© 2008 Open Grid Forum

Independent Software Vendor (ISV) Remote Computing Primer

Steven Newhouse

© 2008 Open Grid Forum

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?

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The Environment

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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

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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)

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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

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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

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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

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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

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WOW

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Application Scenarios

1. Run a job

2. Run a job through a standard API

3. Run a job through a web service

4. Run a job through a web service with file staging

5. Run a job through a web service and have bi-directional interaction with it

© 2008 Open Grid Forum

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

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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 plug-inScheduler

DRMAA Interface

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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

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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

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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

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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

© 2008 Open Grid Forum

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