CLUSTERIX (National Cluster of LInuX Systems)
The main objective of the project is to develop mechanisms and tools that allow the deployment of a production-class Grid environment � metacluster consisting of local PC-clusters located in geographically distant independent centers. The backbone installation will consist of local PC-clusters with 64-bit architecture connected by dedicated channels based on the PIONIER optical network. The particular aims include, among others, the development of a management software (middleware) allowing access to the resources and their control, support for dynamic changes in size and configuration of the hardware architecture, including temporary addition of computational resources, therefore allowing the overall power increase without the necessity to dedicate a machine pool for the grid, as well as collaboration with other projects related to the PIONIER program, e.g., remote visualization, access to data warehouse and KKO (National Computational Cluster based on the LSF batch system).
After the system is built, it will be tested on a set of pilot distributed applications created as a part of the project. The important goal of the project is also to support potential CLUSTERIX users in preparation of their distributed applications, thus creating a group of people being able to use the cluster in an optimal way after the research and implementation works are finished.
An assumption has been made that there exists a backbone infrastructure comprising local PC-clusters using 64-bit Linux machines supported by dynamically connected PC-based systems with 32- or 64-bit architecture, e.g., local clusters in high school labs with idle cycles at night and during breaks. Yet another goal is to integrate all existing PC-clusters (e.g., in TASK-Gdansk, Technical University of Czestochowa, CYFRONET-Krakow, WCSS-Wroclaw) into a single, high-level structure in order to increase the efficiency of the resource usage by employing tools created within this project. A pilot installation of Linux PC-clusters based on 64-bit processors will be built within the project. One of the main assumptions is to use only the Open Source software, which is a necessary condition to disseminate the idea of a large, country-wide distributed system.
A lot of emphasis is laid on the usage of the IPv6 protocol and its added functionality � enhanced reliability and QoS. This functionality delivered to the application level and at least used in middleware would allow for better quality of services. Nothing like a production-class IPv6-based Grid infrastructure does exist at present, but taking into account the duration of the project it may be assumed that the standard will be widely used. Therefore, the developed tools will support both IPv6 and IPv4.
Summarizing, the developed software will be based on Open Source implementations, extending their functionality or creating proprietary tools.
The final effect of the research and deployment stages will be software that allows to run users� applications according to users� preferences, and monitoring their progress. Additionally, an environment to aid to develop distributed applications will be created, as well as mechanisms allowing for quick and easy addition of new systems and clusters to the existing backbone infrastructure.
For more information:
www.clusterix.pl
SSH Session Server Framework
SSH Session Server Framework is tool for CLI -> GUI transformation withaggregation of output of multiple applications executed on multipleresources.
Features:
- Adding user-defined interfaces at portal run-time
- Easy adaptation of existing applications (in most cases no applicationmodification is needed)
- Seamless installation (communication by SSH with utilization of PTYs)
- XML-based application interface description
- VRML, X3D, SVG, Charts (jpeg, png) support
For more information on the framework please contact Tomasz Kuczynski (docentt at icis.pcz.pl).
Please see sample screenshots below.
| August 28, 2008 |
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