Monash Campus Grid (MCG) Enhancement Programme

Currently available services of the MCG are described here.

The aim of the Monash Campus Grid (MCG) programme is to build and consolidate a range of physical infrastructure and Grid Middleware software, and integrate these into a coherent and functioning Campus Grid facility. Major components of the Monash Campus Grid include:

• Monash Sun Grid (MSG) – central compute facility
• Large Research Data Store (LaRDS) – central storage facility
• various faculty-based compute grid clusters
• harnessed capacity on desktop and central computers (SPONGE) 
• a comprehensive Grid Middleware suite
• Monash e-Research Portal (MeRP)

The various components of the MCG are being enhanced under the auspices of the MCG programme’s various sub-projects.

Major MCG enhancement project tasks for 2009 include:

• Expand and enhance the capabilities of the central MSG compute facility.
• Harvest spare desktop CPU capacity into the MCG, known as the SPONGE project.
• Integrating Monash and Oxford campus grid facilities.

Sub-projects & related projects

Monash Sun Grid (MSG) Project
The Monash Sun Grid (MSG) is a high-performance compute facility. It provides the major central compute component in the MCG. The MSG was commissioned in April 2005 to meet the needs of high-end compute researchers within Monash.

Large Research Data Store (LaRDS) Project
The Monash Large Research Data Store (LaRDS) provides hundreds of tera bytes of additional storage for Monash researchers and will provide the major central storage component in the MCG. LaRDS provides an hierarchical (HSM) storage facility comprising on-line disk and near-line (robot silo) tape library. This storage is available for access via the Monash Campus Grid, including the Monash Sun Grid and other platforms.

MCG integration with grid/clusters in Monash research departments
A number of local compute grid/cluster facilities have been established in various research areas of the University. Research departments are invited to participate in the MCG programme by connecting local grid/clusters into the MCG and so gain access to the additional capabilities of the central facilities.

Harness spare desktop compute capacity into MCG
Much CPU capacity of the university’s fleet of desktop computers goes unused. Software suites have been developed to harness such unused spare capacity and pilots have been conducted at Monash. It is proposed to use these technologies to progressively harness spare desktop CPU capacity into the MCG.

Harness spare central compute capacity into MCG
Similarly, much CPU capacity of the university’s central computer systems goes unused. It is proposed to progressively harness some of this spare capacity into the MCG.

MCG Grid Middleware Suite
The MCG provides a comprehensive suite of Grid Middleware, including: Sun Grid Engine (SGE); GridFTP; Storage Resource Broker (SRB); Globus Toolkit (GT4); GridSphere; AAF systems.

Monash e-Research Portal (MeRP) Project
The Monash e-Research Portal (MeRP) project will provide a single integrated and tailored web environment for researchers. It will provide a range of functionality including:
Workflow system: capability for researchers to define workflow sequences and access a variety of internal and external applications and tools.  Discipline-specific tools and front-ends: custom GUI’s for various discipline-specific applications.  Researchers’ desktop: common functionality to improve researchers’ productivity, notification of events, and information organization tools such as a Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS).