CERN [email protected] 25-Mar-99 Computer architectures and operating systems How many do we...

CERN

[email protected] 25-Mar-99

Computer architectures and operating Computer architectures and operating systemssystems

How many do we have to support in HEP?How many do we have to support in HEP?

HEPCCC meetingHEPCCC meeting

CERN - 9 April 1999CERN - 9 April 1999

Les RobertsonLes Robertson

CERN/ITCERN/IT

CERN

25-Mar-99 - #2les robertson - cern/it

SummarySummary

A claim that PCs with Linux and Windows are A claim that PCs with Linux and Windows are enough for all of HEP’s needsenough for all of HEP’s needs

An assorted collection of caveatsAn assorted collection of caveats

A suggestion that HEP needs to begin to A suggestion that HEP needs to begin to standardise platforms now, to ensure that we standardise platforms now, to ensure that we all have the same history when decisions for all have the same history when decisions for LHC are madeLHC are made

A proposal for how to beginA proposal for how to begin

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What is likely to happen over the What is likely to happen over the next few years?next few years?

PC hardwarePC hardware cheapest, best price/performance, as fast as is

needed Windows ----> Windows 2000 Windows ----> Windows 2000

consolidating its 100M unit market Linux establishing itself asLinux establishing itself as

by far the biggest ever Unix the standard for Intel architecture

Hard times for the RISC vendorsHard times for the RISC vendors

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The PlatformThe Platform

PCs are and will remain (one of the) best PCs are and will remain (one of the) best price/performers for HEP codesprice/performers for HEP codes

They may not be the fastest,They may not be the fastest, but they will be fast enough but they will be fast enough

Reliability and support are as good as for RISC Reliability and support are as good as for RISC systemssystems

even when buying from small European assemblers PCs get us into the REAL COMMODITY market, PCs get us into the REAL COMMODITY market,

with benefits like -with benefits like - standard products competitive pricing & support multi-sourcing (of a sort) choice of operating systems

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The Platform - IIThe Platform - II

A real choice of operating systems A real choice of operating systems - with two complementary - with two complementary

environments:environments: Windows for -Windows for -

productivity tools engineering applications mass market leverage

Unix (Linux) for -Unix (Linux) for - server strength scalability preferred physics environment legacy applications (and experience!) (support of multiple architectures - but is that what

we want?)

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The Platform - ConclusionThe Platform - Conclusion

PCs with Linux and Windows are just fine PCs with Linux and Windows are just fine price reliability usability & functionality support

Why would we need to support anything else?Why would we need to support anything else?

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The other side of the coinThe other side of the coin

RISC hardware and software provide -RISC hardware and software provide - Solid, reliable hardware, designed to maximise Solid, reliable hardware, designed to maximise

performanceperformance Industrial strength operating systemsIndustrial strength operating systems

clear functionality spec performance-tuned multi-processor tested deterministic support, with clear escalation process

Certified hardware + software combinationsCertified hardware + software combinations Focus on system (as opposed to component) designFocus on system (as opposed to component) design

and willingness to discuss product strategy, requirements, joint developments, etc. with HEP labs

(or is that just a marketing ploy?)

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Does Java change the landscape?Does Java change the landscape?

SUN, Oracle, etc. propose light-weight Java stationsSUN, Oracle, etc. propose light-weight Java stations Really low cost, with zero administration All the applications are down-loaded as needed Generally, there is a thin client, with all the smart stuff

executing on a server

.. but everything has to be written in Java.. but everything has to be written in Java Good for applications which naturally require a central Good for applications which naturally require a central

server (e.g. database applications), or are naturally server (e.g. database applications), or are naturally distributed (e.g. Web browsing)distributed (e.g. Web browsing)

Not so obvious for applications that do not have a Not so obvious for applications that do not have a natural client-server model, and/or use multiple natural client-server model, and/or use multiple languages (like most HEP applications) languages (like most HEP applications)

There is some argument about Java being more There is some argument about Java being more portable than other languages ………… and there are portable than other languages ………… and there are other positive aspects of it other positive aspects of it as a languageas a language

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Does Java change the landscape?Does Java change the landscape?

low cost Java stations will keep up the pressure low cost Java stations will keep up the pressure on Wintelon Wintel

but otherwise, for HEP applications and HEP but otherwise, for HEP applications and HEP users ….users ….

…… NO

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Is Linux ready for HEP?Is Linux ready for HEP?

Linux and the rest of Free Software offer:Linux and the rest of Free Software offer: high quality design excellent functionality the products of massive intellectual investment a sustainable environment - it’s “free” because the

development & support are contributed by the user community, not because the developers do not get paid

The functionality as a desktop system, or simple server are The functionality as a desktop system, or simple server are finefine ……… but many proprietary Unix systems have much ……… but many proprietary Unix systems have much better server functionalitybetter server functionality

……… however, the evolving farm models place ……… however, the evolving farm models place limited requirements on data serverslimited requirements on data servers

Linux tape and disk server evaluations at CERN look promising

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Support is still a problem Support is still a problem especially for load-related, configuration-related

issues on servers

But there is a rapidly growing number of But there is a rapidly growing number of commercial offerings (including IBM+Red Hat, commercial offerings (including IBM+Red Hat, HP+Red Hat)HP+Red Hat)

and HEP could probably justify a kernel programmer and HEP could probably justify a kernel programmer or two (since there is no licence fee for the OS)or two (since there is no licence fee for the OS)

Lacking third party productsLacking third party products or well-supported ports of third party products (and in

particular Objectivity) changing fast - but this is clearly still a concern

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Not quite for all applications, but it looks very promising

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Are we sure that Linux is the right Are we sure that Linux is the right choice for Unix on Intel?choice for Unix on Intel?

No - we cannot be sureNo - we cannot be sure

there will be competition from the suppliers of there will be competition from the suppliers of proprietary Unix (Compaq, IBM, HP)proprietary Unix (Compaq, IBM, HP)

Linux is the clear and growing leader today - it Linux is the clear and growing leader today - it will be hard to beatwill be hard to beat

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Do we also need Windows?Do we also need Windows?

The majority might say NoThe majority might say No Windows is hard to use for physics batch,

especially when we try to make it look like Unix It probably is not much better (maybe even worse)

as a server than Linux Support for complex environments is not any clearer

But there are so many excellent “productivity” tools But there are so many excellent “productivity” tools and applications sustained by the 150 million unit and applications sustained by the 150 million unit Windows marketWindows market

How can people get by without Developer’s Studio? How can Star Office keep up with MS Office? ……….

How can we ignore the biggest ever operating system, How can we ignore the biggest ever operating system, just as the various versions come together just as the various versions come together in Windows 2000?in Windows 2000?

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Did we forget about the Mac Did we forget about the Mac option?option?

No, it is not really an optionNo, it is not really an option

Or is it?Or is it?

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An opportunity for standardisation An opportunity for standardisation in HEPin HEP

We (HEP) are running far too many operating systems, We (HEP) are running far too many operating systems, in many cases with only slightly different functionality in many cases with only slightly different functionality or hardware cost benefits - or hardware cost benefits - - and at a high cost for users and support teams- and at a high cost for users and support teams

PCs + { Linux ¦ Windows } PCs + { Linux ¦ Windows } offer an historic opportunity to reduce the offer an historic opportunity to reduce the

solution setsolution set The requirements of LHC computing -The requirements of LHC computing -

massive numbers of processors/boxes integration of regional computing centres and CERN

demand a common agreement on what will be demand a common agreement on what will be supportedsupported

We need to start the dialogue now, to avoid the old We need to start the dialogue now, to avoid the old problem of history dictating our choicesproblem of history dictating our choices

requireme

nt

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Proposal for a policyProposal for a policy

Restrict ourselves to PC hardwareRestrict ourselves to PC hardware with Linux or Windows 2000with Linux or Windows 2000 Develop a migration plan -Develop a migration plan -

progressively freeze support for other Unixes, announcing end-dates which are reasonable for old experiments,

but discourage strongly further investments in RISC systems by current and future experiments

Beef-up investment in Linux and WindowsBeef-up investment in Linux and Windows bring support up to the standards of proprietary Unixes tackle the problems of scaling the management and

performance of desktops and physics farms engage HEP in the community emphasise the importance of minimising differences

between HEP labs Focus on the Web as the user interfaceFocus on the Web as the user interface

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Just to be clear ----Just to be clear ----

This is a proposal for a convergence policyThis is a proposal for a convergence policy which looks realistic now and will provide a single starting point for LHC

computing but we can be sure that the business will not but we can be sure that the business will not

stand still, and we shall sooner or later have to stand still, and we shall sooner or later have to expand the systems and architectures expand the systems and architectures supportedsupportedAIXWNTIrix

Sola

ris

Digital Unix

HP-

UX

MAC-

OS

Linu

x

Windows

95

SPARC

MIPS Inte

l IA-3

2

PA-RISCPower

PC

Alpha LinuxWindows 2000

Intel IA-32/64 - - - ?

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ConclusionConclusion

PCs, Linux and Windows 2000 enable a major PCs, Linux and Windows 2000 enable a major simplification of the environments supported for simplification of the environments supported for HEP, where our needs mostly coincide with those of HEP, where our needs mostly coincide with those of many other usersmany other users

We should take the decision to standardise on these We should take the decision to standardise on these within HEPwithin HEP - following and stimulating the mass market in most - following and stimulating the mass market in most casescases - restricting HEP specials to really, really special - restricting HEP specials to really, really special issuesissues

And we should start talking now about how LHC And we should start talking now about how LHC computing centres evolve to a standard approach computing centres evolve to a standard approach which enables them to work with each otherwhich enables them to work with each other

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