NMI: An Integrative Testing Framework for Grid Middleware and Grid Environments

2001年，建立了网格研究、集成、开发和支持(GRDS)中心，以定义、开发、部署和支持集成的国家中间件基础设施。该提案旨在扩展这项工作，以(1)扩大交付的中间件的范围和功能；(2)接受和扩展新兴的开放网格服务体系结构(OGSA)标准；(3)扩大支持的社区范围；以及(4)在中间件方面建立国际共识。与GC1一样，网格中心2(GC2)将严重依赖开放协议和开源实施，并将与包括NSF高级计算基础设施伙伴关系(PACI)、国家大气研究中心(NCAR)、匹兹堡超级计算机中心(PSC)和Internet2在内的主要美国项目密切合作，以接触其他用户社区并解决与校园基础设施的集成问题。该提案详细说明了一项战略，即在牢固的企业关系基础上，积极将相关技术转变为标准和行业。NMI软件版本的早期部署展示了这种集成中间件包的好处，但也暴露了当前测试能力的局限性。该计划的目标是开发、实施和部署一个全面的测试框架，并向网格社区提供其服务。该计划概述了设计、构建和传播一个透明和可移植的测试框架，以满足日益增长的及时分发健壮的网格中间件的需求。该方法将针对GC2参考分发进行验证，流程和工具开放且易于安装，因此定制中间件可以实现质量、可靠性和稳定性。该方法应该：1)显著缩短从组件更新到发布的时间(集成速度)，2)增强测试模块的集成(集成质量)，3)验证中间件安装(认证)，以及4)确定应用程序故障是否归咎于应用程序、中间件或结构(故障隔离)。网格已经改善了集成网格堆栈的质量和可访问性，但需要大量投资来扩展这一能力并将其转移到社区专用软件。该建议具有智力意义和广泛的社会效益。网格的领导力和员工在设计和部署中间件方面享有盛誉。这些研发活动在研究、教育和其他领域具有切实而直接的影响。网格的影响已经相当大，IBM、惠普和甲骨文等十几家公司承诺在这项技术上构建产品。GC2将更加重视这些外展工作，以网格领导层正在推动的OGSA新兴标准为中心。。

In 2001, the Grid Research, Integration, Development and Support (GRIDS) Center was established to define, develop, deploy, and support an integrated national middleware infrastructure. This proposal seeks to extend this work to (1) broaden the scope and capabilities of the middleware delivered; (2) embrace and extend emerging Open Grid Services Architecture (OGSA) standards; (3) expand the range of communities supported; and (4) establish international consensus in middleware. GRIDS Center 2 (GC2), like GC1, will rely heavily on open protocols, and open source implementations, and will work closely with major U.S. projects including the NSF Partnerships for Advanced Computational Infrastructure (PACI), the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), the Pittsburgh Supercomputer Center (PSC), and Internet2 to reach out to other user communities and to address integration with campus infrastructures. The proposal details a strategy to aggressively transition relevant technologies to standards and industry, building on strong corporate relationships.Early deployment of the NMI software releases demonstrated the benefits of such an integrated middleware package but also exposed the limitations of current testing capabilities. The goal of the effort outlined by this proposal is to develop, implement, and deploy a comprehensive testing framework and to offer its services to the Grid community.The proposal outlines the design, construction, and dissemination of a transparent and transferable testing framework to address increasing demand for timely distribution of robust Grid middleware. The approach will be validated against the GC2 reference distribution, and the process and tools open and easy to install so custom middleware can achieve quality, reliability and stability. The approach should: 1) dramatically shorten the period from component update to release (speed of integration), 2) enhance integration of test modules (quality of integration), 3) validate middleware installations (certification), and 4) determine if an application failure is to blamed on the application, middleware, or fabric (fault isolation). GRIDS has already improved the quality and accessibility of an integrated Grid stack, but significant investment is needed to extend this capability and transfer it to community-specific software.The proposal has intellectual significance and broad benefits for society. GRIDS leadership and staff have established reputations in designing and deploying middleware. These R&D activities have real, immediate implications in research, education and beyond. GRIDS impact has already been considerable, with over a dozen companies such as IBM, Hewlett-Packard, and Oracle committed to building products on the technology. GC2 will see even greater emphasis on these outreach efforts, centering on emergent OGSA standards that are being driven by the GRIDS leadership. .