GB . Software . SystemPortTo26

Plans for Server Transition to Redhat Enterprise 4

This page contains information about the replacement of our Sun-based server with a more powerful Linux-based system.

Plans for Server Transition to Redhat Enterprise 4

Summary Status

Task	Responsible	Date	Status
Reconfigure Wind to dual-os boot	Comp-div	Scheduled for 01/13
Reconfigure Earth to dual-os boot	Comp-div	Scheduled for 01/13
Reconfigure Fire to dual-os boot	Comp-div	Next full maintenance day
Install serial connection on fire	Electronics	No serial port available, needs serial card
Upgrade Ariel to RHE4	Wolfgang	01/11	complete
Move DNS and NIS service to sadira	Comp-div	TBD requires coordination with SDD
Move bootp to sadira	Comp-div	TBD, requires coordination with SDD
Install SCSI tape drives on gbtdata	Comp-div	ASAP
Move key user accounts to filer	Comp-div	ASAP
Move /home/gbtversions, /home/gbt to gbtdata	Comp-div	TBD	on maintenance day
Upgrade alidade switch ?	?	?	?

Testing

During testing on 1/24/2006 we experienced the 'NFS/RPC' 15 second delay problem repeatedly. The system seemed very slow (users would notice a significant difference).

At this point we are having serious problems with the RHE4 based systems. Details of the problem are available here. The deployment of RHE4 on the GBT is now on hold until the problem can be resolved.

Hardware

Architecture

The new system is a E64 dual hyperthreaded (four virtual CPU's), with 2GB of main RAM. The system supports both PCI and PCI-express cards.

Disk/RAID

The new system has a RAID-5 disk array with 739 Gigabytes of storage capacity. (The current Sun system is down to 319GB, due to repeated disk failures.) The individual disks are 250GB 150MB/sec serial ATA drives.

Tape Drives

The system was purchased with an additional SCSI controller for use with the existing external tape drives. These drives are not installed or tested. (Are these drives in regular use?)

Network

The system is currently connected at 1 Gbit speed. Two 10/100/1000 interfaces are available.

Items Still Requiring Solaris/Sparc

Spectral Processor backend (runs on gemini)
Antenna Coordinator and Manager (runs on virgo)
HoloFitsServer (runs on vortex )

Software

The installed operating system is RHE4, with a 2.6 linux kernel. The simulator is operational with the code compilied with gcc 2.95 on RHE4. The randomize stack security feature has been temporarily disabled.

Transistion Plans

In order to facilitate a transistion between machines, operating systems, driver versions and compilers, some special procedures will need to be followed during the testing periods (e.g. integration and regression tests). It is unreasonable to expect the OS to be re-installed during each testing period, therefore, the transition will have to be made by either: (a) using an alternate host for the new software (as will be the case for vortex), or preferably having the system dual-bootable with both revisions available.

Vortex/Server

The machine currently known as 'vortex' will be replaced by a linux system currently known as gbtdata. During integration testing the hostnames will remain the same, but a different set of configuration files will be necessary for the 6.1 testing periods. The tape drives on vortex will not be moved until the transistion is complete.

Wind, Fire (I/O systems)

Both of these systems will need to be setup for dual booting. There are two options here: add a second disk with RHE4, or reinstall both RHE4 and RH9 on a newly partitioned disk. (These systems are not currently setup for dual booting.)

Earth/Spectrometer

This system is currently dual bootable, and currently has RH7.2 and RH9 installed. The RH7.2 area needs to be blown away, and RHE4 installed in its place.

Algol/DCR

Algol is currently not dual bootable, but a test machine 'tank' is setup as algol should be for RHE4. Switching between the DCR hardware between these two systems only requires swapping the optical PCI-VME cable. The machine tank can be renamed algol, and algol pulled from service once 6.1 is released.

Datacapture

This machine is already installed and running RHE4.

Spider/Penn Array

Good question. I believe that the test systems at University of Penn are Debian based systems with a 2.4 kernel. Updating this system to RHE4 (with a 2.6 kernel) would unecessarily confuse the issue. If a second disk can be added with a RHE4 installation, preliminary upgrade work could proceed.

Driver	Used On	Ported	New Makefile	Tested
samplerdrv	earth,wind,fire,algol,rxlab,leeloo,landru,gbtdata,ryac
BTP driver	earth, ryac
RTAI kernel	algol		N/A
vmedrv	algol
dcrdrv	algol
Bancomm VME IRIG driver	algol
GPIB	wind, spider			(Fixed)
bigphys kernel	spider	No	N/A	No
autobahn (ab driver)	spider	No	No	No

Sparrow

Sparrow involves 3rd party packages, a python interpreter, and both internal and 3rd party python modules. The current plan for rebuilding Sparrow is:

Build the new McPython (llama) this week; (Paul is almost done.) It is built on the new os (RH4) and with the new compiler (gcc 3.4). Most packages are the same as they were in duck, but there is new stuff for the new DEAP, and some of the packages had to be updated with the latest version to work with the new compiler or os.
Amy will backup the current sparrow integration next week, and create a new one using the new llama McPython. (Paul is out next week.) This will mean that the "*-test" applications will start using this new code. This will mean a radical change for gfm-test and astrid-test (the new DEAP).
M&C/Ygor should be built with the new os and compiler by Jan. 14.
We need to get some test time with the system closely following this Jan. 14 date. Has anyone looked into this? Offline testing and testing with the simulator should have already happened before this date.

-- JoeBrandt - 12 Dec 2005

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