# Presentation: 391018

## LCG Project Status & Plans(with an emphasis on applications software)

- Torre Wenaus, BNL/CERN
- LCG Applications Area Manager
- http://cern.ch/lcg/peb/applications
- US ATLAS PCAP Review
- November 14, 2002

## The LHC Computing Grid (LCG) Project

- Approved (3 years) by CERN Council, September 2001
- meanwhile extended by 1 year due to LHC delay
- Injecting substantial new facilities and personnel resources
- Scope:
- Common software for physics applications
- Tools, frameworks, analysis environment
- Computing for the LHC
- Computing facilities (fabrics)
- Grid middleware, deployment
-  Deliver a global analysis environment

- Goal – Prepare and deploy the LHC computing environment

## Goal of the LHC Computing Grid Project - LCG

**Phase 1 – 2002-05**development of common applications, libraries, frameworks, prototyping of the environment, operation of a pilot computing service
**Phase 2 – 2006-08**acquire, build and operate the LHC computing service

## CERN will provide the data reconstruction & recording service (Tier 0)-- but only a small part of the analysis capacity

**current planning** for capacity at CERN + principal Regional Centres
- 2002:  650 KSI2000     <1% of capacity required n 2008
- 2005:  6,600 KSI2000  < 10% of 2008 capacity

**Non-CERN Hardware Need**

## LHC Manpower needs for Core Software

|  | 2000
Have (miss) | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| ALICE | 12(5) | 17.5 | 16.5 | 17 | 17.5 | 16.5 |
| ATLAS | 23(8) | 36 | 35 | 30 | 28 | 29 |
| CMS | 15(10) | 27 | 31 | 33 | 33 | 33 |
| LHCb | 14(5) | 25 | 24 | 23 | 22 | 21 |
| Total | 64(28) | 105.5 | 106.5 | 103 | 100.5 | 99.5 |

**Only computing professionals counted**

**From LHC Computing Review   (FTEs)**

## The LHC Computing Grid Project Structure

**Project Overview Board**

**Project****Execution****Board**
** ****(PEB)**

**Software and****Computing****Committee****(SC2)**

**Requirements,**
**Work plan,**
**Monitoring**

**Project Leader**

**Grid****Projects**

**Project Work Packages**

## Funding LCG

- National funding of Computing Services at Regional Centres
- Funding from the CERN base budget
*Special contributions of people and materials at CERN during Phase I of the project*
- Germany, United Kingdom, Italy, ......
- Grid projects
- Institutes taking part in applications common projects
- Industrial collaboration
- Institutes providing grid infrastructure services
- operations centre, user support, training, ......

## Project Execution Board

- Decision taking –- as close as possible to the work - by those who will be responsible for the consequences
- Two bodies set up to coordinate & take decisions
- Architects Forum
- software architect from each experiment and the application area manager
- makes common design decisions and agreements between experiments in the applications area
- supported by a weekly applications area meeting open to all participants
- Grid Deployment Board
- representatives from the experiments and from each country with an active Regional Centre taking part in the LCG Grid Service
- forges the agreements, takes the decisions, defines the standards and policies that are needed to set up and manage the LCG Global Grid Services
- coordinates the planning of resources for physics and computing data challenges

## LCG Areas of Work

**Fabric (Computing System)**
- Physics Data Management
- Fabric Management
- Physics Data Storage
- LAN Management
- Wide-area Networking
- Security
- Internet Services
**Grid Technology**
- Grid middleware
- Standard application services layer
- Inter-project coherence/compatibility

**Physics Applications Software**
- Application Software Infrastructure – libraries, tools
- Object persistency, data management tools
- Common Frameworks – Simulation, Analysis, ..
- Adaptation of Physics Applications to Grid environment
- Grid tools, Portals
**Grid Deployment**
- Data Challenges
- Grid Operations
- Network Planning
- Regional Centre Coordination
- Security & access policy

## Fabric Area

- CERN Tier 0+1 centre
- Automated systems management package
- Evolution & operation of CERN prototype –	integration into the LCG grid
- Tier 1,2 centre collaboration
- develop/share experience on installing and operating a Grid
- exchange information on planning and experience of large fabric management
- look for areas for collaboration and cooperation
- Technology tracking & costing
- new technology assessment nearing completion
- re-costing of Phase II will be done next year

## Grid Technology (GTA) in LCG

- Quote from recent Les Robertson slide:
*LCG expects to obtain Grid Technology from projects funded by national and regional**e-science initiatives  -- and from industry*
*concentrating ourselves on**	** **deploying** a **global grid service*
- All true, but there is a real role for GTA, not just deployment, in LCG:
- 	**Ensuring that the needed middleware is/will be there, tested, selected and of production grade**
- Message seems to be getting through; (re)organization in progress to create an active GTA
- Has been dormant and subject to EDG conflict of interest up to now
- New leader David Foster, CERN

## A few of the Grid Projects with strong HEP collaboration

*US projects*

*European projects*

- Many national,
- regional Grid projects --
- GridPP(UK), INFN-grid(I),
- NorduGrid, Dutch Grid, ...

## Grid Technology Area

- This area of the project is concerned with
- ensuring that the LCG requirements are known to current and potential Grid projects
- active lobbying for suitable solutions – influencing plans and priorities
**evaluating potential solutions**
- negotiating support for tools developed by Grid projects
**developing a plan to supply solutions that do not emerge from other sources**

- BUT this must be done with caution – 		important to avoid HEP-SPECIAL solutions		important to migrate to standards as they emerge		*(avoid emotional attachment to prototypes)*

## Grid Technology Status

- A base set of requirements has been defined (HEPCAL)
- 43 use cases
- ~2/3 of which should be satisfied ~2003 by currently funded projects
- Good experience of working with Grid projects in Europe and the United States
- Practical results from testbeds used for physics simulation campaigns
- Built on the Globus toolkit
- GLUE initiative –working on integration of the two main HEP Grid project groupings –
- around the (European) DataGrid project
- subscribing to the (US) Virtual Data Toolkit - VDT

## Grid Deployment Area

- New leader Ian Bird, CERN, formerly Jefferson Lab
- Job is to set up and operate a Global Grid Service
- stable, reliable, manageable Grid for – Data Challenges and 	regular production work
- integrating computing fabrics at Regional Centres
- learn how to provide support, maintenance, operation
- Short term (this year):
- consolidate (stabilize, maintain) middleware – 	and see it used for some physics
- learn what a “production grid” really means by working with the Grid R&D projects

## Grid Deployment Board

- Computing management of regional centers and experiments
- Decision forum for planning, deploying and operating the LCG grid
- Service and resource scheduling and planning
- Registration, authentication, authorization, security
- LCG Grid operations
- LCG Grid user support
- One person from each country with an active regional center
- Typically senior manager of a regional center
- This role currently admixed with [inappropriately] broader responsibility
- Middleware selection
- For political/expediency reasons (dormancy of GTA)
- Not harmful because it is being led well (David Foster)
- Should be corrected during/after LCG-1

## Medium term (next year):

- Target June 03 - deploy a **Global Grid Service (LCG-1)**
- sustained 24 X 7 service
- including sites from three continents
- 	            identical or compatible Grid middleware and infrastructure
- several times the capacity of the CERN facility
- and as easy to use

- Having stabilised this base service – **progressive evolution** –
- number of nodes, performance, capacity and quality of service
- integrate new middleware functionality
- migrate to de facto standards as soon as they emerge

***Priority: Move from testbeds to a reliable service***

## Centers taking part in LCG-1

- Tier 1 Centres
- FZK Karlsruhe, CNAF Bologna, Rutherford Appleton Lab (UK), IN2P3 Lyon, University of Tokyo, Fermilab, Brookhaven National Lab
- Other Centres
- GSI, Moscow State University, NIKHEF Amsterdam, Academica Sinica (Taipei), NorduGrid, Caltech, University of Florida, Ohio Supercomputing Centre, Torino, Milano, Legnaro, ......

## LCG-1 as a service for LHC experiments

- Mid-2003
- 5-10 of the larger regional centres
- available as one of the services used for simulation campaigns
- 2H03
- add more capacity at operational regional centres
- add more regional centres
- activate operations centre, user support infrastructure
- Early 2004
- principal service for physics data challenges

## Applications Area Projects

- Software Process and Infrastructure   *(operating)*
- Librarian, QA, testing, developer tools, documentation, training, ...
- Persistency Framework   (*operating)*
- POOL hybrid ROOT/relational data store
- Mathematical libraries   *(operating)*
- Math and statistics libraries; GSL etc. as NAGC replacement
- Core Tools and Services   *(just launched)*
- Foundation and utility libraries, basic framework services, system services, object dictionary and whiteboard, grid enabled services
- Physics Interfaces   *(being initiated)*
- Interfaces and tools by which physicists directly use the software. Interactive (distributed) analysis, visualization, grid portals
- Simulation *  (coming soon)*
- Geant4, FLUKA, virtual simulation, geometry description & model, ...
- Generator Services   *(coming soon)*
- Generator librarian, support, tool development

## Applications Area Organization

- Project

- WP

- WP

- WP

- Project

- WP

- Project

- WP

- WP

- WP

- Overall management, coordination, architecture

- Apps Area
- Leader

- Project
- Leaders

- Work Package
- Leaders

- Architects
- Forum

**...**

- Direct technical collaboration between experiment participants,
- IT, EP, ROOT, LCG personnel

## Candidate RTAG timeline from March

**Candidate RTAG timeline from March**

**Blue: RTAG/activity launched or (light blue) imminent**

## LCG Applications Area Timeline Highlights

- Hybrid Event Store available for general users

- Distributed production using grid services

- First Global Grid Service (LCG-1) available

- Distributed end-user interactive analysis

- Full Persistency Framework

- LCG-1 reliability and performance targets

- “50% prototype” (LCG-3)

- LCG TDR

- Applications

- LCG

- POOL V0.1 internal release

- Architectural blueprint complete

- LCG launch week

## Personnel status

- 15 new LCG hires in place and working; a few more soon
- Manpower ramp is on schedule
- Contributions from UK, Spain, Switzerland, Germany, Sweden, Israel, Portugal, US
- ~10 FTEs from IT (DB and API groups) also participating
- ~7 FTEs from experiments (CERN EP and outside CERN) also participating, primarily in persistency project at present
- Important experiment contributions also in the RTAG process

## Software Architecture Blueprint RTAG

**Established early June 2002**
**Goals**
- Integration of LCG and non LCG software to build coherent applications
- Provide the specifications of an architectural model that allows this, i.e. a ‘blueprint’
**Mandate**
- Define the main **domains** and identify the principal components
- Define the **architectural relationships** between these ‘frameworks’ and components, identify the main requirements for their **inter-communication**, and suggest possible **first implementations.**
- Identify the high level **deliverables** and their order of priority.
- Derive a set of **requirements** for the LCG

**Notes:**
can expect this RTAG to spawn further domain-specific activities

## Architecture Blueprint Report

- Executive summary
- Response of the RTAG to the mandate
- Blueprint scope
**Requirements**
**Use of ROOT**
**Blueprint architecture design precepts**
- High level architectural issues, approaches
**Blueprint architectural elements**
- Specific architectural elements, suggested patterns, examples
**Domain decomposition**
**Schedule and resources**
**Recommendations**

- After 14 RTAG meetings,
- much email...
- A 36-page final report
*Accepted by SC2 October 11*

- _[http://lcgapp.cern.ch/project/blueprint/BlueprintReport-final.doc](http://lcgapp.cern.ch/project/blueprint/BlueprintReport-final.doc)_
- _[http://](http://lcgapp.cern.ch/project/blueprint/BlueprintPlan.xls)__[lcgapp.cern.ch/project/blueprint/BlueprintPlan.xls](http://lcgapp.cern.ch/project/blueprint/BlueprintPlan.xls)_

## Architecture requirements

- Long lifetime: support technology evolution
- Languages: LCG core sw in C++ today; support language evolution
- Seamless distributed operation
- TGV and airplane work: usability off-network
- Modularity of components
- Component communication via public interfaces
- Interchangeability of implementations

## Architecture Requirements (2)

- Integration into coherent framework and experiment software
- Design for end-user’s convenience more than the developer’s
- Re-use existing implementations
- Software quality at least as good as any LHC experiment
- Meet performance, quality requirements of trigger/DAQ software
- Platforms: Linux/gcc, Linux/icc, Solaris, Windows

## Software Structure

**Software Structure**

- Implementation-
- neutral services

- STL,
- ROOT libs,
- CLHEP,
- Boost, ...

- Grid middleware,
-  ...

- ROOT, Qt, ...

## Component Model

- Granularity driven by component replacement criteria; development team organization; dependency minimization
- Communication via public interfaces
- Plug-ins
- Logical module encapsulating a service that can be loaded, activated and unloaded at run time
- APIs targeted not only to end-users but to embedding frameworks and internal plug-ins

## Distributed Operation

- Architecture should enable but not require the use of distributed resources via the Grid
- Configuration and control of Grid-based operation via dedicated services
- Making use of optional grid middleware services at the foundation level of the software structure
- Insulating higher level software from the middleware
- Supporting replaceability
- Apart from these services, Grid-based operation should be largely transparent
- Services should gracefully adapt to ‘unplugged’ environments
- Transition to ‘local operation’ modes, or fail informatively

## Managing Objects

- Object Dictionary
- To query a class about its internal structure (Introspection)
- Essential for persistency, data browsing, interactive rapid prototyping, etc.
- The ROOT team and LCG plan to develop and converge on a *common dictionary* (common interface and implementation) with an interface anticipating a C++ standard (XTI)
- To be used by LCG, ROOT and CINT
- Timescale ~1 year
- Object Whiteboard
- Uniform access to application-defined transient objects

## Other Architectural Elements

- Python-based Component Bus
- Plug-in integration of components providing a wide variety of functionality
- Component interfaces to bus derived from their C++ interfaces
- Scripting Languages
- Python and CINT (ROOT) to both be available
- Access to objects via object whiteboard in these environments
- Interface to the Grid
- Must support convenient, efficient configuration of computing elements with all needed components

## (LHCb) Example of LCG–Experiment SW Mapping

- LCG
- Pool

- LCG
- DDD

- LCG
- Pool

- Other LCG
- services

- LCG
- CLS

- LCG
- CLS

- HepPDT

- LCG
- CLS

## Domain Decomposition

**Domain Decomposition**

- Products mentioned are examples; not a comprehensive list

**Grey: not in common project scope**
**(also event processing framework, TDAQ)**

## Use of ROOT in LCG Software

- Among the LHC experiments
- ALICE has based its applications directly on ROOT
- The 3 others base their applications on components with implementation-independent interfaces
- Look for software that can be encapsulated into these components
- All experiments agree that ROOT is an important element of LHC software
- Leverage existing software effectively and do not unnecessarily reinvent wheels
- Therefore the blueprint establishes a **user/provider relationship** between the LCG applications area and ROOT
- Will draw on a great ROOT strength: users are listened to very carefully!
- The ROOT team has been *very* responsive to needs for new and extended functionality coming from the persistency effort

## Personnel Resources – Required and Available

- Estimate of Required Effort

**FTEs today: 15 LCG, 10 CERN IT, 7 CERN EP + experiments**

- 0

- 10

- 20

- 30

- 40

- 50

- 60

- Sep-02

- Dec-02

- Mar-03

- Jun-03

- Sep-03

- Dec-03

- Mar-04

- Jun-04

- Sep-04

- Dec-04

- Mar-05

**Quarter ending**

**FTEs**

**Blue = Available effort:**

**Future estimate: 20 LCG, 13 IT, 28 EP + experiments**

- We are OK

**Now**

## Slide 38

## RTAG Conclusions and Recommendations 

**Use of ROOT** as described
**Start common project on core tools and services**
**Start common project on physics interfaces**
**Start RTAG on analysis**, including distributed aspects
- Tool/technology recommendations
- CLHEP, CINT, Python, Qt, AIDA, ...
- Develop a clear process for adopting third party software

## Core Libraries and Services Project

**Pere Mato (CERN/LHCb) is leading the new Core Libraries and Services (CLS) Project**
- Project being launched now, developing immediate plans over the next week or so and a full work plan over the next couple of months
- Scope:
- Foundation, utility libraries
- Basic framework services
- Object dictionary
- Object whiteboard
- System services
- Grid enabled services
- Many areas of immediate relevance to POOL
- Clear process for adopting third party libraries will be addressed early in this project

## Physics Interfaces Project

- Launching it now, led by Vincenzo Innocente (CMS)
- Covers the interfaces and tools by which physicists will directly use the software
- Should be treated coherently, hence coverage by a single project
- Expected scope once analysis RTAG concludes:
- Interactive environment
- Analysis tools
- Visualization
- Distributed analysis
- Grid portals

## POOL

- Pool of persistent objects for LHC, currently in prototype
- Targeted at event data but not excluding other data
- Hybrid technology approach
- Object level data storage using file-based object store (ROOT)
- RDBMS for meta data: file catalogs, object collections, etc (MySQL)
- Leverages existing ROOT I/O technology and adds value
- Transparent cross-file and cross-technology object navigation
- RDBMS integration
- Integration with Grid technology (eg EDG/Globus replica catalog)
- network and grid decoupled working modes
- Follows and exemplifies the LCG blueprint approach
- Components with well defined responsibilities
- Communicating via public component interfaces
- Implementation technology neutral

## Pool Release Schedule

- End September - V0.1  **(Released on schedule)**
- All core components for navigation exist and interoperate
- Assumes ROOT object (TObject) on read and write
- End October - V0.2
- First collection implementation
- End November - V0.3  **(First public release)**
- EDG/Globus FileCatalog integrated
- Persistency for general C++ classes (not instrumented by ROOT)
- Event meta data annotation and query
- June 2003 – Production release

## Four Experiments, Four Viewpoints, Two Paths

- Four viewpoints (of course) among the experiments; two basic positions
- ATLAS, CMS, LHCb similar views; ALICE differing
- The blueprint establishes the basis for a good working relationship among all
- LCG applications software is developed according to the blueprint
- To be developed and used by ATLAS, CMS and LHCb, with ALICE contributing mainly via ROOT
- ALICE continues to develop their line making direct use of ROOT as their software framework

## What next in LCG?

- Much to be done to be done in middleware functionality -
- 	Job Scheduling, Workflow Management, Database access, Replica Management, Monitoring, Global Resource Optimisation, Evolution to Web Services, ....
- But we also need an evolution from 		Research & Development  Engineering

- Effective use of high-bandwidth Wide Area Networks
- 			work on protocols, file transfer

- High quality computer centre services  high quality Grid services
- 			sociology as well as technology

## Concluding Remarks

- Good engagement and support from the experiments and CERN
- Determination to make the LCG work
- LCG organizational structure seems to be working, albeit slow
- Facilities money problematic; manpower on track
- Grid Technology and Grid Deployment areas still in flux
- Important for US to make sure interests are represented and experience injected
- Applications area going well
- Architecture laid out
- Working relationship among the four experiments
- Many common projects
- First software deliverable (POOL) on schedule