1. 16-Mar-01D.P.Kelsey, HTASC report1 HTASC - Report to HEP-CCC David Kelsey, RAL d.p.kelsey@ rl.ac.uk 16 March 2001, CERN ( http://home.cern.ch/~eauge/htasc/public/)

2. 16-Mar-01D.P.Kelsey, HTASC report2 HTASC #17 13th/14th March 2001, CERN Agenda included: Security Windows 2000 coordination LDAP workshop DataGrid – report on Amsterdam (and GGF1) Markup Languages Video Conferencing Roundtable Review of HTASC Future meetings/topics

3. 16-Mar-01D.P.Kelsey, HTASC report3 Network Security Agreed at Nov 2000 HEP-CCC –Reconvene the Security group (T. Haas as chair) Reminder of issues –Many labs tightening security Port filtering, turn-off clear-text passwords CERN’s CLASP project (see Denise Heagerty talk)Heagerty FNAL strong authentication –See http://www.fnal.gov/docs/strongauthhttp://www.fnal.gov/docs/strongauth Growing use of one-time passwords Growing use of certificates Requirements for Grids vs firewalls –Potential to affect off-site users in small institutes

4. 16-Mar-01D.P.Kelsey, HTASC report4 Security (2) draft mandate… –Survey the methods used by HEP labs (today and planned) for the authentication of users, both on and off-site –Report on any problems that these methods cause for off- site access, particularly where off-site users/groups need to access resources at more than one site –Make recommendations as to how the situation could be improved –To report to the Oct 2001 HTASC meeting Waiting for this to start work

5. 16-Mar-01D.P.Kelsey, HTASC report5 Windows 2000 group initial mandate for 12 months 3 meetings + one open HEPNT (JLAB, Nov 00) Chaired by Christian Caro –Now leaving DESY Made good progress They will write a short report soon HTASC suggested that the closed group should end –But, being discussed today in W2K meeting –There are still some issues to coordinate WAN file access, e.g. remote access to home area So, wait for feedback from the group itself Revisit the issue at the next HTASC meeting

6. 16-Mar-01D.P.Kelsey, HTASC report6 Directories/LDAP At March 2000 HTASC/HEP-CCC –Growing importance - Windows 2000, GRID, etc. –Strong support from HEP-CCC - CERN/IN2P3 group should organise an LDAP workshop for White Pages service Situation now –LDAP workshop (1 day) will happen 23 rd April, 2001 – LAL, Orsay, during HEPiX/HEPNT –Aim to cover White/Yellow pages, W2000, GRID… –Planning agenda and encouraging participation now –A DataGrid Info Service workshop will be held 28/29 March –Suggestions for invitation very welcome!

7. 16-Mar-01D.P.Kelsey, HTASC report7 Markup Languages/XML Invited Michel Goosens (CERN) –But away on holiday! Discussed the 4 questions from last HEP-CCC Is XML a possible solution for universal markup? –Yes, but we need tools/editors Do these have to be standardised across HEP? Is there a long term future for FrameMaker? –See slides from Juergen KnoblochKnobloch –Not available for Linux (yet?) –Very good for distributed large documents –Solaris server is no solution for Linux notebook

8. 16-Mar-01D.P.Kelsey, HTASC report8 Markup Languages (2) Should presentations be based on PDF or PPT? –PowerPoint is the de facto standard for presentations –Web copies should be both PDF and PPT PDF for ease of printing Source format for more functionality –To include in other presentation The gif slides from ppt are not so useful

9. 16-Mar-01D.P.Kelsey, HTASC report9 Markup Languages (3) Can/should HEP standardise on an open office product, e.g. Star Office? –CERN considering the question of Linux desktops Should this include an office suite? If so, which one? –What about web authoring, Adobe tools etc? –Many HEP institutes will need MS Office for interworking with other disciplines/departments Problems of compatability –Pressure from physicists to include office suite For ease of use between analysis and presentations Maybe vmware or MS terminal server can solve this

10. 16-Mar-01D.P.Kelsey, HTASC report10 Markup Languages (4) Linux office suite (cont’d) –Seems impossible to impose a standard However the CERN choice will have a big influence Urge CERN to be careful making their decision! Conclusion on the markup language topic –We will include in agenda for next meeting –We would like to close the HEP-CCC action, please!

11. 16-Mar-01D.P.Kelsey, HTASC report11 Video Conferencing Presentation from Alan FlavellFlavell –Recent user experience on v/c MCU discussion –ESnet runs a service –Lyon has a small MCU for 4 sites –INFN installed an MCU in Bologna (for 6 sites) –DESY considering an MCU and other improvements –Should European HEP run an MCU service? Should be considered! Operational costs – the main issue –DataGrid and other projects will need lost of V/C!

12. 16-Mar-01D.P.Kelsey, HTASC report12 Roundtable reports No big problems Lots of upgrades to network bandwidth –National and International Main concern –How to make sure that LHC participants (not DataGrid) are kept informed of GRID developments?

13. 16-Mar-01D.P.Kelsey, HTASC report13 Review of HTASC My mandate ends in June 2001 (3 years) –I need to hand over to someone else –HEP-CCC to appoint Positive points –Great for information exchange –Sub-groups have been successful and useful –Good feedback into national bodies (but not everywhere) –Good for communication between CERN and member states Negative points –No worldwide representation, except in sub-groups –Web site needs lots of work –Agenda and minutes late –How useful have our recommendations been?

14. 16-Mar-01D.P.Kelsey, HTASC report14 HTASC improvements Suggestions for future improvement –Include representative(s) from USA Continuity would be good –Other reps, e.g. Japan? –Could we have a CERN scientific secretary, please? To improve organisation, minutes, web etc Should this person be the CERN representative?

15. 16-Mar-01D.P.Kelsey, HTASC report15 Future HTASC meetings/Topics (provisional dates/plans) 11/12 June 2001 (Madrid) (or 7/8 June?) –XML and Document Editing (M. Goosens and Lyon) –ANAPHE update –Windows 2000 group report –Use of OpenAFS in Spain 8/9 October 2001 (DESY) –Network Security Review –AFS plans Other topics: –Implications of LHC computing review –Networking – use of high bandwidth –ideas always welcome!

16. 16-Mar-01D.P.Kelsey, HTASC report16 Summary HTASC invites HEP-CCC to consider/give advice on Suggestions for invitation to LDAP day Consider question of European MCU for V/C Appoint my successor –Joint attendance at June HTASC/HEP-CCC? Approve USA (and Japan?) participation CERN scientific secretary? Other future topics for HTASC consideration?