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Cambridge HEP Group - site report April 2002

Detailed hardware & software setup of HEP SYSMAN with insights on network, servers, desktops, and future strategies for efficient operation.

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Cambridge HEP Group - site report April 2002

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  1. Cambridge HEP Group - site reportApril 2002 John Hill HEP SYSMAN meeting

  2. Hardware • Three file servers: • 2 ALPHAservers (DIGITAL UNIX 4.0F) • 1 DELL (Intel) server (Linux Redhat 7.1) • total of ~1.3TB disk space served • DLT8000 Autoloader • all UPS-protected • 59 desktop PCs (give-or-take...) • 34 Linux RedHat 7.1 • 20 Windows NT • 5 Windows 95 • wide range of performance (100MHz Pentium up to 2.0GHz Pentium 4) • 20 PC laptops registered (but certainly not all are real machines...) HEP SYSMAN meeting

  3. Hardware • 20-CPU analysis farm (MIMCluster from Workstations UK) • 1.13 GHz Pentium III CPUs • Linux Redhat 7.1 • intended for both GRID-related and general experimental work • SUN workstation (Solaris 2.5.1) for CAD work • 5 MACs - 2 desktop, 3 laptops • Printers • 2 HP LaserJet (20ppm+) • HP Color LaserJet 4550 (for paper) • HP Business DeskJet 2250 (for transparencies) • Epson A2 colour inkjet (specialised printing: CAD, posters,...) HEP SYSMAN meeting

  4. Hardware • Network: • departmental network based on switches from Extreme Networks • Gigabit Ethernet fibre-optic backbone between switches • a minimum of Fast Ethernet to all desktops (with Gigabit available) • Gigabit connection to campus backbone • Gigabit Ethernet on campus backbone (probably aggregation in the future to give multi-Gigabit). • Campus network connects to EastNET via a 1Gbps link and hence to SuperJANET. • departmental network currently has a “flat” topology - but plan is to introduce VLANs. HEP SYSMAN meeting

  5. HEP SYSMAN meeting

  6. Hardware • Video conferencing: • “mid-range” system as recommended in Geoff Fayers’ note • Zydacron Z360 (H.323) and ZC206 (ISDN) cards • Sony EVI D31 Camera (pan, tilt, zoom) • hosted by 500MHz Pentium III PC • use (existing) data projector to display video on projection screen • OK for up to ~12 people (though best for 6 or fewer!) • in use for 9 months now and proving popular • need work on the hosting room to improve lighting quality HEP SYSMAN meeting

  7. Software • Nothing special… • AFS client on Linux desktops currently ARLA, but planning to move to OpenAFS when time permits. • One big problem on Linux is compilers - at least 3 versions of gcc in use (that I know of!) needed by different experiments. • Exceed 7 providing X11 on Windows - allowed us to decommission our X-terminals, and hence VMS (two less platforms to support…) • CAD work being done on SUN is still significant - slow move to Windows, but not there yet. HEP SYSMAN meeting

  8. Future plans • Tend to avoid “strategic planning” - the world changes too quickly! • However, have some guiding principles: • consolidate on Linux for file serving and physics desktops • move to Windows 2000 or XP only when really necessary (manpower limitations), but certainly continue with Windows for office applications • continuous rolling process of replacing desktops • extend existing analysis farm to provide a significant central CPU resource • assume at least 10TB will be needed locally in the next year or so - we are keeping an open mind on how best to provide this HEP SYSMAN meeting

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