Martin Bly – RAL Tier1 HEPSysMan – Oxford 5 December 2005

1. HEPiX Trip ReportStanford Linear Accelerator Center 10 - 14 October 2005http://www.slac.stanford.edu/conf/hepix05/index.html Martin Bly – RAL Tier1 HEPSysMan – Oxford 5 December 2005

2. Overview • Collaborative Tools SIG • HEPiX • Machine Room Issues SIG HEPiX Trip Report - HEPSysMan, Oxford

3. Collaborative Tools SIG • Why? LCG RTAG notes: very big modern experiments have very many people needing to collaborate, complexity of modern experiments needs collaboration. • Lots of technologies: • Electronic mail, including mailing lists • Document management • Agenda management and calendaring • Instant messaging • blogs • Shared whiteboards • Web casting • Phone and Video conferencing • Etc, etc. HEPiX Trip Report - HEPSysMan, Oxford

4. Wikki / Web • Several groups reported on their Wikki systems • Twikki @ GSI: web-based groupware applications such as minutes, holiday notifications, IT documentation. • FZK: Configuration and change management portal. • FormFactory (DESY) • FormFactory is a work in progress to ease the building of web forms for non experts. Based on state of the art perl modules. Template-based - separation of program flow (CGI::Application), layout (using CSS) and content (Templates). • Indico (CERN): • Event management software – born out of a need for something to manage CHEP 2004 HEPiX Trip Report - HEPSysMan, Oxford

5. Conferencing • VoIP: Alf Wachsmann • features of Skype, costs, security issues • AccessGRID: JCG • multipoint video conferencing designed mainly for dedicated conference rooms • VRVS/EVO • Big increase in use • EVO: new generation • Unicast, single port • Lots of work on codecs HEPiX Trip Report - HEPSysMan, Oxford

6. H.323 MCU Messenger -SIP EVO EVO: End-to-End Self Managed and Secure RTC Infrastructure AG H.323 EVO

7. Desktop systems • NICE @ CERN • Windows desktop environment • Use of Office tools: • File sharing • Sharing information in Outlook • Workflow with Office and mail • Instant Messenger HEPiX Trip Report - HEPSysMan, Oxford

8. HEPiX HEPiX Trip Report - HEPSysMan, Oxford

9. Site Reports – Highlights I • SLAC • Peta-cache project: 30TB RAM under xrootd • RAL • New tape robot December • CERN • IRC/P2P banned, VPN now biggest route for mal-ware into CERN • 200 dual Nocona systems, 116 disk servers (900TB) • BNL/RHIC • Evaluating dual-core systems: • 20% less power idle of full compared to Xeon 3.4GHz • SPECint/watt -> Opteron best • INFN • Widespread use of SANs • Oxford • Gb/s to campus, new firewall • TRIUMF • Mini-Google site document index HEPiX Trip Report - HEPSysMan, Oxford

10. Site Reports – Highlights II • IN2P3 • K4 to K5 and TransARC to OpenAFS planned • GSI • Work on 64bit Debian • 3ware 9550 very reliable • GridKa • dCache @ 40TB • using GPFS to overcome terrible write performance of ext3 • DAPNIA • Developing a ‘federal T2’ • JLAB • 10Gb/s WAN. Secure wireless using WPA, works with XP2, RHEL ¾ • DESY • New exchange cluster • NERSC • LSF -> SGE, looking at SL4. • USB serial console HEPiX Trip Report - HEPSysMan, Oxford

11. (In)Security • Bob Cowles talk on security issues • Large set of sniffed password at the meeting • Tools now very sophisticated – Cain & Abel • New phishing and pharming scams • Rainbow tables - crack passwords in minutes HEPiX Trip Report - HEPSysMan, Oxford

12. Scientific Linux • Distribution: • 3.0.X levelling off, 4.N increasing markedly. • UK top download after US, Taiwan next • SL 3.0.5: July 05, i386, ia64, x86_64 • SL 4.1: August 05, i386, ia64, x86_64 • Bugfix repository • Next releases: • SL 4.2 in preparation • (Released 2 December) • SL 3.0.6 (RHEL 3 U6) • Will do after SL 4.2 • At least a bugfix repository • SL 5: depends on RH schedules • Will attempt to get it out asap after RH make it available. • RHEL 5 maybe 2Q06 • Looking for volunteers to coordinate science applications, other applications • Looking to expend support for SL3 security patches as far as RH HEPiX Trip Report - HEPSysMan, Oxford

13. Linux @ CERN • SLC4 • Certification starting October, complete end 05 • Use only in CC – not for wide deployment • Fallback if SL5 not available in time for LHC • Modern hardware support useful for disk servers • 64bit • Working on it. Can’t stay 32bit only much longer. Some uses will want/need 64bit. • No difference between SL and SLC • Binary compatible HEPiX Trip Report - HEPSysMan, Oxford

14. Storage Resource Managers • Xrootd – SLAC/IN2P3 • Design philosophy and implementation • dCache – USATLAS • Detail view of dCache at BNL • SRB – IN2P3/SLAC • Data replication control between SLAC and IN2P3 • Panassas – Brookhaven • View of 100TB installation • DPM - T2s • Lightweight Disk Pool Manager designed for implementation at T2 sites – focus on manageability HEPiX Trip Report - HEPSysMan, Oxford

15. Infrastructure and Machine Room issues • Other than cooling, power and space… HEPiX Trip Report - HEPSysMan, Oxford

16. Machine Room SIG • Testing high performance tape drives • CERN testing of various new high spec tape units • Hardware Procurement • How CERN buys capacity hardware • 36 weeks from initiation to preliminary acceptance! • Benchmarking at GridKa • Detailed view of benchmarking and how to address the issues • 4 jobs on Opteron dual-core 3% less than sum of 4 single jobs • Cost of power for 3 years ~ 50% of purchase price HEPiX Trip Report - HEPSysMan, Oxford

17. And finally: • The 100ft tree vs the payroll • The tail of how the SLAC computer folk rose to the challenge of a 100ft tree cutting their power – and how they got the payroll run done. • http://www.slac.stanford.edu/conf/hepix05/talks/friday/boeheim.pdf HEPiX Trip Report - HEPSysMan, Oxford