Full HTML for
Given by Tom Haupt at NASA Ames Grid Forum Meeting on June 16-18 99. Foils prepared July 6 99
Outside Index
Summary of Material
| To provide a problem-oriented interface (a Web portal) to more effectively utilize HPC resources from the desktop via the Web browser. |
| This "point & click" view hides the underlying complexities and details of the HPC resources and creates a seamless interface between the user's problem description on his/her desktop system and the heterogeneous computing resources |
| These HPC resources include supercomputers, mass storage systems, databases, workstation clusters, collaborative tools, and visualization servers. |
Denote Foils where Image Critical
Denote Foils where HTML is sufficient
The Gateway System Tom Haupt NPAC
Goals
Design Issues
Towards a complete solution ...
Target Architecture
Application Domain DataBases PSE Example: CCM
PPT Slide
Selecting a Predefined Task
Example: Data Flow
Example: DARP
Example of a portal
Processing Task Specification
Other toolboxes
CORBA Based Middle-Tier
WebFlow Server
WebFlow Context Hierarchy
Middle-Tier modules serve as proxies of Back-End Services
WebFlow over Globus
Outside Index
Summary of Material
HTML version of Basic Foils prepared July 6 99 
Full HTML Index
This project is a collaborative effort between
|
HTML version of Basic Foils prepared July 6 99
Full HTML Index
| To provide a problem-oriented interface (a Web portal) to more effectively utilize HPC resources from the desktop via the Web browser. |
| This "point & click" view hides the underlying complexities and details of the HPC resources and creates a seamless interface between the user's problem description on his/her desktop system and the heterogeneous computing resources |
| These HPC resources include supercomputers, mass storage systems, databases, workstation clusters, collaborative tools, and visualization servers. |
HTML version of Basic Foils prepared July 6 99
Full HTML Index
| Support for a seamless access (security) |
| Support for distributed, heterogeneous Back-End services (HPCC, DBMS, Internet, ...) managed independently from Gateway |
| Variable pool of resources: support for discovery and dynamical incorporation into the system |
| Scalable, extensible, low-maintenance Middle Tier |
| Web-based, extensible, customizable, self-adjusting to varying capacities and capabilities of clients (humans, software and hardware) front end |
HTML version of Basic Foils prepared July 6 99 
Full HTML Index
| Problem description:I need to model the surface damage due to the impact |
| of laser to harden the material bulk. I need access to models including |
| material bulk properties and interaction with intense electromagnetic fields. |
| Task description: I need 64 nodes of SP-2 at Argonne to run my |
| MPI-based executable "a.out" you can find in "/tmp/users/haupt" on marylin.npac.syr.edu. In addition, I need any idle workstation with jdk1.1 installed. Make sure that the output of my a.out is |
| transferred to that workstation |
| Middle-Tier: map the user's task description onto the resource specification; this may include resource discovery, and other services |
| Resource Specification |
| Resource Allocation: run, transfer data, run |
HTML version of Basic Foils prepared July 6 99
Full HTML Index
| CTA specific knowledge databases |
| Visual |
| Authoring |
| Tools |
| User and |
| Group |
| Profiles |
| Resource Identification and Access |
| Visualizations |
| Collaboration |
| WebFlow |
| Back-End Resources |
| Problem Solving Environment |
HTML version of Basic Foils prepared July 6 99
Full HTML Index
| Ken Flurchick, http://www.osc.edu/~kenf/theGateway |
| 1. Enter the Gateway system |
| 2. Define your problem |
| 3. Identify resources (software and hardware) |
| 4. Create input file |
| 5. Run your application |
| 6. Analyze results |
HTML version of Basic Foils prepared July 6 99
Full HTML Index
HTML version of Basic Foils prepared July 6 99
Full HTML Index
HTML version of Basic Foils prepared July 6 99
Full HTML Index
HTML version of Basic Foils prepared July 6 99
Full HTML Index
HTML version of Basic Foils prepared July 6 99
Full HTML Index
| Navigate and choose an existing application to solve the problem at hand. Import all necessary data. |
| Retrieve data |
| Pre/post-processing |
| Run simulations |
| Select host |
| Select model |
| Set parameters |
| Run |
HTML version of Basic Foils prepared July 6 99
Full HTML Index
| XML |
| A visual representation is converted into a XML |
| document |
| XML |
| service |
| Web |
| Server |
| save |
| parse |
| ApplContext |
| Generates Java code to add modules to ApplContext |
| Publishes IOR |
| Front-End Applet |
| Middle-Tier |
HTML version of Basic Foils prepared July 6 99
Full HTML Index
| Visualizations |
| Collaboration |
| Scientific notebook |
| ... |
HTML version of Basic Foils prepared July 6 99
Full HTML Index
| Mesh of WebFlow Servers |
| implemented as CORBA objects |
| that manage and coordinate |
| distributed computation. |
| Gatekeeper |
| Authentication |
| Authorization |
HTML version of Basic Foils prepared July 6 99
Full HTML Index
| User 1 |
| User 2 |
| Application 1 |
| Application 2 |
| App 2 |
| App 1 |
| WebFlow server is given |
| by a hierarchy of containers |
| and components |
| WebFlow server hosts users and services |
| Each user maintains a number of applications composed of custom modules and common services |
| WebFlow Services |
HTML version of Basic Foils prepared July 6 99
Full HTML Index
| Master Server (Gatekeeper) |
| Slave Server |
| Slave Server |
| User Context |
| Application Context |
| Module |
| Slave Server Proxy |
HTML version of Basic Foils prepared July 6 99
Full HTML Index
| Services |
| User Modules |
| Browser based Front-End |
| Browser |
| based |
| Front-End |
| User Space Definition and Task Specification |
| Metacomputing Services |
| Back-End Resources |
HTML version of Basic Foils prepared July 6 99
Full HTML Index
| In order to run WebFlow over Globus there must be at least one WebFlow node capable of executing Globus commands, such as globusrun |
| Jobs that require computational power of massively parallel computers are directed to the Globus domain, while other jobs can be launched on much more modest platforms, such as the user's desktop or even a laptop running Windows NT. |
| Bridge between WebFlow and Globus |