Experiences in Teaching a Geographically
Distributed Undergraduate Grid Computing
Course
Barry Wilkinson
Department of Computer Science
University of North Carolina at Charlotte
Mark Holliday
Department of Mathematics and
Computer Science
Western Carolina University
Clayton Ferner
Department of Computer Science
University of North Carolina at
Wilmington
Grid Computing Course (Fall 2004)
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Originated from WCU on NCREN network.
Broadcast to:
– UNC-Wilmington
– NC State University
– UNC-Asheville
– UNC-Greensboro
– Appalachian State University
– NC Central University
– Cape Fear Community College
– Elon University
43 students, several faculty
Instructors: Barry Wilkinson and Clayton Ferner
Participating Sites
Level and Prerequisites
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Listed as an undergraduate course but can
be taken for graduate credit.
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Graduate students expected to do more
work.
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Preferably have programming skills in
Java on a Linux system.
Topics
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Review of Internet technologies
Introduction to grid computing
Web services
Grid services
Security, Public Key Infrastructure
Open Grid Services Architecture (OGSA)
Globus 3.2
Condor-G
MPI and grid-enabled MPI
UNC-W workflow editor and other GUI tools
Grid computing applications
Assessment
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Programming assignments, submitted
using WebCT
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Creating a web service
Creating a grid service
Submitting a Globus job
Submitting a CondorG job
MPICH-G2 program (not done in Fall 2004)
Using UNC-W GUI workflow editor
Several WebCT quizzes/tests
Weeks 1 - 3
Grid computing
Internet Tech.
Web Services
Assignment 1
Virtual organizations, grid
projects around the world, grid
challenges
IP addresses, HTTP, URL,
HTTP, XML, FTP, SSL
Service-Oriented Architecture,
XML documents, XML schema,
namespaces, SOAP, examples,
Axis, WSDL
"Simple" Web service Java
programming assignment.
Tomcat, axis, JWS facility
Assignment 1 Objective
Learn how to write, deploy, and use a web
service, using Apache Tomcat Java Servlet
container and tools.
Steps
1. Create a simple math web service (Java Web
Service file).
2. Generate required files from jws file and
compile.
3. Create client source file and compile.
4. Execute client to access service.
5. Extend service functionality and test.
Weeks 3 - 4
Grid Service (GT3)
Concepts, Open Grid Services
Architecture (OGSA), OGSI,
grid service factory,
introduction to GT3.
Assignment 2
"Simple" grid service Java
programming assignment.
Globus 3.2 environment.Tools:
ant
Assignment 2 Objective
Learn how to write, deploy, and use a grid
service, using Globus 3.2 Toolkit.
Steps
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
Run name change script.
Create a math grid service with several methods.
Define grid service interface using GWSDL.
Write deployment descriptor.
Build and deploy grid service.
Create client source file and compile.
Start Globus container on a free port.
Execute client to access service.
Extend service functionality and test.
Weeks 4 - 6
Security
Globus
Assignment 3
Secure connection
requirements, symmetric and
asymmetric key cyptography,
digital signatures, certificates,
CAs, X509 certificate
Basic structure (GT 3.2), grid
service container, service
browser, GRAM, job
submission, GSI, Globus
certificates, simpleCA, proxies,
resource management, MMJFS,
RSL and RSL-2, examples.
Submitting GT 3 job specified in
RSL-2
Assignment 3 Objective
Learn how to submit jobs in Globus 3.2.
Steps
1. Start Globus container on a free port.
2. Start a proxy process (obtain proxy
certificate).
3. Submit a pre-existing job using the Globus
managed-job-globusrun command. This
command uses an RSL-2 job description file.
4. Create your own job, compile and submit.
5. Write and deploy your own grid service
accessed by multiple identical clients started
using the managed-job-globusrun command.
Weeks 6 - 7
Inf. Services
GT3 information directory
services, LDAP, resource
discovery
Schedulers and
resource brokers
Condor, submit description file,
DAGMan, Checkpointing,
ClassAd, Condor-G, other
systems
Assignment 4
Submitting a Condor-G Job
Assignment 4 Objective
Learn the Condor-G scheduler and Globus
Resource Allocation Manager.
Steps
1. Start a proxy process (obtain proxy certificate).
2. Check status of Condor pool.
3. Create a Condor job description file for a simple
job and submit a job.
4. Check status of job and manage job using
Condor commands.
5. Write and test a computationally intensive Java
job according to specification.
6. Submit job to a Condor Java universe and test.
7. Submit job to a Condor Globus universe, test.
Weeks 7 - 8
HPC
Grand challenge problems,
parallel computing, potential
speed-up, types of parallel
computers
Message passing
Basic message passing
techniques, system software,
programming models),
synchronous message
passing, asynchronous
message passing, message
tags, collective routines
Weeks 8 - 9
MPI
Grid-enabled MPI
Assignment 5
Process creation,
communicators, unsafe
message passing, point-topoint, blocking, non-blocking,
communication modes,
collective communication,
running an MPI program on a
cluster
MPI-G2 internals, mpirun
command, RSL script,
programming techniques
suitable for a Grid
Running a simple MPI-G2
program
Assignment 5 Objective
Learn how to write and submit MPI programs to
a grid using MPICH-G2.
Steps
1.
2.
3.
4.
Start a proxy process (obtain proxy certificate).
Create and compile a simple MPI program.
Execute MPI program on two machines.
Add communication to MPI program and reexecute program.
5. Write, compile and execute an MPI ping
program.
6. Write, compile and execute MPI program for
numerical integration using broadcast/reduce.
Weeks 10 to 11
Workflow
GridNexus I
GridNexus II
Grid portals
Assignment 6
Concept, examples.
GridNexus UNC-W GUI for
Workflow management.
Implementation of GridNexus,
JXPL. Presented by Prof. Jeff
Brown.
Grid
portals,
purpose,
application-based
portals,
historical
examples,
portal
implementation, portlets, JSR
168, OGCE portal.
GridNexus assignment.
Assignment 6 Objective
Learn how to create a GridNexus workflow that
uses a web service and a grid service.
Steps
1. Download GridNexus and install on your computer.
2. Check that your service from assignment 1 and 2 are
deployed. If not, deploy them, or use the deployed
services provided.
3. Create a web service workflow.
4. Create a grid service workflow.
5. Create workflow that uses both web & grid services.
6. Extend service functionality and test.
GridNexus Workflow Editor
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Developed by UNC-Wilmington
www.gridnexus.org
Simple
Workflow
Example
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Computes
-2 * (23 + 6)
More
Complex
Example
using
Grid
Services
Weeks 14 to 15
Guest Speakers
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Professor Daniel A. Reed, Chancellor's Eminent Professor, Vice
Chancellor for IT and CIO, UNC-Chapel Hill, Director of Institute for
Renaissance Computing, University of North Carolina at Chapel
Hill, Duke University, and NC State University. Title of presentation:
“Grid computing: 21st Century Challenges.”
Wolfgang Gentzsch, Managing Director, MCNC Grid Computing
and Networking Services. Title of presentation “Grid Computing in
the Industry”
Chuck Kesler, Director, Grid Deployment and Data Center
Services, MCNC. Title of presentation: “Security Policy, Legal, and
Regulatory Challenges in Grid Computing Environments.”
Professor Ian Foster: Taped presentation “The Grid: Beyond the
Hype,” by Ian Foster, Argonne National Laboratory and University
of Chicago, (originally given at Duke University, Sept. 14th, 2004).
Course Home Page
No assigned course textbook. Materials and
links provided on the home page.
http://www.cs.wcu.edu/~abw/CS493F04
Used for posting announcements, slides,
assignments, reading materials, tests dates,
etc.
WebCT also used for quizzes.
Fall 2005 Grid Computing Course
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To originate from UNC-Charlotte
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Again in collaboration with UNC-Wilmington
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Can be for undergraduate or graduate credit.
Acknowledgements
Partial support for this work was provided by the
National Science Foundation’s Course and
University of North Carolina, Office of the President.
1. National Science Foundation, “Introducing Grid Computing into the
Undergraduate Curricula,” ref. DUE 0410667, PI: A. B. Wilkinson, $100,000,
2004-2006.
2. University of North Carolina Office of President, “A Consortium to Promote
Computational Science and High Performance Computing,” PI: B. Kurtz
(Appalachian State University) co-PI B. Wilkinson and others at various
universities, total $650,000, 2004-2006.
3. University of North Carolina Office of President, “Fostering Undergraduate
Research Partnerships through a Graphical User Environment for the North
Carolina Computing Grid,” PI: R. Vetter (UNC-Wilmington), co-PI B. Wilkinson
and others at various universities, total $557,634, 2004-2006.
Questions?