Final Report : JISC NTI/48.2
Batch Processing Systems For UNIX
June 1996
Stuart Herbert (S.Herbert@sheffield.ac.uk)Document copyright ©. All rights reserved.
Abstract
This project has supplied over thirty UK Higher Educational
Institutions [1], ranging for individual research groups to entire
institutions, with one of the world's leading freely-available batch
processing systems. Generic NQS, a robust and mature system [2], is
available for nineteen [3] different versions of UNIX, and is the
only available batch processing solution for many of those operating
systems which meets stated needs of UK HE Institutions [6].
Contents
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Deliverable
Generic NQS 3.50.0, available from our FTP site [7], is a
freely-available batch processing system which is easy to install,
works on nineteen versions of UNIX [3], performs cluster-wide dynamic
scheduling [9][10][11], robust and mature [2], and inter-operates
with all commercial batch processing systems which supports the NQS
networking protocol.
Generic NQS 3.50.0 is the only batch system, commercial or
otherwise, which supports the operating systems and features stated
as requirements in [6]. Commercial batch systems [2][4][5] are
regarded by the UK HE as being too expensive [1][6] and lacking in
important features [5][6], while alternative freely-available systems
(such as DQS and CERN-NQS) are regarded as unreliable, support too
few platforms, poor on scheduling, and lacking support for important
features such as symmetric multi-processing [1][2][5][6].
We have documentary evidence that there are thirty-five installations
of Generic NQS within the UK HE sector. There is strong evidence to
suggest that there are up to another fifteen installations of Generic
NQS within the UK HE sector [1]. It is also perfectly possible for
there to be installations of which we are completely unaware,
especially amongst the very small research groups who cannot afford
commercial alternatives ...
In addition, we have targetted a large group of UK HE institutions
who currently rely on a discontinued product from Silicon Graphics [6].
At their last meeting, in Leicester in December, the group indicated
that they would evaluate Generic NQS as part of their transition to
SG's IRIX 6.2 operating system. Generic NQS is the only batch
processing system currently available for IRIX 6 - commercial systems
merely suggest the use of an IRIX 5 version instead, which is not
ideal [8].
We have achieved 100% satisfaction regarding both the work carried
out on the product and our efforts to support their use of our
product. In addition, 92% of correspondants have stated that they
would like to see this work further funded [1].
The following criteria were published at the outset of the New
Technologies Initiative [4].
- Proposals must demonstrate mechanisms for transferring results
and benefits to other HE institutions.
Through our popular Mailbase mailing lists [1][12], our popular
World-Wide Web site [1][13], our FTP site[14], and our attendance
at national Special Interest Group (SIG) meetings to target
institutions with a particular need [8], we have done more to
transfer our results to other sites than any other NTI project
in our field.
- The JISC must be satisfied that the projects show vision;
We have taken a freely-available batch processing system, made it
portable, easy to install, and implemented significant new
functionality in order to provide UK HE Institutions with the only
product which meets their needs.
- are demonstrably effective;
Our work has been taken up by many departments and institutions;
we submit that this is the ultimate demonstration of effectiveness.
- and will involve key technologies for the future which would not
be available to students and researchers without the support of
this Initiative.
Our work has provided many departments with the only batch
processing system they can afford [1]. Commercial systems have
not been demonstrated to be better and are considered
prohibitively expensive [1][2][4][5].
Summary
For little more than the cost of a site license for a commercial
alternative for two institutions [15][4], an alternative which
institutions do not want [1][6], this NTI project has provided at
least thirty-five research groups, departments and whole institutions
with the only batch processing system, commercial or otherwise, which
does what they want, and which runs on the operating systems they
want to use [1][6].
It is our submission that this project has therefore been a success.
References
- [1] Interest In NTI/48.2; Stuart Herbert;
http://www.shef.ac.uk/~nqs/Manuals/Papers/JISC/JISC0012/
- [2] Cluster Computing Review, v1.1; Baker, Fox and Yau; NPA Center,
Syracuse University; Email mab@npac.syr.edu
- [3] Availability Of Generic NQS; Stuart Herbert;
http://www.shef.ac.uk/~nqs/Manuals/Papers/GNQS/GNQS0012/
- [4] An Operational Comparison Of CODINE And Monsanto-NQS; Stuart
Herbert; http://www.shef.ac.uk/~nqs/Manuals/Papers/JISC/JISC0009/
- [5] Systems Analysis - Batch Processing Systems; Stuart Herbert;
http://www.shef.ac.uk/~nqs/Manuals/Papers/JISC/JISC0002/
- [6] Batch Processing Systems In The UK HE Community; Stuart Herbert;
http://www.shef.ac.uk/~nqs/Manuals/Papers/JISC/JISC0003/
- [7] Generic NQS 3.50.0; Herbert et al; ftp://ftp.shef.ac.uk/pub/
uni/projects/nqs/latest/Generic-NQS.tar.gz
- [8] Generic NQS For IRIX; Stuart Herbert; http://www.shef.ac.uk/
~nqs/Manuals/Papers/JISC/JISC0011/
- [9] Changes To Generic NQS 3.50.0; Stuart Herbert;
http://www.shef.ac.uk/~nqs/Manuals/Papers/GNQS/GNQS0009/
- [10] Features Of Generic NQS; Stuart Herbert;
http://www.shef.ac.uk/~nqs/Manuals/Papers/GNQS/GNQS0013/
- [11] Example Generic NQS Configurations; Stuart Herbert;
http://www.shef.ac.uk/~nqs/Manuals/Papers/GNQS/GNQS0010/
- [12] Generic NQS Mailbase Mailing Lists; Stuart Herbert;
http://www.shef.ac.uk/~nqs/Generic-NQS/MailingLists/
- [13] Generic NQS World-Wide Web Site; Stuart Herbert;
http://www.shef.ac.uk/~nqs
- [14] Generic NQS FTP Site; Stuart Herbert;
ftp://ftp.shef.ac.uk/pub/uni/projects/nqs/
- [15] Progress Report - February 1995; Stuart Herbert;
http://www.shef.ac.uk/~nqs/Manuals/Papers/JISC/JISC0007/
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