NMI: Collaborative Research: A Grid Service for Dynamic Virtual Clusters

该项目将开发架构和组件，以自动配置和管理大型混合使用的服务器集群。该体系结构的基石是一个名为Cluster on Demand（COD）的群集站点管理器，它添加了一个基本的新功能，可以将群集作为多用途模块化资源进行管理，这些资源在隔离的分区中托管不同的环境。COD将支持多个用户社区的安全隔离，对受适当授权控制的软件环境的安全控制，以及基于策略的动态资源供应。COD设计利用广泛使用的开源组件来支持各种硬件平台和软件配置，并随着新技术的发展而迅速发展。该项目将开发一个COD软件版本，与NMI软件套件的其他组件集成，并通过在杜克大学和MCNC的测试部署进行评估，并与NC BioGrid进行电网连接。智力优势和更广泛的影响-该项目将促进集群的部署，以促进科学和教育，降低成本并提高集群基础设施的投资回报，并消除跨组织边界共享群集资源的主要障碍。该项目还将为研究生提供研究经验，并促进代表性不足的群体的参与。参加该项目的学生中有两名女博士生。该项目还将为杜克大学的本科生研究经验（REU）计划创造机会，在暑期实习期间指导代表性不足的本科生（主要是非洲裔美国人）。

This project will develop the architecture and components to automate configuration and management of a large, mixed-use server cluster. The cornerstone of the architecture is a cluster site manager called Cluster on Demand (COD) that adds a fundamental new capability to manage a cluster as a multi-purpose modular resource hosting different environments in isolated partitions. COD will support secure isolation of multiple user communities, pushbutton control over software environments subject to appropriate authorization controls, and dynamic policy-based resource provisioning. The COD design leverages widely used open-source components to support diverse hardware platforms and software configurations, and to evolve rapidly with new technology. The project will develop a COD software release integrated with other components of the NMI software suite, and evaluate it through test deployments at Duke University and MCNC, with grid connections to the NC BioGrid.Intellectual Merit and Broader Impact - The project will facilitate the deployment of clusters to advance science and education, reduce costs and improve return on investments in cluster infrastructure, and remove key barriers to sharing cluster resources across organizational boundaries. The project will also provide research experiences for graduate students and promote participation by underrepresented groups. Among the students participating in the project are two female PhD students. The project will also create opportunities for Duke's Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program to mentor underrepresented undergraduates (primarily African-Americans) during summer internships.