https and webdav* for a transparent data access • takes advantage from high performing cluster file system, as GPFS and Lustre • supports also any standard POSIX File Systems with ACL enabled

37. User Support and Training Unit in IGI

38. User Support and Training Unit User Support and Application Porting Training • Coordinated by a rotating senior chosen from IGI user communities- Person in charge (2011-2012): Prof. Antonio Laganà • Represent IGI within the European User Forum • Composed by two sub-units • User Support and Application Porting - Coordinator Dr. Daniele Cesini • Training - Coordinator Dr. Emidio Giorgio • Staff is highly distributed to closely support user communities • MAIN GOALS • Adoption of ad-hoc Services and Consulting to consolidate actual users and attract new ones • Make Grid access easier • Standardize a metric for User/Service evaluation • Develop a grid-economy based on QoU and QoS mechanisms

39. Consultancy to new user communities for application porting Participation to the development of Grid portals and Scientific Gateways Support to training and gridification events User Support and Application Porting Coordination between IGI and the new User Communities HPC, Cloud, GPU integration support Consolidate contacts already established and search for new users QoU and QoS evaluation Creation of training material and FAQs Interface between Grid User communities and m/w developers  Requirements gathering Participation to User Forum bodies

40. Organization and participation to training events Consultancy to Grid application developers Technical support to grid tutorials and schools Training Creation of a training roadmap Support to dissemination activities Coordination with similar units within EGI Administration of a training material repository Training tailored to the needs of the Communities - Ad-hoc solutions and personalized consulting - Frequently highly targeted training events for small groups of people who already know what they need and share the same needs/problems Annual Workshop with presentation of results that can be taken as an example for new communities

41. The Technical Committee • IGI has a Technical Committee which support the Director and recommend the long term technical choices to IGI • Members • IGI Director and Technical Coordinator. • 4 Coordinators of the Operational Units • Representatives of the main VRC • Representatives of the main Centers CC IGI

42. Conclusions IGI is now well advanced in setting up the new legal organization which will become the Italian NGI Almost final version of the Statute under circulation Operational Units defined and staffed have started to work Effort is made to characterize and make sustainable the services offered to the research users and sites IGI is supporting the middleware development made in Italy. Together with the traditional services included in EMI the current IGI focus is in developing WNoDES and the general Grid Portal IGI support the vision of an Open Software Foundation to support the Grid and Scientific software in a sustainable way IGI would welcome an open exchange with EGi.eu and the other NGIs on how to introduce “Cloud type” services at NGI level