Term Goals Winter 2016 for Research Support and Special Projects

General environment

File storage

• Distributed File Service - Lawrence/Lori w/Dave/Anthony (ST#98307)
  • Dave/Lawrence/Lori to create updated proposal for January 2016

Database services

• Clustered MySQL server - ST#85594 (and ST#101098, ST#102303)
  • Daniel - assist with migration to the new cluster, including planning and documenting affected applications
  • will need to coordinate with Dave, Fraser, Omar, Lori to assist with configuration planning
  • March 7 update - well in progress, on target for end of March
  • April 12 - official completion report submitted

Networking

Machine Room Interconnect

• Lori to work out 10Gb interconnect between research server rooms - check with Dave (Reference ST#98551?)
  • a census of the servers capable of r/w 1GB sustained (eg: Asimov, hops, Daytona, chinook, m160, Ripple) and how are they connected. And can they be 10Gb connected?
  • Dave says that 10Gb already exists, at least between machine rooms

Firewall

• • Overall: 88134
    • Finish group consultations (send email to all groups)- Lawrence / RSG staff
    • have client networks behind firewall
    • (Optional) Have Daniel create a utility to tell a client the status of their IP address (eg: 129.97.168.x -> "you will be on a client network, with VPN accees only") - ST#103237
      • firewall utility done: https://cs.uwaterloo.ca/cscf/policies/firewall-status/
    • reminder from MikeP to keep it moving along
    • most groups have now been contacted

CSCF Special Projects

Exam Management System - Isaac

• modify process to embed fonts to improve workflow with New Media Services (ST#101963)
  • completed, printing working well
• implement UI for multiple versions (ST#101625) * done
• have a designated backup
  • software/development/database - Daniel
    • Daniel tracking such notes in ST#104023
    • Daniel now involved
  • operation/PoC - Nick
    • Nick and Isaac have met, Nick is getting training on being the operational PoC - ST#104199
    • Nick has read the documentation, and will be starting on working on requests in the new term

Grad TA Evaluations - Isaac

• create project plan for this software tool - ST#52768
  • begin implementation of evaluations - Phase 1 document
    • design is set
    • goal is to be ready-to-use, even though can't be used yet
    • trial for Spring term

Grad Visit Day - Daniel

• Grad Visit Day web application deployed February 2013 (and annually thereafter) for Heather Steinmetz and Jesse Hoey - ST#91837 - Daniel
  • status for February 2016 - ST#102563
    • Daniel will work with co-op to have updated version for W16
    • preparation work is done, event later in March
  • request to implement for Rest-of-Math - ST#103448
    • setup is complete for Rest-of-Math, Jim Johnston is responsible for that instance

Inventory - Daniel

• Inventory web application deployed 2009 for CSCF - ST#76671 - Daniel
  • Version 3.5.1 - bugfixes - to be worked on in F2015/W2016 - ST#101745
    • bugfixes complete as of end-of-February
    • Desirable feature-add: plan to integrate ONA (likely won't happne this term)
  • Explore Machine Room mapping / inventory (RackTables / MachineRoomMap) - will need input from Dave, Dan and MFCF
    • need concept of "reserved" space for future planning of space (rack, room, etc.)
    • in progress by Evan/Devon - ST#95545
  • See also #Nagios below

OAT - Isaac

• Overhaul data import to use new data source and provide admissions data - ST#92317
  • still waiting on IST Enterprise Architecture to provide all of the required data

OGSAS - Isaac

• Overhaul to use new datasource and deal with requests from Associate Director Grad Studies (Urs) - ST#?
  • blocked on waiting for the OAT data (see above)

Research Subscription System - Daniel

• Research Subscription web application for CSCF management (re-)deployed June 2011 - ST#78100 - Daniel
  • Daniel working on bug fixes for W16
  • fixed "Add a subscription" (which was the critical issue, some others minor issues remain)

ST

• by end of W16: have decision about the future of ST / job-tracking in CSCF - ST#103960
  • met with MFCF, received RT requirements spreadsheet
  • updated spreadsheet to V2

CSCF internal services

Machine Rooms

DC 3556 (Research Machine Room)

• Finish Insurance Claim - November 2015 - Lawrence
  • 95303
  • Mar 2016: insurance money received. Balance of $50,000 deductible still to come from UW FInance
  • need to determine how to handle faculty refund based on labour refund ($46k)

DC 3558 (CS Infrastructure Room)

Monitoring

• Report when server hits predefined temperature limit - Gordon
  • 97155
  • Note: confirm with PLG that they're ok with them paying for it (confirmed - see ST#97155, original email from Peter asking about these sensors)

Research computing

Graduate student workstations

• Streamline the AD join process - Mike / Clayton
  • 101333
  • Milestone: revised script that works with current image for Winter 2016 post-install steps
    • Future: (Winter 2016) Update for Spring/Fall 2016 image
    • Mike says that he has done some work in improving the AD script. Need to document in above ST or note related ST
    • ensure that these scripts are in a system directory (not under ~ctucker or ~magore)

HPC

generic cluster ("paper")

• Rack hardware we have in DC 3558 A1 - Lawrence/Lori/Mike/CSCF Coop
  • 99112
  • Rack existing hardware into A1, start building cluster - Lori
  • Report time spent on this project
    • Rack A1 has been emptied and we're now adding hardware to it
    • snowballs and squall can be taken - coordinate with Ronaldo

Ganglia Portal - Wishlist - ST#98196

• VM to be created
• build initial ganglia system - Lori

Research Storage capacity

• catalogue existing storage systems, capacity and current use "swing space" - Lori/RSG
  • part of the 10Gb initiative (see above)

Visitor loaner equipment / Researcher-owned machines

• Workstation imaging: Streamline via Clonezilla - Click'N'Go - Mike
• Milestone: coordinate with Phil (and Dave and Lawrence) to ensure this process is available to CSI

Administration

Billing

• Fall 2015 bills by end of November - ST#103192
  • Fall bills to be generated in January 2016
  • Winter bills to be generated in late February - ST#103591

CSCF Retreat

• Planning lead - Lawrence - ST#103743
• Milestone: hold the retreat, have a report of results - late February, early March
• Update: 2016-03-11 (lfolland) Retreat was held yesterday, staff reaction seemed very positive. Sandra will send a summary of our notes. ST items to be created for each team

Research Groups

AI - Mike

• Setup guest computers - ST#102441
  • Mike has worked with John (our co-op) to review existing machines and update/replace as needed
  • now complete

BIF - Mike

• rebuild m160 File storage from 40TB and 60TB xfs to 100TB zfs - W16 - Mike / Lori - ST#104138
  • Mike has discussed with students and Ming - and they are excited to have this happen
  • need to transfer all of the data over to Asimov (or other storage server), once hops data removed
  • Given the amount of work that was done to rebuild m160 this term after the compromise, Mike and I have agreed to leave this project for this term -> Spring 2016 Term Goals

Boutaba - Ronaldo

• update Documentation of CN cluster - ST#93800
  • remove reference to old servers/setup and replace with the new
• decommission the insurance-replaced servers - Lawrence/Ronaldo

Brecht - Lori

• Migrate rocket to new server - Ronaldo / Lori
  • Lori - ST#101572
  • Milestone: remove the temp server from Ronaldo's office
    • done

Cabernet - Mike/Lori

• Upgrade cluster OS to 14.04 (priority)
  • 100316
• Upgrade GPUs? Lori/Mike
  • 98349
• Goals for W16:
  • have Justin decide whether he will get updated hardware
  • upgrade the OS to 14.04
• Status:
  • GPU and OS updated on Node 16
  • query sent to Justin
  • cabernet has a bad drive and a bad PSU - is it worth spending time/money? (Lori)

Daytona - Lori

• Reorganize, add 3 nodes - December 2015 - Lori
• 100216
• Status:
  • done: Feb. 2016
• Goal:
  • have all nodes fully functional
  • done: Feb 2016
• Needs:
  • L5-20 PDU - ask Dan/Dave
  • done - Jesse Hoey bought one

DB/DSG - Gordon

• DC 3312 - clear out equipment - Gordon / Mike - ST#103356

Games Institute - Lori

• Fileserver / Backup server installation - November 2015 - Lori
  • done!
• 97715
• Goal:
  • get ACO involved with support/administration of systems
  • done!

HCI - Ronaldo

• migrate hci-web to a newer machine (formerly snap-host) - ST#95233
• purchase and install new equipment - ST#102594

HI - Gordon

Himrod - Lori

ISS4E (Keshav)- Ronaldo

• Documentation - Ronaldo
  • update to reference new systems and remove old (including MachineNotes)
• re-organize file space / backup of NAS, repurpose the backup server (tsunami&flood)

NPSG - Gordon

PLG - Gordon

• retire plg1 - ST#102083

Ripple - Lori

SciCom - Mike

• Upgrade elora.cs to 14.04 - Mike - ST#103776

SWAG - Mike

• Install in DC 3558
  • 99914

Watform - Ronaldo

• migrate repository to new server - ST#90710
• Documentation - update to remove reference to old servers - ST#78634

ideas for RSG for Spring Term

• rebuild m160 File storage from 40TB and 60TB xfs to 100TB zfs - W16 - Mike / Lori - ST#104138
• Service Catalogue - Daniel / Lawrence - ST#104292
• CSCF Client survey - Lawrence/Omar/Dave
• From the retreat
  • Create an index of our current ST items based on ST categories and keywords
  • Develop / execute survey of faculty, staff, students about what services they would like
  • document inventory testing
  • analyse web logs for client searches/requests
  • link index to documentation
  • other possible service offerings
  • direction of development tools / DBS
  • Accounts management

Other ideas for Spring 2016 - not necessarily RSG

• Course Master's lab - move/refresh - ST#104443
• linux.cs - two servers @ 14.04
• migrate CS web site
• migrate to IST absence management - ST#104369
• create a 3-year plan for all of CSCF services
• Unified job description - managers