DRAFT Document - Last Edited September 8, 2003 Allen Schiano

Network and Academic Computing Services ('NACS') provides a service
to campus research groups to operate, maintain, and manage
'Beowulf'-type computing clusters on a partnership basis.  This
document defines the terms and conditions of the agreement and the
expectations placed on NACS and its partners in this endeavor.

Before defining the agreement details, we identify some of the terms
used in this document:

1. The MPC Cluster:  The set of computing processors ('nodes') housed
in NACS computer rooms that provide the processing capability used by
the campus and the 'MPC' partners.  This cluster also includes  the
networking equipment, disk space, peripheral systems, system mounting
racks, and software required to operate and maintain the system.  All
processors, those used by the entire campus and those used by MPC
partners exclusively, are part of the MPC Cluster.
2. Shared Nodes: Those nodes provided by MPC Partners for use by the
entire campus community, as described below.
3. Reserved Nodes:  Those nodes reserved for use by the individual
MPC Partner which purchased them.
4. MPC Partners:  the set of research groups that have partnered with
NACS to provide both a campus-wide available computing system and
their own individually exclusive computing 'nodes'.  This Agreement
is made between NACS and each partner separately.
5. The MPC Advisory Board ('MPCAB'):  The committee, consisting of
MPC Partners and NACS representatives, advising NACS on matters of
policy and service levels related to the MPC Cluster.
 

Agreement Terms and Conditions

NACS' policy is to extend, at no recurring cost, system
administration and co-location services to Partners that agree to the
following terms and conditions.  The purpose of this service is to
leverage investments made by NACS and its partners in the MPC system
to increase computing resources to both campus-wide researchers and
the Partners' computing endeavors.

General Terms of Agreement

This agreement will be in force for a year subject to renewal for up
to two additional years.   The  Agreement will be reviewed by NACS
and the MPC Partner each year,  The Agreement can be terminated at
any time.  NACS will return the equipment within a 60 day period that
will allow NACS to re-configure the system accordingly

NACS retains the right to remove any nodes older than three years
from the cluster and return it to the Partner thus ending the
partnership for those nodes.

NACS also retains the right to review the agreement annually and
modify it as necessary subject to changed circumstances.
 

What NACS will do:

1. NACS will provide computer machine room space with appropriate
environmental factors (power, HVAC. security) to insure proper
operation of the MPC cluster.
2. NACS will provide computer rack space appropriate for the computer
'nodes' that comprise MPC.
3. NACS will provide adequate 'scratch/work' disk space as defined by
the MPCAB and NACS system administrators.  Additional disk storage
can be added to the system by a Partner subject to approval by NACS.
Also, appropriate peripheral devices will be provided as decided by
the NACS system administrators.
4. NACS will provide inter-processor, networking between the nodes at
a level decided by the system administrators as advised by the MPCAB.
5. NACS will provide networked access to the MPC cluster from UCInet.
Bandwidth and other performance issues of the networking to campus
will be decided by NACS in consultation with the MPCAB. Network
access is provided in accordance with the relevant policies of UCI
and NACS.
6. NACS will provide the system administration services to operate
and maintain MPC.  Main system administrator support hours will be
M-F from 8 AM to 5 PM.  Minimal system administration will be
provided M-F from 5 PM to midnight..  After-hours support will be
provided by NACS On-call support staff on a '7x24' basis (this covers
power, emergency services, call triage to NACS system administrators
and management).
7. Routine requests for system administration services will generally
be handled the same day.  Special requests will be handled on a time
available basis in consultation with the MPCAB.
8. NACS will provide consulting services (access, mechanics of use,
administrative procedures but not code development) for the entire
UCI campus.
9. NACS will provide a computing environment (OS, compilers,
libraries, debuggers, etc.) suitable for a 'Beowulf'-type parallel
computing cluster.
10. NACS will ensure each Partner exclusive access to their Reserved
Nodes.  The Partners will also have shared access to all 'Shared
Nodes'.
11. The adoption of a particular node into the MPC will be the
decision of NACS system administrators based on the suitability of
the hardware.
12. NACS will serve on the MPCAB, as described below.
13. Coordinate MPCAB meetings, mailing lists, and user group meetings
to support the MPC Cluster.
 

What MPC Partners will do:

1. Each Partner will provide 'nodes' to the MPC cluster.  Of these,
75% will be retained  for the exclusive use of the Partner ("Reserved
Nodes") and their authorized users.  The remaining 25% will be added
to the  pools of resources ("Shared Nodes") available to all campus
users.
2. Each Partner will pay for and maintain  a vendor supplied hardware
maintenance agreement for all nodes it provides.  NACS'
responsibility for Partner-supplied hardware will be limited to
diagnosing hardware failures.  The Partner will be responsible for
coordination and any costs associated with such maintenance.
3. Each Partner will participate in the MPCAB with a single vote.
4. The minimum number of nodes to be added by any Partner is one node.

What the MPC Advisor Board will do:

1. Any request to join the MPC cluster will be approved by the MPCAB.
2. The MPCAB will review the computing environment on the MPC system
and advise NACS system administrators on the priority and/or need of
the more time-consuming and costly requests for service from the
Partners and the campus-wide users.  This also includes changes or
additions to the software environment of the MPC including batch
queues, disk space allocations, software additions or upgrades, etc.
3. The MPCAB will define what value to place on a non-standard (25%
of the added nodes) contribution to the MPC cluster.  Examples of
such contributions would be other hardware (disk systems, networking
switches), software (compilers, scientific or mathematical software),
or training (specific teaching courses or workshops).
4. In general, the MPCAB will guide MPC policy and define the
services provided by MPC to the campus.
5. The MPCAB will decide matters that come before it based on a
majority vote.  Voting rights are allocated as follows:  each MPC
Partner receives one vote; NACS, representing the interest of
administrators of the service, receives one vote; the campus
community, representing its interests in the Shared Nodes, receives
one vote.  NACS will represent the campus community (resulting in a
total of two votes allocated to NACS).