WP5
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Training
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[edit] Objectives
- To train the technical personnel in the project to manage the e-Infrastructure and the user applications by using the Grid tools effectively
- To foster the use of the Grid e-Infrastructure by the scientific communities in the Asian countries
[edit] Description of work
WP 5.1 Production of training materials:
This workpackage will collect training material from introductory to advanced levels and adapt it to the region. The training sessions will be complemented with further training materials and examples that will be available from the project website. GILDA (Grid INFN Laboratory for Dissemination Activities), an important tool in support of training in the EGEE-II project, will be used to offer certification and host hands-on tutorial for trainees. Advanced distance training techniques including the availability of recorded training sessions will also be investigated and used where appropriate.
WP 5.2 Training event scheduling and organisation:
This activity is to provide an appropriate schedule of training courses to support the Asian user communities. It will train both technical personnel and user communities to the Grid best practises, in order to make them acquainted with the e-Infrastructure. Once the current/new user communities are identified, appropriate training services will be offered. The local partners will organise these training sessions in close collaboration with the training team. The scheduling and content of the sessions will be defined according to the interests of the potential users (as identified within WP2). Education and outreach events will also contribute to the dissemination activities. These sessions will be more focused on showing the benefits of Grid computing to users that are not yet fully aware of what it is and what it might offer them.This work-package is devoted to the fulfilment of the objective O6 (providing targeted specific training materials and events).
[edit] Deliverables
D5.1.1 Training plan (M12)
D5.1.2 Training report and revised plan (M17)
D5.1.3 Final Training report (M24)
[edit] GILDA training
Shortly GILDA ( G rid I nfn L aboratory for D issemination A ctivities) is a virtual laboratory to demonstrate/disseminate the strong capabilities of grid computing. GILDA provides actually different typologies of tutorials and they can be mainly distiguished with the following categories:
- Tutorial for users
- Tutorial for site administrators
- Grid Schools
- Customized events
[edit] Tutorial for users
User tutorials are designed to be wide-purpose providing to the users a comprehensive introduction about the usage of the Grid technology under the EGEE gLite middleware. User tutorials cover all required items to get familiar with the basic usage of a Grid infrastructure as well as a set of practical hands-on exercises and demos.
Technical requirements
The following are the requirements to host a tutorial for grid users and/or application developers:
- Network connection with the outside Internet bandwidth of at least 8 Mbit/s (*);
- FastEthernet (10/100 Mbit/s) and/or a Wi-Fi (IEEE802.11b/g802.11b/g at 11/54 Mbit/s) local area network;
- Computing room equipped with desktops that can be used by students or a simple class room where students can bring their own laptops (if the room can accommodate both fixed desktops and personal laptops this would be even better);
- Big screen and a video-projector;
- Sound system (microphone + amplifier + loud speakers) if the room is big.
(*) In case the outside connection is in the range 2-8 Mbit/s, the site should made available to the tutors, at least 1 week before the event, 6-8 machines, real or virtual (with Xen or Vmware) to install some grid services locally, in order to limit the network traffic. Machines should have at least 1 GB main Memory per processor (dual processor machines are preferred) and at least 40 GBytes of internal hard-disk. Those machines must have public IP addresses and must be registered on a local DNS with direct and inverse name resolution. Sites with outside connections smaller than 2 Mbit/s are strongly discouraged to candidate themselves to host grid tutorials.
User requirements
Users that want participate on such events should cover the following requirements:
- Familiarity with basic Unix/Linux commands
- Proficiency with a Text Editor (vi, gedit, vim, emacs, …)
- Basic knowledge of scripting languages (e.g., Bash, Perl, etc.)
[edit] Tutorial for site administrator
This format foresees advanced lectures and practical sessions providing detailed information about middleware and services installation and configuration, daily operations, etc. Hands-on and simulations will provide a first-hand experience to attendees. This kind of tutorial has a strategic importance to let grow the grid infrastructures since they will provide new administrators and e-infrastructure maintainers.
More information about Grid Site installation using gLite Middleware is available here
Technical requirements
The following are the requirements to host a tutorial for grid users and/or application developers:
- Same requirements of a user tutorial
- All student PCs should have installed VMWare player software (*)
- A dedicated HTTP server to host the local software repository
(*) VMWare player software does not require to purchase any software licence
User requirements
- Participation to a user tutorial or gLite middleware knowledge
- Proficiency with basic Unix/Linux commands, knowledge of Unix/Linux admin commands
- Good knowledge of scripting languages: (bash, perl, python, ...)
[edit] Grid Schools
Grid schools are desinged for application porting aiming perticipating teams o use the Grid technology in their researches. Grid schools are focused on the porting of a set of specific applications. Based on the concept of a full-immersion blend of lectures and tutored hands-on sessions, GRID schools will be organized to teach application developers how to port their applications to the Grid infrastructure. Schools focus on specific applications, to ensure the effectiveness of the porting effort, and will deal with both the theory behind the porting activity and concrete, practical examples.
Technical requirements
Grid schools needs a big effort in terms of technical infrastructure since it is necessary to install a full, local and indipendent grid site. This means:
- Same requirements of a user tutorial (see above).
- Have sufficient number of PCs in order to install following grid services: UI, IS, Voms, RB, CE, WN, SE, LFC Catalog, AMGA (optional). From past experiences, it is highly recommended to make available or rent 60-70 PCs to create the local grid. School are generically attended by max 25-30 students and 10-12 tutors.
- Student room and PC room should be kept in separate environment.
- Special care should be taken for managing the local grid site concerning: Security, Electricity power, Cooling system. Estimation on electricity power foresee the use of about 20KW for grid servers machines plus about 10KW for student PCs.
- Student room should have the opportunity to connect Internet, while the local grid site should be isolated.
- The venue should allow the students to work on their applications 24 hours a day (if they wish so). Thus, security issues must be observed to grant their access to the student room.
User requirements
- Students must fill a web form describing their application. The submitted application will be evaluated by a commission and selected over different evaluation criteria (strategic importance, new ideas, etc).
[edit] Customized events
Some time it is necessary to provide users a deep knowledge on a restrict set of gLite middleware services or customize a typical user tutorial to a specific scientifiv environment highlighting the most important features having impact on the research.
Technical requirements
Technical requirements are the same of a user tutorial unless the tutorial customization foresee different requirements.
User requirements
In this kind of tutorials the user requirement will be evaluated and published accordingly to the tutorial target.
[edit] How to request a tutorial
The best way to organize a tutorial is to start from the the dedicated GILDA tutorial entry point. Any institute who want to organize a tutorial, has to compile a tutorial request form. Athough GILDA provides different typologies of tutorials the web form just distingishes between two main categories: tutorial for users and tutorial for site administrators. Accordingly to the required tutorial type, the requestor has to fill different web forms as well as perform different tutorial preparation steps. Once the form has been submitted a few manual actions have to be followed under the support of the GILDA team. All these actions are reported by the document: How to Request a Tutorial.
[edit] Training materials and other resources[2]
The list below collect precious information about training material and other source of useful information related to training and dissemination activities.
- Official EUAsiaGrid training material on gLite middleware, and other tools and applications deployed in the EUAsiaGrid VO Training materials and other resources
- Gilda provides a huge amount of training material inside a dedicated set of Training Wiki pages
- The ICEAGE project has developed and maintains a digital library providing talks, slides, documents and other materials on Grid computing produced in different European projects digital libraries
