SDSC Summer Institute Tutorial

Tutorial at the SDSC 2012 Summer Institute - SDSC-SI

Tutorial Title: Developing Science Gateways using Apache Airavata API

Date: Thursday August 8th 2012

Venue: University of California at San Diego, SDSC Buillding

Software Requirements: Java, SSH Shell, Web Browser

Prerequisite Knowledge: General understanding of Cluster and Grid computing, Batch Job Submission, Science Portals/Gateways. Knowledge of Java & Web services is preferable but not required.

Description:

Science Gateways simplify access to XSEDE by providing easy to use familiar interfaces. Gateways abstract the complexity of various grid middleware that in turn absorb the heterogeneity of the underlying batch management systems. Gateway developers are challenge in building and maintaining gateways and are often overwhelmed in choosing middleware. Often these middleware solutions are black boxes to the developers that make them expend valuable man hours in debugging real-time problems. This tutorial will provide by means of number of hands on tutorials practical insights into gateway building aspects. Alongside the tutorial will provide insights into aspects of open community software development practices to not just use open software but how to contribute, get recognized and also have a say in future directions.

The tutorial will be based on Apache Airavata, a software toolkit to build science gateways. Airavata providing features to compose, manage, execute, and monitor small to large-scale applications and workflows on computational resources ranging from local clusters to national grids like XSDE and computing clouds like Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud. Airavata builds on general concepts of service oriented computing, distributed messaging, workflow composition and orchestration. Airavata suite include tools for workflow composition and monitoring. The stand out feature of workflow engine allows to interpret at each step providing dynamic interactive capabilities. The core capabilities provide ability to wrap command line-driven science applications and make them into robust, network- accessible services. Airavata Registry provides persistent data store. The gateway building toolkit also includes publish-subscribe based messaging system with features to incorporate clients behind firewalls and overcomes network glitches.

Target Audience and take home lessons:
The tutorial is targeted for Gateway developers who want to build a new gateway from scratch; for advanced developers who are investigating to improve a particular capability; and Campus Champions who can learn easier mechanisms to move data and execute jobs on XSEDE. The take home lessons include skills to execute compute jobs and workflows on XSEDE resources through grid interfaces; Wrap command line applications turning them into web accessible programmable interfaces and learn about open community development process to contribute to existing software with proper contribution governance models.

Click to see Agenda

Click to see Hands on Instructions

Please click here and fill out a very short survey on the tutorial  - Gateways Tutorial Survey