Internet2 Joint Activities

3.13Internet2 Joint Activities

In the past year, Internet2 has worked with the OSG software developers to incorporate several advanced network diagnostic tools into the VDT package. These client programs interact with perfSONAR-based servers deployed on the Internet2 and ESnet backbones to allow on-demand testing of poorly performing sites. By enabling OSG site administrators and end users to test any individual compute or storage element in the OSG environment, we can reduce the time it takes to begin the network troubleshooting process. It also allows site administrators or users to quickly determine if a performance problem is due to the network, a host configuration issue, or an application behavior.

In addition to deploying client tools via the VDT, Internet2 staff, working with partners in the US and internationally, have created a simple live-CD distribution mechanism for the server side of these tools (perfSONAR-Performance-Toolkit). This bootable CD allows an OSG site-admin to quickly stand up a perfSONAR-based server to support the OSG users. These perfSONAR hosts automatically register their existence in a distributed global database, making it easy to find new servers as they become available. Internet2 staff also identified an affordable 1U rack mountable computer that can be used to run this server software. OSG site administrators can now order this standard hardware, ensuring that they can quickly get started with a known good operating environment.

These servers provide two important functions for the OSG site-administrators. First they provide an end point for the client tools deployed via the VDT package. OSG users and site-administrators can run on-demand tests to begin troubleshooting performance problems. The second function they perform is to host regularly scheduled tests between peer sites. This allows a site to continuously monitor the network performance between itself and the peer sites of interest. The USATLAS community has deployed perfSONAR hosts and is currently using them to monitor network performance between the Tier1 and Tier2 sites. Internet2 has attended weekly USATLAS calls to provide on-going support of these deployments, and has come out with regular bug fixes. Additionally, the USCMS community has recently begun to deploy perfSONAR-Performance-Toolkit based hosts to evaluate their usefulness for that community of users. Finally, on-demand testing and regular monitoring can be performed to both peer sites and the Internet2 or ESNet backbone network using either the client tools, or the perfSONAR servers. Internet2 will continue to interact with the OSG admin community to learn ways to improve this distribution mechanism.

Another major task for Internet2 is to provide training on the installation and use of these tools and services. In the past year Internet2 has participated in several OSG site-admin workshops, the annual OSG all-hands meeting, and interacted directly with the LHC community to determine how the tools are being used and what improvements are required. Internet2 has provided hands-on training in the use of the client tools, including the command syntax and interpreting the test results. Internet2 has also provided training in the setup and configuration of the perfSONAR server, allowing site-administrators to quickly bring up their server. Finally, Internet2 staff has participated in several troubleshooting exercises; this includes running tests, interpreting the test results and guiding the OSG site-admin through the troubleshooting process.

3.14ESNET Joint Activities

OSG is the major user of the ESNETESnet DOE Grids Certificate Authority for the issuing of X509 certificates (Error: Reference source not found). Registration, renewal and revocation are done through the OSG Registration Authority and ESNETESnet provided web interfaces. ESNETESnet and OSG collaborate on the user interface tools needed by the OSG Stakeholders for management and reporting of certificates.

Figure : Number and distribution of valid certificates currently in use by OSG communities.

OSG and ESNETESnet jointly organized a workshop on Identity Management in November with two complementary goals. To look broadly at the identity management landscape and evolving trends regarding identity in the web arena and also to gather input and requirements from the OSG communities about their current issues and expected future needs. A main result of the analysis of web-based technologies is the ability to delegate responsibility, which is essential for grid computing, is just beginning to be a feature of web technologies and still just for interactive timescales. A significant result from gathering input from the users is that the communities tend to either be satisfied with the current identity management functionality or are dissatisfied with the present functionality and see a strong need to have more fully integrated identity handling across the range of collaborative services used for their scientific research. The results of this workshop and requirements gathering survey are being used to help plan the future directions for work in this area.