PC Linux Vendor Qualification: Vendor Meeting

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PC Linux Vendor QualificationVendor Meeting

• December 05, 2000

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Agenda

• Introductions (Lisa)
• FERMI PC Strategy overview (Lisa)
• FERMI Linux (Troy)
• Vendor Test Software (Troy)
• Procurement Policies (Bill/Byron)
• Rules of Qualification (Steve)
• QA
• Tour

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FERMI PC Strategy overview

• Background
• Spring 98 FERMI adds Linux to supported OS list
• Growing acceptance and use in HEP community
• Access to low cost commodity hardware
• Only for desktop and farm use (no server)
• Only support RedHat with FERMI extensions (FRHL)
• Only on Intel CPU
• Provided comprehensive support via
• a site maintained installation server and
• autorpm update mechanism.
• Customized workgroup infrastructure

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FERMI PC Strategy overview

• Desktop
• Usage began to grow immediately
• Individual desktop owners were and are expected
  to maintain their own system in most instances
• Use ranges from basic user computing functions
  (reading e-mail, web browsing etc) to high-end
  desktop analysis system

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FERMI PC Strategy overview

• Farms
• Utilize dual PII/PIII architecture
• Other hardware components have changed over past
  2 years
• Form factor has also changed
• Fall 98 first production Linux farm
• Summer 99 first purchase after first
  qualification round
• Currently 250 nodes deployed in farm config

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D0 Farms
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FERMI PC Strategy overview

• Other uses
• More server configurations
• Physics analysis, Mass storage front end, file
  servers
• Analysis cluster
• Can be Beowulf type w/higher degree of
  interconnect needed
• Greater IO needs
• Access to large amounts of online data necessary

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FERMI PC Strategy overview

• All together 1050 Linux nodes on site
• 2xs more than a year ago
• Linux is THE choice for physics analysis
  computing
• RUN II projects utilizing Linux where ever
  possible
• CMS (06 run date) has uses Linux as primary OS
• BTEV, NUMI, SDSS, .

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FERMI PC Strategy overview

• Many more PC vendors now advertise Linux support
  and installation
• Makes selecting a capable competent vendor much
  harder
• Makes deciding who to give a bid to much harder
  as well
• FERMI decided to qualify PC vendors in early
  99
• Similar to the process used for other hardware
  disk, tape, etc
• Those on qualified list will be able to bid on
  large acquisitions and will get to quote on
  smaller purchases as well

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FERMI PC Strategy overview

• What we hoped to gain via Qualification
• Build a good relationship with a limited set of
  vendors
• Eliminate those with no PC/Linux knowledge
• Find vendors that can consistently provide a
  quality product and support
• Find vendors that are sensitive to our needs and
  requirements

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FERMI PC Strategy overview

• The 99 Qualifying Process
• We give vendor a loosely defined system spec,
  they build it, we test
• FERMI provided
• the OS to install
• base system requirements eide system disk, scsi
  disk, video, fast Ethernet
• test suite
• Vendor builds, tests, delivers, one system that
  meets or exceeds the requirements
• Vendor also provides documentation and pricing
• FERMI does more tests when the system gets to us
  and we also test vendor support mechanism
• Limited to desktop and desktop style farms

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Things we have learned

• Many people reference the qualified vendor list
  Lab groups, Universities, Purchasing
• Vendors ability to preinstall FRHL is important
• If vendor can provide a system that runs NT and
  Linux this is a plus
• Continual changes to hardware present continual
  problems with Linux/PC integration no vendor is
  immune

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The FY01 Linux Vendor Qualification

• Process basically the same as 99 except
• 2 qualification lists desktop and 2u
• Vendors may compete in either or both
• 1 eval unit for each category
• Allowing Athlon chip set
• More benchmarks Farms set plus streams
• Specs written to require new generation
  motherboards
• More challenging Linux installation

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Post Qualification Projects

• Continued purchases for desktop systems
• Several Farm config purchases
• Farm/FNALU 2u buy in early winter (60 node)
• Add on to D0/CDF farm by June 01 (100 node)
• Analysis-cluster/Server purchases
• More widely distributed throughout lab
• Negotiation with qualified desktop vendors on
  fixed configuration
• Future Evaluation laptops and server