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Oxford University
e-Science Centre
FOCUS report to the HEPCCC
November 2001
Paul Jeffreys
1 HEPCCC 16 Nov. 2001
FOCUS Presentation to HEPCCC
Oxford University
e-Science Centre
• FOCUS comparison with 2000
• Membership
• Review of topics in 2001
• Overview of themes and review process in FOCUS
• FOCUS - past
– Position of FOCUS
– Mandate
• FOCUS – future
– Mandate
– ToR
• Conclusions
2 HEPCCC 16 Nov. 2001
FOCUS -- comparison with 2000
Oxford University
e-Science Centre
• LHC Computing Infrastructure established
• Chairman and secretary got into their stride!
– Still learning
– Still trying to get the right balance
• As with 2000, superb support
– Marco and Monique Budel
• As with 2000, very positive relationship with IT
• FOCUS obliged to face changing nature of IT at CERN
• Term of office completed for Chair and Secretary!!
3 HEPCCC 16 Nov. 2001
FOCUS Membership
Oxford University
e-Science Centre
• Experimental Representatives
• Directors – Jaques Boucrot ALEPH/OPERA
– Hans Falk Hoffmann – Marco Cattaneo (sec) LHCb
– Jurgen May – Maria Kienzle L3
– Begigno Gobbo COMPASS
– Roger Cashmore-attendance – Ryszard Gokieli DELPHI
• IT Representatives – Alan Grant NOMAD/HARP
– Jaques Altabar – Paul Jeffreys (chair)
– Pal Anderssen – Vincenzo Innocente CMS
– Livio Mapelli ATLAS
– Manuel Delfino
– Norman McCubbin ATLAS
– Frederic Hemmer – Helge Meinhard CHORUS
– David Jacobs – Alan Norton NA48
– Juergen Knobloch – Stephen O’Neale OPAL
– Miguel Marquina – Martti Pimia CMS
– Les Robertson – Florence Ranjard ALEPH
– Karel Safarik ALICE
– Jamie Shiers
– Andres Sandoval NA49
– Alan Silverman (Desk Top Forum) – Pierre Vande Vyvre ALICE
– Wolfgang Von Ruden • Other
• IT Members with Experimental Contact – Michael Ernst (DESY) External
– David Asbury ATLAS – Francois Etienne External
– Wolfgang Lerche Theory
– Tony Cass LHCb
– Mirco Mazzucato LCB
– Fabrizio Gagliardo CMS – Enzo Valente External
– Harry Renshall ALICE – Ioana Videau EP Div./deputy
4 HEPCCC 16 Nov. 2001
Membership Summary
Oxford University
e-Science Centre
• Directors • Total
– 2+1 – 42 (of which ~25 attend any
• IT given meeting)
– 11 • Non-CERN resident
• IT with experimental contact – 9 (7 in 2000)
– 4
• Experimental Representatives
– 18, of which five non-resident • SUMMARY
at CERN – Good wide coverage
• Other – More non-residents
– 6 - of which four non-resident – 4 new faces
at CERN
5 HEPCCC 16 Nov. 2001
Review of topics considered in 2001
Oxford University
e-Science Centre
• Categorise topics:
– Policy to be derived or required
– Review
– Informational
• Also .. Update on IT activities (not included below)
• and:
• IT - led
• User (FOCUS) led
– Some items not uniquely defined, indeed migrate from one category
to another...
6 HEPCCC 16 Nov. 2001
FOCUS Topics 2001 - Policy
Oxford University
e-Science Centre
• Impact of LHC Computing Review and FOCUS ToR
Continuing from 2000…
Conclusion of LHC Computing Review Bethke May
Re-definition of role of FOCUS Hoffmann June
Proposed new FOCUS ToR Chair et al Nov
Confirmation of new ToR Committee Dec
Return to this later..
7 HEPCCC 16 Nov. 2001
FOCUS Topics 2001 - Policy
Oxford University
e-Science Centre
• Public Platforms/RISC • Storage
Decommissioning Continuing from 2000…
Continuing from 2000… Castor Update IT Apr
RISC UNIX decomm IT Dec Castor User Experience User Nov
User view decomm User Dec Castor Migration IT Nov
Supported platforms IT Dec Castor Charging policy IT Nov
SUNDEV user requ. User Dec
LEP exptal requ. User May
• Windows 2000
Future LEP support IT May
Status IT Dec
LEP migration LINUX User May
Status IT Dec
LINUX service defn. IT Jun
SUNDEV user f.b User Nov
• Common Login/Password
SUNDEV IT plans IT Nov
CLASP overview/prop. IT May
Review compilers IT Dec
8 HEPCCC 16 Nov. 2001
FOCUS Topics 2001 - Review
Oxford University
e-Science Centre
• Reports from running expts
CHORUS User Jun • File Sharing
NA48 User Nov User Requirements User Jun
NA49 User Nov Web standards IT Jun
HARP User Nov
COMPASS User Nov • Cocotime
Allocations User Dec
• Security Allocations User Dec
Update IT *
• External Network Services
Review IT Dec
• CVS
Expert requirements User May
9 HEPCCC 16 Nov. 2001
FOCUS Topics 2001 - Informational
Oxford University
e-Science Centre
• Data Grid Project
Overview of WP4 IT Jun
Overview of WP8 User Jun
• Computing at DESY
Review User Dec
10 HEPCCC 16 Nov. 2001
Overview of topics in 2001
Oxford University
e-Science Centre
• Approximate split:-
– 60% (60% in 2000) Policy
• Dominated by determination of platform policy and storage
– 30% (25%) Review --> Policy
• Dominated by storage issues
– 10% (15%) Informational
11 HEPCCC 16 Nov. 2001
Review of main policy themes
Oxford University
e-Science Centre
• Addressing key future ‘Services’
– Main policy themes this year:
• Public platforms, RISC decommissioning, LINUX service,
SUNDEV
• Storage
– Both were started in 2000
– Both needed many iterations
• Real advantages of FOCUS
– Very wide user base represented
– Forum for services to be discussed by Users and IT
FOCUS plays important role in facilitating iterative evaluation and
development, recording steps in the process, and making decisions
formal
12 HEPCCC 16 Nov. 2001
FOCUS -tricky to make process work well
Oxford University
e-Science Centre
• Model of operation (taken from last year’s talk)
– Ideally:
• Well researched topic, users consulted, groundwork done
• Active user participation in process (sometimes through Work
Groups), preferably individual taking ownership of issue, reviewing,
working with members of IT
• Then … brought before the FOCUS committee
– Users feel correctly represented
– Solution presented which they can buy into
– IT department - part of the plans
– Request being made to IT viable, and costed
– Directors can go away
• Understanding and appreciating issue!
• Resource implications well defined
• Able to convince directorate that correct decision
– Hard to realize in practice, challenge is to ensure rewarding
meeting for all attendees
– Often process has to be iterative
13 HEPCCC 16 Nov. 2001
FOCUS project life-cycle
Oxford University
e-Science Centre
• Identify issue to be addressed (generally by IT – sometimes by users)
– Present the issue to FOCUS
• Often the general future direction is known, but there are too many
uncertainties to make a decision, and furthermore a certain amount of
‘negotiation’ and adjustment is needed
– Commission User review of issue
• (The most difficult aspect of the whole exercise is to find a User(s) who
will represent the whole community)
– Ask IT to present technical possibilities and recommendations
• May require waiting for new technologies to develop
– FOCUS listens to Users and IT proposals and draws conclusions
– Iterate!
– FOCUS draws to conclusion, and oversees the implementation
– FOCUS monitors progress in implementation, (and finally its termination!)
14 HEPCCC 16 Nov. 2001
FOCUS-centric view … pre-LHC
Oxford University
e-Science Centre
HEPCCC
ACCU?
Report upwards
Receive advice
Desktop Cross- Swap agenda
FOCUS EP Forum
Forum secretaries items
Report to Focus
Cocotime LCB
15 HEPCCC 16 Nov. 2001
FOCUS – Previous Mandate
Oxford University
e-Science Centre
From last year’s talk…
• FOCUS is an acronym for Forum On Computing: Users and
Services
• Taken from Minutes of 1st FOCUS Meeting (14 Mar. ‘96), which in
turn was quoted from DG’s letter to Manuel Delfino, Feb. 6,
1996:-
– “FOCUS will confront the needs of the CERN experiments and the
present and planned evolution of CERN computing services with a
time window extending roughly two years into the future.”
• The Minutes added:-
– “The mandate will be implemented by enhancing the communication
between ‘consumers’ and ‘service providers’ of CERN computing in
order to arrive at clear definitions of needs and of services.
Minutes addition stresses the ‘service’ aspect
16 HEPCCC 16 Nov. 2001
Attempts made to improve process
Oxford University
e-Science Centre
• Intentions, not always practice!
– Always have 4 agendas ahead (differing degrees of detail)
– Have at least three weeks notice of full agenda before a meeting,
and as many talks available in advance of the meeting as possible
17 HEPCCC 16 Nov. 2001
FOCUS from 2002
Oxford University
e-Science Centre
• The FOCUS Project life-cycle described earlier has been applied to
itself ---to explore and develop a revised FOCUS remit!
• Process started last year (as reported to HEPCCC)
• 4 bites at the cherry this year
• Conclusions
– Important role that FOCUS plays, as borne out through activities in 2001, is
“overseeing” services provided by IT for experiments
• Conception of project/service
• Establishing User requirements
• Agreeing definition of service after suitable investigation
• Developing project to point of offering a service
• Implementation of service
• Operating service
• … and finally, concluding the service
• Future FOCUS operation:-
– Reduced scope
– Reduction in membership
– Reconsider role and operation of the committee at the end of 2002
18 HEPCCC 16 Nov. 2001
FOCUS Mandate version 2.2
Oxford University
e-Science Centre
• Draft text, as under discussion by Committee…
• “Background:
– FOCUS’s mandate is changed following the formation of the LHC
Computing Grid Project Structure.
– Working assumptions made to determine the revised mandate:
a. FOCUS’s main role is to look at the implementation, defining,
running, and ultimately phasing out of services;
b. As previously, it is primarily concerned with IT services run on
the CERN site;
c. COCOTIME maintains control over resources;
d. HEPCCC retains responsibility for providing ‘a forum in which the
Directors responsible for Computing at the major European
Institutes … are able to discuss the organisation, co-ordination
and optimisation of computing in terms both of money and
personnel’.”
19 HEPCCC 16 Nov. 2001
FOCUS ToR version 2.2
Oxford University
e-Science Centre
• Draft text, as under discussion by Committee…
“
1. FOCUS will normally meet four times a year as a forum for bringing
together CERN IT providers and users to define and oversee:- the
commissioning, operation, prioritisation and decommissioning of services; the
services concerned are primarily those on the CERN site;
2. it facilitates the agreement of clear definitions of service requirement and
provision, and monitors quality of delivery;
3. FOCUS concentrates on generic IT activities which have wider relevance
than the LHC experiments alone, relate to non-LHC experiments, or
disseminate developments from the LHC experiments to other areas;
4. FOCUS reports to the Research Sector Management, and in particular to
the Director for Technology Transfer and Scientific Computing;
5. FOCUS plans and operates across a medium range timescale, typically two
years;
6. its mandate and ToR will be reconsidered at the end of 2002.”
20 HEPCCC 16 Nov. 2001
Conclusions
Oxford University
e-Science Centre
• FOCUS has been a useful forum, good progress made in 2001,
policy established, and recorded
– The themes covered in 2001, as summarised here, show the strong
emphasis on overseeing services
• FOCUS will need to evolve to fit around the new LHC Structure
– This will lead to reduced scope and reduced membership
• The draft new ToR specify the new emphases for FOCUS
– It will concentrate on overseeing generic services, supplied by IT for
the experiments
• Wide representation will continue to be important
• There is strong and wide support for FOCUS continuing in this
form
• Its mandate and ToR will be reviewed at the end of 2002
• Greatest urgency now…
– New chair-person and secretary need to be found quickly!
21 HEPCCC 16 Nov. 2001
