From: alan@ec.msc.edu (Alan Klietz)
Newsgroups: fj.mail-lists.parallel
Subject: DJM - Distributed Job Manager for CM-2 and CM-5
Date: 24 Jul 92 11:53:57 GMT
Distribution: fj

Are you:
	Frustrated with NQS?
	Tired of batch jobs?
	A frazzled manager of a CM-2 or CM-5 system?

If yes, you should try the Distributed Job Manager, and boldly move out of
the 1960's and into the modern (well, 1970's) era of parallel computing!  :-)


What is the Distributed Job Manager?
------------------------------------

The Distributed Job Manager (DJM) is a drop-in replacement for the
Network Queuing System (NQS) for managing batch and interactive jobs on a
Thinking Machines Corporation CM-2 or CM-5 system.

DJM is freely available software under the auspices of the GNU copyright.


What does DJM do?
-----------------

Briefly, DJM manages the resources of a Connection Machine system.  It
allocates resources (memory, processors, time) to jobs based on a 
set of site-defined scheduling criteria.  It provides efficiency
and flexibility for system administrators, and provides ease-of-use 
and productivity for end users.

The Distributed Job Manager has the following features:

	o Upward compatible with NQS

	o Full support for interactive use

	o Load Balancing

	o Flexible controls and fault tolerance

Compatibility: All the user-visible commands of NQS (qsub, qstat, etc.)
are supported.   Support is also provided for many of the user-visible
extensions to NQS as proposed in the Posix Batch Queuing draft standard
(IEEE Std 1003.15).

Interactive use: Interactive access is integral to the system.  DJM
makes no distinction between `batch' and `interactive' jobs.  A job
is a login session.  Sessions can be detached from the terminal and 
then later re-attached on a different terminal.

Load balancing: DJM balances job load across multiple front-ends.
The criteria for selecting where to run jobs can be influenced by
site policy to an arbitrary degree.  Users never have to log into
a particular front-end.

Fault tolerance: A portion of the MPP machine or a front-end
can go down without affecting other components of the system.


What machines are supported?
----------------------------

DJM currently supports the Thinking Machines Corporation CM-2 and
CM-5.  The package is modular to facilitate easy adaptation to other
MPP architectures as well.  You are encouraged to donate your extensions
for support of other architectures for incorporation into future
DJM releases. 


Ok, I'd like to try it out.  How do I get it?
---------------------------------------------

A beta-test release of DJM is available for anonymous ftp from the
CM LIGHTNING User Group archives.  Use anonymous ftp to ec.msc.edu
and retrieve the file /pub/LIGHTNING/djm_0.9.6.tar.Z.

You should test it extensively under `live' operating conditions for
several weeks, running it side-by-side with NQS, before you decide 
whether to switch.

All documentation is included.  See the file INSTALL for installation
instructions.  You need an ANSI C compiler, preferrably gcc version
2.1 or later.

NOTE: Although this version is currently in production use at
the Minnesota Supercomputer Center and at Los Alamos, it should
still be considered a BETA-TEST version, not a final version.


What kind of support can I expect?
----------------------------------

As much as you paid for: NONE!   You have the source code, so be prepared
to make changes to fix bugs or apply local hacks.  I will accept bug reports.
If you include source code patches, I will try to fold them in.   If not, I
may try to fix bugs depending on how much time I have.  Basically, however,
you are on your own.  


DISCLAIMER: This project was funded in part by the U.S. Army Research
Office under contract no. DAAL03-89-C-0038.  There are NO WARRANTIES,
EXPRESS OR IMPLIED.  The package includes software developed by 
the University of California, Berkeley and its contributors.

--
Alan E. Klietz
Minnesota Supercomputer Center, Inc (MSCI).
Army High Performance Computing Research Center (AHPCRC)
1200 Washington Avenue South
Minneapolis, MN  55415
Ph: +1 612 626 1737	       Internet: alan@msc.edu