Collaborative Research: SI2-SSE: UT Wrangler: Understanding the Software Needs of High End Computer Users

这项研究解决了两个重要的问题：研究人员在高端计算机上实际使用的是什么软件，以及他们在努力使用它时取得了多大的成功？这是一个计划，以提高我们对个人用户的软件需求的理解，然后利用这种理解来帮助利益相关者以更高效，有效和系统的方式开展业务。UTWrangler的标志性产品建立在已经改善用户体验并为美国和欧洲的12台超级计算机上的数千名用户增强支持计划的基础上。 这是第一次，完整、准确、详细和连续的关于软件需求、趋势和问题的真实信息正在被交付。UTWrangler将检测、监控和分析高端计算机上的单个作业，以生成用户成功运行作业所需的编译器、库和其他软件的图片。它将突出显示我们的研究人员需要和不需要的产品，并在问题发生时提醒用户和支持人员软件配置问题的根本原因。UTWrangler的原型证明了它的价值和未来的影响：简化最终用户的工作流程;改善支持、培训和文档;节省资金;并帮助管理员优先维护其大量已安装的软件。 UTWrangler将以其原型的能力为基础，提供一个强大的、可持续的第二代机制，帮助计算研究界最有效地利用有限的计算周期和劳动时间。 UTWrangler将减轻新用户遇到的困难，在作业开始时报告配置问题，并确定改进文档、教育和推广计划的机会。

This research addresses two important questions: what software do researchers actually use on high-end computers, and how successful are they in their efforts to use it? It is a plan to improve our understanding of individual users' software needs, then leverage that understanding to help stakeholders conduct business in a more efficient, effective, and systematic way. The signature product, UTWrangler, builds on work that is already improving the user experience and enhancing support programs for thousands of users on twelve supercomputers across the United States and Europe. For the first time, complete, accurate, detailed, and continuous ground truth information about software needs, trends, and issues at the level of the individual job are being delivered. UTWrangler will instrument, monitor, and analyze individual jobs on high-end computers to generate a picture of the compilers, libraries, and other software that users need to run their jobs successfully. It will highlight the products our researchers need and do not need, and alert users and support staff to the root causes of software configuration issues as soon as the problems occur. UTWrangler's prototypes prove its value and future impact: simplifying end users' workflows; improving support, training and documentation; saving money; and helping administrators prioritize maintenance of their large base of installed software. UTWrangler will build on the capabilities of its prototypes, providing a robust, sustainable, second generation mechanism that will help the computational research community make the most effective use of limited computing cycles and labor hours. And UTWrangler will mitigate the difficulties new users encounter, reporting configuration problems as soon as jobs begin, and identifying opportunities to improve documentation, education and outreach programs.