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Explore the Status of NICE/NT at INFN by Gian Piero Siroli in Physics Dept. Univ. of Bologna & INFN. Learn about NICE architecture, porting, test domain, and ongoing work. Discover details on the NICE domain, Phase II, and future plans for network integrated computing environment.
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Status of NICE/NT at INFN Gian Piero Siroli, Physics Dept. Univ. of Bologna and INFN HEPiX-HEPNT, SLAC, Oct.99
What is NICE at CERN • Network Integrated Computing Environment: single desktop environment from which users can access all the facilities of the laboratory • Based on Windows NT and Windows 95; all applications are centrally supported, installed and managed (4 Application Servers) • Currently more than 7000 registered users (~3000 simultaneous users), > 5500 PCs, hundreds of printers, > 100 commercial s/w packages installed, > 300GB of user’s files (5 Home Servers) Gian Piero Siroli
Porting of NICE • Physics Department at University of Bologna and local INFN branch • More than 200PCs installed and individually managed • More heterogeneous environment than CERN, different services, O.S. language and applications extension • Phase I (LAN): porting, local installation and configuration on a 5 nodes dedicated domain;NTFS file system • Phase II (WAN): NICE Working Group to study feasibility of extending the infrastructure; coordinate W/NT world within INFN and limit total management efforts (remote PC management, integration of computing tools within collaborations); TCP/IP protocol Gian Piero Siroli
INFN NICE test domain • December ‘98: • 18 nodes domain over WAN (<2Mb lines) + 1 resynchronization node on a dedicated domain • 4 sites (BO, PD,PI, BA), 3 BDCs, 3 Application Servers, 2 Home Servers • September ‘99: • 58 registered nodes over <8Mb lines + 1 resync. node • 7 sites (BO, PD, BA, LE, PG, LNL, NA), 7 BDCs, 7 Application Servers, 6 Home Servers • Appl. Serv. distributed through the net; PDC replacement Gian Piero Siroli
INFN NICE domain 9 14 18 4 1 2 10 Gian Piero Siroli
Phase II • Single Domain Architecture: • Centralized management for high level functions (services, accounting, synchronization, security), minimization of overall management load • Personal desktops follow users on any INFN site • “Stretching” of original CERN NICE architecture (from ~LAN to WAN, single to multi-site): no problem for remote authentication or if PDC temporarily unavailable • Periodic resynchronization of Application Servers Gian Piero Siroli
Architecture Appl. Server Site A User Reference Server Home Server Appl. Server 1 User Home Server Site B Administrator User Appl. Server 2 INFN Synch. Server Gian Piero Siroli
Trying to work on... • Automatic PC installation over the net • Application Server synchronization procedure • Improving centralized user management • Security issues • Accounting Gian Piero Siroli
Summary • Overall very positive experience • Relatively easy porting and configuration • Very flexible original NICE architecture • Robustness • Single Domain helps in troubleshooting activities (problem sharing/solving) • “Development” system in production with satisfactory results (in spite of lack of manpower) • ...work continues... Gian Piero Siroli
References • Report on Phase I, CERN-IT/97/10 http://wwwinfo.cern.ch/doc/ITReports/1997/10 • CHEP98 Proceedings: http://www.hep.net/chep98/PDF/90.pdf Gian Piero Siroli
W/NT within INFN • INFN: 26 sites, 4 laboratories • Installed machines (mid ‘99): ~550 (~70 servers) in 18 sites, many dual boot, device control/acquisition, AFS • Management tools: • none (user self management) • ZAK + ... • SMS tests • MS Terminal Server • Winframe • WinVNC for remote control • NICE • Support level: no/full support Gian Piero Siroli