NGI: luxury or Necessity? The EELA’ lessons

www.eu-eela.eu

E-science grid facility forEurope and Latin America

NGI: luxury or Necessity?The EELA’ lessons

Bernard M. Marechal (EELA-2 Project Coordinator)CETA-CIEMAT & UFRJ (Spain & Brazil)

NGI-AR Launching MeetingBuenos Aires (Argentina), 22.10.2009

www.eu-eela.eu Buenos Aires (Argentina) NGI-AR Launching Meeting - 22.10.2009 2

e-Science before the DCI


e-Science with DCI


Short history

• Several meetings (Rio de Janeiro, CERN, Itacuruca) in 2004, foreseeing a EU–LA Grid Project supported by EC

• EELA proposal prepared, submitted and approved in 2005

• EELA worked hard and well during 2 years (2006 – 2007)

• EELA-2 prepared & submitted in 2007 and approved in 2008

• EELA-2 will end on 31 March 2010

• EC support: fade out in the future

• LGI / NGIs: fade in mandatory to support e-Science in LA on the long term


Some thoughts

• Forget the “war” between Grid, Clouds, HPC, …. And think about DCI (Distributed Computing Infrastructures)

• GRID: Distributed Supercomputing Facility ($)

• HPC: Physically Localised Supercomputing Centres ($)

• GRID: more than computing resources (human networks, scientific collaborations

• Why a Grid if I have a cluster? And what about tomorrow???

• Cores are important but human resources / skills are

fundamental


Some thoughts

• No stress, no fear: GRID is not a black hole … your resources (cluster) remain under your control

• GRID means

• “I do want to share”

• “I offer because I need”

• NGI bible

• Should be application independent

• Should be MULTI MIDDLEWARE (Middleware is not an issue, just a necessity)

• User demand as a seed (highway without cars!)

• Close / strong / … interaction / collaboration with NRENS and CLARA is a must


Some thoughts

• Do not waste your energy with wrong target

• Industry should be “attacked” (tough job! Fear, Clouds, …)

• Argentina is mature (thanks, partially, to EELA and EELA-2)• JRU exists

• Motivated people (researchers & engineers) are active

• Skilled people in GRID are available

• Impressive Governmental support (unique in LA???)

• There is a CA in Argentina (tough job !!!!!!)

• THE DANGER: “matches effect” and unresponsiveness

• ADAPT TO YOUR REALITY BUT NEVER COPY-PASTE !...................


Argentina’s e-Science Collaboration (JRU)

Members at present: LIDI, LINTI ( Fac, of Informatics UNLP), IFLP (CONICET-UNLP), Univ. Nac. Rio Cuarto, Univ. Nac. del Sur, UBA, HIBA (Hospital Italiano Buenos Aires), INNOVARED

The Joint Research Unit already created with support from Secyt (now Mincyt)


An Example: The Argentinean RC

The Resource Centre:

• EELA Computing Element

• 5 EELA dual-core Worker Nodes

• EELA 500 GB Storage Element

• EELA User Interface

• Middleware: gLite 3.1.0

• Managers: J. Bogado García and F. López

@ CeSPI Data Centre of UNLP

• High availability, high security, Redundant electrical power feed and cooling, racks and raised floor

• Gigabit LAN, 20 Mbps link to Internet

• 4 Mbps to Clara through a symmetric link to InnovaRed

The process of integration of these resources in the EELA infrastructure has been in parallel with the learning process and training of the local people on the GRID technology, but it is finally ready!


The UNLP RC in EELA-2

Very modest resources but the first ones in Argentina in a pro-duction Grid infrastructure.

Very modest resources but the first ones in Argentina in a pro-duction Grid infrastructure.


Joint Research Units in EELA-2• A Joint Research Unit (JRU) is a partnership for e-Science Collaboration, with no no

legal statuslegal status as such, formed between entities of the same nationality and meeting the following conditions:

– scientific and economic unity (internal MoU in place);– lasting a certain length of time (not linked to a particular project);– recognised by a public authority (minister, secretary of state, etc.).

One of the major

successes o

f

EELA-2

Country # of JRU members in total # of JRU members in EELA-2

Argentina 7 7Brazil 18 14

Chile 5 5

Colombia 9 5

Ecuador 5 5

France 33 3

Ireland 18 1

Italy 14 2

Mexico 9 8

Panama 3 3

Peru 7 7

Portugal 5 3

Spain >50 7

Venezuela 4 4

No JRUs were established in LA

during EELA


2

Applications distribution per country, continent and scientific domain (Y1)

EELA-2 achievements - NA3


Why is it possible?

• The EELAs – Trained users, tutors and administrators in LA– Disseminated the Grid culture– “Approached” Decision Makers– Proposed a model for long-term sustainability of Grid

infrastructures in LA– Are currently looking for funds in EU (EC & CIEMAT) to help

implementing the model during the next 2 years

ConclusionIt should work!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Last but not least

Before the GRID

I ……

After the GRID

We …..

Documents

NGI: luxury or Necessity? The EELA’ lessons