26 October 2012
PARTICIPANTS: Jean-Philippe Evrard, Belnet Jakub Peisar, CESNET Maarten Koopmans Szabolcs Szekelyi, NIIF Maciej Brzezniak, PSNC Lorenzo J. Cubero, CESNET Peter Szegedi, TERENA Joël Casutt, SWITCH
Roberto Araujo, RNP
Panos Louridas, GRNET
If I missed you and you want to be minuted, let me know! NOTES: 1) *Pilot status update* Peter (TERENA): The source code, its documentation, the Installation Guide made by PSNC, and the downloadable VMware images (made by Maarten) are all available on the Wiki https://confluence.terena.org/display/CloudStorage/Phase+II+-+OPEN The pilot is running until March 2013 (five months left). The aims of the pilot are: a) to ensure the sustainability of the service platform (i.e. gather the developers' community around the code that can implement the roadmap (new features, bug fixes) agreed). b) to ensure the required scalability, performance, and stability of the code (i.e. run coordinated tests on several implementations of the platform and come up with recommendations for improvements). c) to investigate the potential service delivery models using the cloud storage broker platform (i.e. collect use cases, make a list of necessary features to be implemented, and agree on a common roadmap). As of today, TERENA and PSNC have already installed 1-1 service instances, and BELNET, CESNET, Scre, FCCN and CESCA signaled that they also plan to install the platform at their location. This is considered as the core group. There are >25 test accounts provisioned to the TERENA installation so far. This group is considered as the core of alpha/beta testers form a user perspective. 2) *Software tests* Maarten: Previously, the platform has been tested on EC2 resources. Three virtual servers have been used as a redundant Metadata store and two additional virtual servers for WebDAV and Website. This is the recommended setup for testing. Maciej (PSNC): PSNC will start with the security tests first and do a code review. Later on performance and scalability tests (e.g., stresstest) will also be done. In case of interest, PSNC plan to test various user applications on top of WebDAV (maybe next year). Jean-Philippe (Belnet): The platform has been installed on one single server at BELNET. Once the on-going storage infrastructure tendering is over, Belnet plans to do some test too. The software tests must be coordinated. Jakub (CESNET): CESNET will also install the platform on several virtual servers as suggested. Performance test (starting with the Metadata store) will then be done in a well-documented way. *ACTION* 1 on Peter (TERENA) to coordinate and compile a list of test procedures and call for potential testers on the mailing list. Maarten commented that the file level compression and encryption is configurable (can be turned off) that can immediately improve the performance with a factor, if needed. The Voldemort metadata store is also linearly scaling, additional virtual servers can be added as the metadata increases. 3) *Software development* Maarten: Replication/Synchronisation between two or more data storage back-ends is not implemented at the moment and it is not the primary aim. Szabolcs (NIIF): It is easier to implement replication at the back-end storage level rather than in the broker platform on top. It is recommended NOT to deal with the replication at the platform level. Maarten: The implementation of "sharing" was in the original development roadmap, but Maarten is fully booked by the end of the year with other projects so, no progress is expected from their side. Peter: An other necessary feature would be an administrative web interface. That can help all the service adopters to configure the platform easily. This development can be done by a web developer, if agreed. Peter (TERENA): In principle, the service development procedure would be that the pilot participants come up with an agreed list of features to be implemented, and then the actual coders (Maarten or others) will be selected once the roadmap is clear. Lorenzo (CESCA): Lorenzo volunteered to contribute to the pilot and implement a Jclouds back-end API as well as do some performance tests on it. The idea behind Jclouds API is to ensure the full flexibility of the platform in terms of storage back-ends. In theory, Jclouds makes it possible to configure the actual storage API used. *ACTION* 2 on Lorenzo (CESCA) to start working on the Jclouds implementation ASAP and report back to the pilot participants by the end of the year. Lorenzo also asked if a flexible front-end API (e.g., REST API) would be of interest. Peter answered that the priority would be to ensure the largest back-end API compatibility possible. NRENs are looking for solutions to be put on top of their storage infrastructure (using different APIs) and provide services to their users quick and easy. The meeting was closed. No agreement on the next call, to be clarified on the mailing list. LIST OF ACTIONS: ACTION 1 on Peter (TERENA) to coordinate and compile a list of test procedures and call for potential testers on the mailing list. ACTION 2 on Lorenzo (CESCA) to start working on the Jclouds implementation ASAP and report back to the pilot participants by the end of the year.
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