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Re: Compaq launches Open SSI Cluster Projects

Greg,
  Thanks for the interest in full SSI clustering.
Full SSI clustering is not as familiar to most
people as HA clustering or HPC clustering.  As
you noted, it is very ambious. Fortunately we have been at
it for many years (working on different Unix
bases).  A key component is a single root.  However,
a terse list of some of the components we believe
are needed for an SSI cluster shows that single
root filesystem is just part of one of them
(list provided below).

The plan for the project is to start with a discussion
of the component areas and of requirements for the
component areas.   For many of the component areas we
have Linux code, which was reworked from the code we
had on the Unixware base.  Two of the components
(membership and internode communication) are already
open sourced via the CI project (Cluster Infrastructure,
available via the www.opensource.compaq.com link).
We plan to have an initial integrated developers release of 
many of the other components later this month.

Areas we hope and expect to leverage existing Linux
projects and technology include:
   a. filesystems (we will release a cluster filesystem
	we have developed but hope to involve and
	incorporate any that come around (starting with
	GFS).
   b. all aspects of application monitoring and restart
	(many different linux projects to work from here)
   c. load leveling (both connection load leveling 
	like LVS and process migration load leveling like
	Mosix)
   d. devfs (we have enhancements to the basic devfs to
	provide a transparent clusterwide device view and 
 	clusterwide device access.
   e. DLM (our cluster filesystem didn't need one but many
	others do and we are working to fold the open
	sourced DLM into CI.

The goals of SSI clustering simple - simultaneously provide
high availability, scalability and manageability.  If
we are successful, SSI clusters will not only be the HA
clusters of the future but may also be the load leveling
and high performance clusters as well.

Here is a very terse list of SSI component areas:

1.  Membership - kernel boot time; APIs; coordinate kernel cleanup; 
	split brain; STOMITH 
2.  Internode Communication Subsystem - kernel boot time; channels; 
	flow control; transports, 
3.  Filesystem - single root; single mount tree; access to all filesystems; 
	offset coherency
4.  Processes - single namespace and full access to all from all; arbitrary 
	node failure; /proc; 
5.  Devices - single namespace for all; access to all from anywhere; 
	persistence; parallel access, ...
6.  Interprocess Comm - single namespace; access all sysVipc, pipes, fifos, 
	ptys, Unix sockets, Inet sockets
7.  TCP/IP networking - single set of devices; single port space; 
	cluster virtual IP (CVIP); connection load leveling 
	IP failover or CVIP failover
8.  Paging/Swap - single set of devices; borrow space if needed
9.  kernel data replication service - maintain consistency; populate new 
	nodes
10. Cluster Volume Manager
11. HA shared storage 
12. HA interconnect 
13. DLM;   
14. SSI system mgmt;
	very small enhancements to single machine Linux tools
15. single HA init; cluster booting and run levels
16. HA applications and system daemons
	- simplified versions (due to SSI) of standard HA tools
17. timesync
18. load leveling
19. Packaging and Installation
20. object location interfaces and object movement interfaces
	- moving pipes and sockets etc. from node to node


Soon there will be an annotated presentation on SSI, followed
by an initial list of requirements, component by component.

> Bruce,
> 
> I have just read your paper at
> 
> http://bjbrew.org/cpq/ssic_linux/montreal/sld001.htm
> 
> and in particular the summary page at
> 
> http://bjbrew.org/cpq/ssic_linux/montreal/sld053.htm
> 
> I must say that I am blown away with what you are doing.  
> 
> Once your goals are accomplished, it looks to me as if you will have the most advanced UNIX level HA/HPC clustering solution available.(I am including the commercial products like TruClusters and Veritas.  I don't know enough about Beowulf or Mosix to comment.)
> 
> Would you agree with that?
> 
> Without fully understanding the pros/cons, I hope you are successful in garnering interest for getting this into the standard Linux Kernel.  (Unfortunately, I am not a player in the Linux world so my support won't mean anything.)
> 
> The one negative I see is that you seem to have been developing this in a vacuum from the Linux communities perspective.
> 
> The only Linux technology I see in the presentation is GFS.
> 
> Are there any other pre-existing Linux HA/HP cluster technologies you are incorporating?
> 
> Greg
> =======
> 
> Greg Freemyer
> Internet Engineer
> Deployment and Integration Specialist
> The Norcross Group
> www.NorcrossGroup.com
> 
>  >>  Compaq has launched two open source technology projects
>  >>  under the GPL license.  They are briefly described below 
>  >>  and can be found through www.opensource.compaq.com.
> 
>  >>  We are actively looking for technology partners, 
>  >>  contributors, consultants and general kibitzers to
>  >>  participate via the email lists set up for each project.
>  >>  Those that just want to monitor the projects are welcome
>  >>  as well.
> 
>  >>  Cluster Infrastructure for Linux (CI)
>  >>  The goal of this project is to develop a common 
>  >>  infrastructure for many if not all forms of Linux 
>  >>  clustering by extending the Cluster Membership and 
>  >>  Inter-node Communication Subsystems from Compaq's 
>  >>  NonStop Clusters for Unixware code base.  This project 
>  >>  also provides the basis for the Open SSI Clusters for 
>  >>  Linux project.  
>  >>  A developers download is available via
>  >>  www.opensource.compaq.com for Intel-32, along 
>  >>  with build, boot, hook, interface and api documentation.
>  >>  We will put the CVS repository on the web when we can.
>  >>  A port to the alpha chip has already succeeded and 
>  >>  patches for that are available.
> 
>  >>  Open Single System Image (SSI) Clusters for Linux Project
>  >>  The Open SSI project leverages both Compaq's NonStop
>  >>  Clusters for Unixware technology and other open source
>  >>  technology to provide a full, highly available SSI
>  >>  environment for Linux.  Goals for SSI Clusters include
>  >>  availability, scalability and manageability, built from
>  >>  standard servers.  Technology pieces will include:
>  >>  membership, single root and single init, cluster filesystems
>  >>  and DLM, single process space and process migration, load
>  >>  leveling, availability monitors and failover, single namespace  
>  >>  and shared access for all forms of IPC, devices and networking, 
>  >>  and a single management space.  The SSI project will leverage 
>  >>  the Cluster Infrastructure for Linux project.
>  >>  Source beyond the CI base is not yet available.  We are
>  >>  aiming for a developers release of much of functionality in
>  >>  July.  In the meantime there is a presentation on SSI
>  >>  Clustering on the web. An initial list of component requirements 
>  >>  will soon be posted for discussion and refinement.
>  >>  Join the mail alias via www.opensource.compaq.com
>  >>  to stay updated.
> 
>  >>  bruce walker
>  >>  SSI Cluster Architect
>  >>  Linux Program Office
>  >>  Compaq Computers
> 
>  >>  Linux-cluster: generic cluster infrastructure for Linux
>  >>  Archive:       http://mail.nl.linux.org/linux-cluster/
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Linux-cluster: generic cluster infrastructure for Linux
> Archive:       http://mail.nl.linux.org/linux-cluster/


Linux-cluster: generic cluster infrastructure for Linux
Archive:       http://mail.nl.linux.org/linux-cluster/