This task addresses the issues of hardware and network architecture of the distributed computing systems to be modelled. In general this task will provide information on architectures used at major HEP computing centres for previous and current generations of experiments, of plans of major centres for future experiments, and of technology and cost trends for the major components (CPU, disk, mass storage and networks) of potential distributed computing systems. This information will be fed into the model simulations so that models can be based on reality (both technologically and sociologically), so that models can be optimised based on expected costs, and so that the dependence of the models on costs and technology projections can be clearly seen. The information will also be used to suggest avenues of study for the testbed task.
Descriptions of computing architectures used by a selection of current experiments will be prepared. The survey will concentrate on LEP, HERA, the FNAL Collider, and the large fixed target experiments at CERN and FNAL. The goals of the survey will be limited -- to provide an indication of the scale of problem which the field has already addressed and to identify key problem areas which are already known to exist at this scale. Architectural descriptions should include:
A new generation of HEP experiments will begin to operate in 1999 and 2000. These experiments will generate much more data than the experiments covered in subtask 4.3.1. While still falling well below LHC experiments in total data volume and CPU requirements, their plans and eventually their experiences will provide important insights into the problems of dealing with multi hundred terabyte datasets, widely distributed collaborations, use of the new OO paradigm which is being adopted for the LHC, etc. In this subtask, we will carry out a thorough study and evaluation of the approaches being undertaken and will include the initial plans of the LHC experiments for comparison. The experiments that will be included in this survey are:
Deliverables:
Schedule:
Potential sites for LHC regional centres should be identified and surveyed as to plans for hardware deployment and personnel support expected to be available. It should be recognised that there are likely to be several different styles of regional centres, from comprehensive centres offering large amounts of CPU, disk and mass storage for all stages of the analysis process, to centres specialising in certain components of the full analysis stream. Different amounts of support and different topologies should also be considered and our models must take these differences into account. Surveys should include:
Realistic models require up-to-date estimates of hardware cost and performance. This subtask will require both market tracking and measurements of hardware components as they are acquired by participating institutes in the MONARC collaboration, in the categories of:
Chapter 6: Resources
About 60 physicists and computing
experts have joined MONARC, and committed a significant fraction of their time.
Most MONARC members are also involved in other activities within Atlas, CMS, LHCb etc.
The total manpower provided by the part-time participants is estimated to be
about 170 person-months, without taking into account CERN/IT contribution.
One full time computing professional at CERN has become available in november
and a dedicated person will be available in Milan from January 99.
The Caltech and Tufts groups have requested from their funding agencies
one computing professional each for full time work on MONARC. The Bologna group is still searching for a professional or young people to be recruited to
devote most of her/his time to the technical work of the project.
Manpower totalling 32-36 person-months is expected to be available from CERN/IT, for specific tasks for which CERN can provide the most efficient solution.
Manpower Description 18 Design and implementation of the models in the simulation
plus development and support of the simulation tools 6 Setup and maintenance and operation of the CERN-based testbed
system and the related software tools 8 Analysis and design of the CERN-site architectures 4 Analysis of networks (?) 32-36 Total manpower (person-months) from CERN/IT 190-220 Availability of MONARC participants
For the operation of the MONARC project,
computing equipment,
travel funds and probably software licenses are needed.
The biggest investment is related to equipment, especially for the testbeds.
Most of the needed equipment is available in the institutes,
partly being acquired specifically for MONARC and partly being reused from
or shared with other activities.
Both in Italy and in the US,
more than 200 GBytes of disk space will be devoted to MONARC Objectivity/DB storage.
All the groups taking responsibility in the
testbed task have one or more workstations, or PC farms
that can be largely devoted to the MONARC work.
At least 5 primary testbed sites ( 2 in Italy, 2 in US and 1 at CERN )
will be equipped with SUN WS and at least 20GB disk and will provide
standard test facilities with Objy installations. One or two more
primary sites could be added ( RAL?, Lyon?, Finland?...); some secondary
sites will also receive some support for spreading knowledge and helping
on specific tests and different platforms (NT).
High speed tests ( about 100 MB/sec ) will be possible on a short term basis
using mostly hired or borrowed equipment; e.g.
Caltech and Milano have access to Exemplar systems (at CACR and at CILEA
respectively) which can be used for short term tests.
Funding at the level of 140 kCHF may be requested from CERN, for the duration of the MONARC project. This includes 40 kCHF to indicate the cost of commercial discrete event simulation software in case the studies in the start-up phase (section 3.5) determine such a purchase is needed. The actual cost for hardware and software requested from CERN will be clarified before end January 99, contestually with the decisions about the simulation and testbed systems and with the investments done in the outside institutes.
Funding
(kCHF) Description 80 Capital cost of the CERN based testbed system
and development systems for modelling and simulation running 20 Travel money 40 Potential cost of commercial discrete event simulation
software 140 Total funding (kCHF) requested from CERN for the duration
of phases 1 and 2 of the MONARC project 500 For comparison, estimated value of the
dedicated and shared computing facilities outside of CERN
Chapter 9: Management and Organisational Responsibility
The responsibilities for the management
of the MONARC project are shared between the Spokesperson, the Project
Leader, and the Steering group.
The responsibilities which are already accepted are:
Steering Group Function Person Accepting Responsibility Spokesperson Harvey Newman Project Leader Laura Perini Simulation and Modelling WG Krzysztof Sliwa Site and Network Architecture WG Joel Butler Analysis Process Design WG Paolo Capiluppi Testbed WG Lamberto Luminari Computer Centres Representatives of CERN, FNAL, Lyon Ad-personam Luciano Barone, Jamie Shiers, David Williams