Grid Computing for High Performance Computing (HPC) Data Centers

This research project developed an HPC grid infrastructure to operate as an interactive RD tool. Previous HPC grid architectures were designed for batch applications, where the user lacks direct control over application execution. While this may be acceptable for running very large computationally intense atch jobs on large mainframes, it is not acceptable for use with jobs that require a near real-time response and an interactive environment. To meet this need, IFTC developed an environment that stresses near real-time user interaction with the application. This involved evaluating the various developing protocols for interactive grid computing, using the Globus Toolkit, and then selecting the one with the most growth potential. The grid architecture evaluated by assembling and demonstrating an in-house interactive demonstration grid using in-house cluster assets and existing code, to verify proper operation on a small scale. This project provided a framework for longer term efforts to investigate and improve interactive scalability and performance, taking into account the needs of JBI, HPC, logistics, etc.