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Final Report : JISC NTI/48.2
Batch Processing Systems For UNIX

June 1996

Stuart Herbert (S.Herbert@sheffield.ac.uk)

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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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Project Summary


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].


Usage

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].


JISC Criteria

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


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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