perfSONAR User Q&A and Other Discussion

[Roman Lapacz <>]

Loukik Kudarimoti wrote:
> Roman Lapacz wrote:
> > Nicolas Simar wrote:
> > > Hi Roman,
> > >
> > > can you explain me the difference between the two? In particular in 
> > > which case you would go for one or the other.
> > >
> > > How does it solve the issue raised by Chris and Warren? Does it 
> > > install all with a single click?
> > I'm not sure about single click but a user could have all required 
> > things in one package and at least some of them could be configured 
> > (for example eXist could have an account and needed collection, Axis 
> > could be put in the application server).
> >
> > The second package is what we have now. Just pS services.
> I more or less agree but I still think we can achieve this in one 
> package (without causing any confusion to the user). Here is how I 
> think it can be done:
>
> The user can interact with the script in 4 ways in total:
>
> 1) ./perfSONAR pre-install
>
> This will ask if the user already has ant, tomcat, axis and exist.
> * If the user says 'yes' to any of them, it will ask the path where it 
> is located.
> * If the user says 'no' to any of them, it will ask if the user wants 
> to install them manually or download them automatically and install it.
> ** If the user chooses 'Manually', the script will ask the user to run 
> the same script again after installing the dependency. It will also 
> suggest download sites where the user can find the software for 
> downloading
> ** If the user chooses  'Automatically' the script will  know a list 
> of sites where the software is available and it will download the 
> software and install it.
>
> The script will also prompt the user for the port number to run tomcat 
> on. eXist can run on tomcat itself and hence on the same port as tomcat.
>
> 2) ./perfSONAR configure
> The script configures the service (i.e. put the xml file in exist, log 
> properties, etc)
>
> 3) ./perfSONAR install
> At this point the script knows where all the packages are located. It 
> simply installs perfSONAR (i.e. copies all necessary jar files to 
> tomcat) and deploys the service
>
> 4) ./perfSONAR test
> This script helps in testing the service. The test scripts will have 
> the capability to test each part of the service. So, if the user comes 
> back to us with support questions, a quick and complete diagnosis of 
> the installation can be made. The test will ask the user what he/she 
> is interested in testing.
>
> Just by typing ./perfSONAR, the script would do all the above in 
> sequence. There would then be no classpath configuration (as ant takes 
> care of that)
>
> The fact is, we have a lot of ant targets which can already do a 
> majority of the above tasks. In perfSONAR 1.0, it was decided not to 
> use ant but instead go with replacement perl scripts. While I 
> understand the easiness of using perl scripts, I really think it needs 
> to be a combination of both (i.e., perl scripts are simply making use 
> of ant targets underneath once ant is installed)
>
> What are your comments on these steps? Do you think it would then be 
> simple and easy to install perfSONAR?

Sounds OK but I still believe that we need a separate package which 
contains all prerequisites and required very minimal set of questions 
(use of default parameters). Something similar to "one click".


Roman


> Regards,
> Loukik.
>
> > Roman
> >
> > > Cheers,
> > > Nicolas
> > >
> > > Roman Lapacz wrote:
> > > > Reading recent comments I believe that the next release should be 
> > > > represented by two packages:
> > > > - one which will contain pS services, application server (tomcat or 
> > > > jetty), eXist (it might be run in the application server without 
> > > > the need of GUI installation) or even JRE
> > > > - one which will contain only pS services as it is now
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > A user could choose which package is better for her/him.
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > Chris Welti wrote:
> > > >
> > > > > Hi all,
> > > > >
> > > > > I'm afraid I have to agree with Warren here.
> > > > > I tried to get the java perfSONAR suite 1.0 running investing more 
> > > > > than a
> > > > >  day and I couldn't even get axis and exist running properly.
> > > > > Unless there is a really simple way of installing perfSONAR, you're
> > > > > not going to get this tool widely used.
> > > > > And by simple, i mean _really_ simple, like a debian package that can
> > > > > be installed via apt-get install, or something like make / make 
> > > > > install,
> > > > > or just a script that does ALL the installation tasks for you.
> > > > > The point here is that I want to be able to just execute ONE programm
> > > > > that does the installation for me. No worries about which paths to 
> > > > > use
> > > > > for the different tools, version numbers of programs, setting 
> > > > > environment
> > > > > variables, configuring port numbers to use, and so on. There are 
> > > > > way to many steps involved in the installation process that can
> > > > > go wrong.
> > > > > The problem is of course that you are depending on 
> > > > > java/tomcat/axis/exist
> > > > > and you don't have control about it's configuration/installation.
> > > > > Well, that's the downside of not having a stand-alone application.
> > > > > The perl installation was much less of a hassle and is still running
> > > > >   
> > > >
> > > > probably you are talking about python  RRD MA :)
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > Roman
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > > fine here at SWITCH.
> > > > >
> > > > > Regards,
> > > > > Chris
> > > > >
> > > > > Warren Matthews wrote:
> > > > >  
> > > > >
> > > > > > Hi All
> > > > > >
> > > > > > I hate to whine but Eric and Jeff say I should call it feedback 
> > > > > > and send
> > > > > > it to the list.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > We've had a terrible time with perfSONAR. I want to give up. 
> > > > > > Actually we
> > > > > > haven't even made it to trying to install perfSONAR. We haven't 
> > > > > > even got
> > > > > > the prerequisites installed yet.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > The real problem is we have no java expertise. I'm trying to get 
> > > > > > another
> > > > > > student but that'll be at least a few more weeks. The other 
> > > > > > problem is
> > > > > > we have to run RHEL. It is mandated by our director; 
> > > > > > Unfortunately our
> > > > > > site license does not include the application server channel, so we
> > > > > > don't get tomcat. Frankly, we're also not really interested in
> > > > > > understanding the packages and being experts on various server 
> > > > > > software
> > > > > > tools. We're network support staff, we want to measure and 
> > > > > > trouble-shoot
> > > > > > the network. Trying to get perfSONAR set up has been a real pain.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Perhaps you will say we should wait for better documentation. But we
> > > > > > would like to be an early adopter because we need to offer 
> > > > > > monitoring
> > > > > > services for our global campus. I would like to use perfSONAR so in
> > > > > > future we can use data from other networks. Furthermore I claim most
> > > > > > network admins are not going to try as hard as we did. If it doesn't
> > > > > > just work they won't use it.
> > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Warren Matthews, International Research Network Initiatives,
> > > > > > Georgia Institute of Technology.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Adventure is a sign of incompetence. If you have an adventure, 
> > > > > > you're
> > > > > > doing something wrong. If you really plan things out then you 
> > > > > > don't have
> > > > > > adventures - The great polar explorer Vilhjalmur Stefanson.
> > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > > >     
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >   


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