Practical experience using a computational model for the design of heterogeneous distributed software

Heterogeneous cluster environments are becoming an increasing popular platform for executing parallel applications. Efficient heterogeneous programs must account for the differences inherent in such an environment. We propose the HBSP(1) model of computation as a framework for developing applications for heterogeneous clusters of workstations. The utility of the model is demonstrated through the design and analysis of the scatter and one-to-all broadcast algorithms. Extensive experimentation illustrates the benefits of using the model for heterogeneous program development. By hiding the non-uniformity of the underlying system, the HBSP(1) model provides a framework that embraces the heterogeneity of the underlying system

Addressing the Challenges in Federating Edge Resources

This book chapter considers how Edge deployments can be brought to bear in a global context by federating them across multiple geographic regions to create a global Edge-based fabric that decentralizes data center computation. This is currently impractical, not only because of technical challenges, but is also shrouded by social, legal and geopolitical issues. In this chapter, we discuss two key challenges - networking and management in federating Edge deployments. Additionally, we consider resource and modeling challenges that will need to be addressed for a federated Edge.Comment: Book Chapter accepted to the Fog and Edge Computing: Principles and Paradigms; Editors Buyya, Sriram

Simplifying the Development, Use and Sustainability of HPC Software

Developing software to undertake complex, compute-intensive scientific processes requires a challenging combination of both specialist domain knowledge and software development skills to convert this knowledge into efficient code. As computational platforms become increasingly heterogeneous and newer types of platform such as Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) cloud computing become more widely accepted for HPC computations, scientists require more support from computer scientists and resource providers to develop efficient code and make optimal use of the resources available to them. As part of the libhpc stage 1 and 2 projects we are developing a framework to provide a richer means of job specification and efficient execution of complex scientific software on heterogeneous infrastructure. The use of such frameworks has implications for the sustainability of scientific software. In this paper we set out our developing understanding of these challenges based on work carried out in the libhpc project.Comment: 4 page position paper, submission to WSSSPE13 worksho

Business Grid Services

Grid services have come to represent the synthesis of web services and grid computing paradigms. Web services provide the means to modularize software, enabling loosely coupled and novel synthesis. Grid computing removes the binding between functional software components and specific hosting hardware, enabling software to be deployed dynamically over a network (e.g. intra-, extra- or inter-net). Applying the constructs of grid computing to the service orientation of enterprise software will allow business service networks to utilize more specialized services. An upper service ontology that enables business grid services to be described and then related to the grid hosting platform is presented. Explicit knowledge is required for enterprise software, hosting servers and the domain that can then be utilized by both SLA and reservation systems. The ontology presented is derived from and validated using a collection of web services taken from leading investment banks

IMP Science Gateway: from the Portal to the Hub of Virtual Experimental Labs in Materials Science

"Science gateway" (SG) ideology means a user-friendly intuitive interface between scientists (or scientific communities) and different software components + various distributed computing infrastructures (DCIs) (like grids, clouds, clusters), where researchers can focus on their scientific goals and less on peculiarities of software/DCI. "IMP Science Gateway Portal" (http://scigate.imp.kiev.ua) for complex workflow management and integration of distributed computing resources (like clusters, service grids, desktop grids, clouds) is presented. It is created on the basis of WS-PGRADE and gUSE technologies, where WS-PGRADE is designed for science workflow operation and gUSE - for smooth integration of available resources for parallel and distributed computing in various heterogeneous distributed computing infrastructures (DCI). The typical scientific workflows with possible scenarios of its preparation and usage are presented. Several typical use cases for these science applications (scientific workflows) are considered for molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of complex behavior of various nanostructures (nanoindentation of graphene layers, defect system relaxation in metal nanocrystals, thermal stability of boron nitride nanotubes, etc.). The user experience is analyzed in the context of its practical applications for MD simulations in materials science, physics and nanotechnologies with available heterogeneous DCIs. In conclusion, the "science gateway" approach - workflow manager (like WS-PGRADE) + DCI resources manager (like gUSE)- gives opportunity to use the SG portal (like "IMP Science Gateway Portal") in a very promising way, namely, as a hub of various virtual experimental labs (different software components + various requirements to resources) in the context of its practical MD applications in materials science, physics, chemistry, biology, and nanotechnologies.Comment: 6 pages, 5 figures, 3 tables; 6th International Workshop on Science Gateways, IWSG-2014 (Dublin, Ireland, 3-5 June, 2014). arXiv admin note: substantial text overlap with arXiv:1404.545