Independent Software Vendor (ISV) Remote Computing Primer

1. Independent Software Vendor (ISV) Remote Computing Primer Steven Newhouse

2. The Problem…. • Growth of compute oriented applications • Research applications with source available • Commercial Applications from ISVs have no source • ISV: Independent Software Vendors • Applications becoming bound by the desktop • Multi-core pushing out this boundary • But ensemble/parameter sweeps increases demand • Exploit resources provided within the enterprise • Growing adoption of HPC into ISV applications • How to deal with different schedulers, clusters & OS?

3. The Environment

4. Goals • How can standards enable access to these distributed resources? • What scenarios need to be supported? • Deal with realistic network environments • Firewalls and NAT’ed networks • Move from desktop to mobile clients • Clients are not always connected to the network • Clients will not have files on shared network • Embrace different scheduler interfaces

5. Specification Toolbox • WS-Addressing • Security specifications and profiles • Job Submission Description Language (JSDL) • JSDL Single Process Multiple Data Application Extension • JSDL Parameter Sweep Extension • Basic Execution Service (BES) • HPCP-Application Extension • HPC Basic Profile (HPCBP) • File Staging Extension to the HPC Basic Profile • ByteIO • GLUE (Resource Description) • Distributed Resource Management Application API (DRMAA) • Resource Namespace Service (RNS)

6. Core Specifications • WS-Addressing • Encapsulates service in Endpoint Reference (EPR) in XML • From a client perspective • Security specifications and profiles • Builds on core standard WS-Security infrastructure • WS-Secure Addressing (GFD 131): • Profile on WS-Addressing and WS-Security Policy • Embeds into EPR how to access a service • WS-Secure Communication (GFD 132): • Profile on mechanisms to enable easier interoperability

7. Job Submission Description Language • Core JSDL specification (GFD 56  136) has many implementations • Describes what you want to run (the job) • Describes what you need to run it on (the resource) • Extensions • JSDL Single Process Multiple Data (SPMD) Application Extension (GFD 115) • JSDL Parameter Sweep Extension • Now entering public comment • HPCP-Application Extension (GFD 111) • Supported in HPC Basic Profile

8. Running jobs • Basic Execution Service (BES) (GFD 108) • Provides an interface to submit, monitor & manage an activity • HPC Basic Profile (HPCBP) (GFD 114) • Specialises BES (& other specifications) for HPC • File Staging Extension to the HPC Basic Profile (GFD 135) • Profiles JSDL to allow transfers in & out of a cluster

9. Other OGF Specifications • ByteIO (GFD 87) • Access through a web service to a file abstraction • Support for random access & streaming patterns • GLUE (Finishing public comment) • Information model for grids • Focus on services & resources for compute & storeage • Expose virtual organization & usage controls • Distributed Resource Management Application API (DRMAA) (GFD 22) • Client API to enable access to DRMs • Resource Namespace Service (RNS) (GFD 101) • Naming of resources in a hierarchical namespace

10. WOW

11. Application Scenarios • Run a job • Run a job through a standard API • Run a job through a web service • Run a job through a web service with file staging • Run a job through a web service and have bi-directional interaction with it

12. Run a job • The current ‘state of the art’ • Application calls an external script • Script invokes a local job submission command • Requires: • Installation of local scheduler library • Customization of scripts to access local scheduler

13. Run a job using a standard API • Application internally calls a standard API • DRMAA specification with multiple implementation • Within DRMAA invoke scheduler specific plugin • Requires: • Installation of local scheduler library • Installation of DRMAA plugin to call the library Application DRMAA Interface DRMAA plug-in Scheduler

14. Run a job through a web service • HPCBP client embedded in the application • Formulates the job using JSDL & HPCP Application • HPCBP service used to access the cluster • Available for many schedulers • Requires: • Installation of HPCBP service on the cluster • Integration of the HPCBP client in the application • Note: Cross-platform interoperability demonstrated at SC06 & SC07

15. Extension: File Staging • Use the HPCBP File Staging specification • Can include ftps, ftp, scp sftp, and other protocols • By using an intermediary file store the client can disconnect & reconnect later • Client copies the files to the intermediary store • Client then submits the job to the cluster • The cluster reads/writes files to the intermediary store • Once the job is complete the files are retrieved • Requires: • Support of standard file protocols on client, cluster & store

16. Extend: Run-time interaction • Use ByteIO in streaming mode to: • Send control requests from the client to the application • Return data from the application to the client • ByteIO service needs to be accessible from the client and the cluster’s compute nodes • E.g. the cluster’s head nodes • Requires: • ByteIO service and integration into application & client

17. Summary • Core set of established interoperable specs. • Demonstrated interoperability • Commercial and open-source implementations • ‘Toolbox’ of specifications enables applications • Allows ISVs to build applications that: • Can connect to any ‘standard’ infrastructure • Run from mobile clients in network environments

18. Acknowledgements • Use Case Workshop participants • University of Virginia, March 2008 • Core scenario: Narfi Stefansson, Mathworks • Vigorous discussion over the two days • Further contribution & feedback at OGF 23 • And on mailing list and OGSA calls • Resulting document is now being published • Editors: Steven Newhouse & Andrew Grimshaw