The Gateway Computational Web Portal Marlon Pierce Indiana University March 15, 2002

Portal Overview  Computational Web Portals provide ubiquitous access to HPC resources  You can log in anywhere through any web browser.  Portals simplify the use of HPCs for novice users.  Basics: batch script generation, job submission and monitoring, file transfer  Computational grid services: Globus, Condor  Portals can simplify the use of unfamiliar codes (ex: FDTD).  Provide a work management environment for all users.  You can see what you did last week.

Gateway  Gateway is a computational web portal project funded through HPCMO’s PET program.  Our goal is to provide building block components that can be used to build specific portals.  We also develop browser-based interfaces for  Basic services like file transfer  Input file creation and job submission for specific codes, including ANSYS and FDTD.  Data plotting applications like gnuplot and Matlab.

Gateway Services  Building block portal services  Secure authentication, access control  File uploading, downloading, and transfer  Session archiving  Batch script generation  Job submission  Job monitoring  Shared visualization  All services are accessible through a browser.  Particular applications may require additional custom modules.

Portal Design  Gateway is built using JavaServer Pages (JSP) and JavaBeans.  Basic services are built out of one or more JavaBean components.  Components are included in the web pages. Example: Authentication  Portal data types defined in XML

Gateway Architecture

Example Service: Batch Script Generation  User selects a particular code, machine, and resource requests.  We extend abstract base class for particular queues (GRD, PBS, …)  Factory creates appropriate queue for your request.

Gateway Data Types  Users  Name, , Kerberos principal,…  Applications  How to run a code (general)  Host machines  How to run a code on a specific machine  Service descriptors  How to invoke a particular service (use WSDL now)  We are looking to standardize within the GGF.

ANSYS Portal  Developed with specific set of users in mind:  PC-based, experienced ANSYS users  New to Unix, HPC, Kerberos,….  Basic usage:  User has ANSYS on his PC, develops his grid there.  Uploads DB file using Gateway, submits to the desired machine, monitors execution, and downloads output files when done.  Gateway securely performs remote file transfer, submission, monitoring at the user’s request.  Running at DoD computing centers.

Further Information  For more information, contact  Marlon Pierce:  For more presentations and papers, see