Enhancing Cyber-Infrastructure Usability Through Adaptive Middleware

该项目涉及网络基础设施的可用性问题，这是传播与信息技术在推进科学技术方面有效性的关键决定因素。允许灵活地将应用程序映射到不同资源类的策略是本研究的重点。所采用的方法基于软件适配器的概念，该软件适配器根据可用于给定执行的资源原语来表达应用程序需求和交互，并且相应地，使用中间件来调节目标平台环境以提供应用程序所需的功能。适应的范围各不相同，从简单的宏替换，到库的替换，到编程范式转换，再到通过外部提供的软件服务外包应用程序段的执行。在资源方面，条件可能包括软安装所需的库、设置环境变量、暂存可执行文件和数据、以及部署运行时支持软件以协助应用程序部署。项目将开发(1)虚拟执行平台的概念，其呈现应用程序需求和资源能力的抽象；(2)用于确定给定运行的应用程序-平台组合所需调整的机制；(3)提供不同级别匹配的适配器以及用于组装和组合它们的技术；以及(4)用于在目标平台上提供环境基础设施以确保所有依赖于执行的需求被暂存和部署的中间件。这个名为Adapt的框架旨在适应S和安培应用程序的主要类别，包括并行MPI程序、科学脚本和工作流。执行平台将包括共同的网络基础设施，如IaaS和PaaS云、远程访问能力计算机、本地(个人)和共享(基于网格)集群以及类似资源。该项目预计将提供对不同编程模型和CI环境中的资源类型的共性的见解，所开发的中间件将允许为S&安永应用选择CI平台的更大灵活性。通过协调传播与信息领域的应用程序和资源多样性，该项目将有助于实现将计算作为一种工具的愿景。

This project addresses issues of cyber-infrastructure usability, a key determinant of CI effectiveness in advancing science and technology. Strategies to permit flexibility in mapping applications onto different resource classes are the focus of this research. The approach adopted is based on the concept of software adapters that express application requirements and interactions in terms of the resource primitives available for a given execution, and correspondingly, condition the target platform environments with middleware to provide the functionality required by applications. The range of adaptations vary, from simple macro substitutions, to substitution of libraries, to programming paradigm transformations, to outsourcing execution of application segments through externally provided software services. On the resource side, conditioning may consist of soft-installation of needed libraries, setting environment variables, staging executables and data, and deploying runtime support software to assist application deployment.The project will develop (1) the concept of a virtual execution platform that presents abstractions of application requirements and resource capabilities; (2) mechanisms for determining adjustments that are required for the application-platform combination for the given run; (3) adapters that provide different levels of matching and techniques for assembling and composing them; and (4) middleware for provisioning environmental infrastructure on target platforms to ensure that all execution-dependent needs are staged and deployed. This framework, termed ADAPT, is being designed to accommodate the major classes of S & E applications including parallel MPI programs, scientific scripts, and workflows. Execution platforms will include common cyber-infrastructure facilities such as IaaS and PaaS clouds, remotely accessed capability computers, local (personal) and shared (grid-based) clusters and similar resources. The project is expected to provide insights into commonalities in different programming models and resource types in CI settings, and the developed middleware will permit greater flexibility in choosing CI platforms for S & E applications. By reconciling application and resource diversity in CI, this project will contribute steps towards realizing the vision of computing as a utility.