Experimental Batch Farm

To test scalability and other parameters discussed proposal it required to deploy small Batch PC Farm consisting of at least 3 PCs.

Main aim: to get real experience in deploying the batch system (CODINE,LSF, etc) on small PC Farm and to collect user feedback, measurement the real farm parameters: comparing the execution time for selected jobs. It is planned such a farm will be used for simulation and microDST analysis.

In any case this pilot project will show for which type of calculations this farm will fits more.

To deploy such an experimental installation we need for things which should be bought or found out:

• two PCs:
  • Pentium II 300 MHz;
  • 512K cache;
  • 128MB main memory;
  • 4 GB EIDE disk drive;
  • video card (on mother board);
  • no monitor;
  • Fast Ethernet card;
  • total price for one PC is about $2700;

• Hub Fast Ethernet: 3COM Super-Stack II 100 TX (12 port RJ-45) - about $1100;
• APC Smart-UPS 700 - about $400;
• Linux SUSE distribution;
• batch system (LSF,CODINE,etc);
• central PC:
  • Pentium II 300 MHz;
  • 512K cache;
  • 128MB main memory;
  • SCSI controller (wide);
  • two disk drives (4 GB + 27 GB) ;
  • video card at least 4 MB;
  • two Fast Ethernet card;
  • CD ROM;
  • tape (?);
  • monitor 17";
  • total price for central PC is about $6K;

• total price for experimental installation is about $12900 for the start installation.

Things which should be done:

• hardware ordering and deploying;
• software installation and tuning:
  • Linux;
  • CERN Program Library;
  • gnu stuff and other standard de facto utilities;
  • www page(s) which will reflect the work progress;
  • batch software;

• measurement of execution time for the selected jobs and other parameters;
• organizing the user access (over Internet as well).