Resource Configuration

The configuration file resources.conf is used to describe computing resources. When you start DRM4G, resources.conf file is copied under ~/.drm4g/etc directory by default if it does not exist or under whatever directory specified with DRM4G_DIR. The file can be edited directly or by executing the drm4g resource edit command.

Configuration format

The configuration resource file consists of sections, each led by a [section] header, followed by key = value entries. Lines beginning with # are ignored. Permitted sections are [DEFAULT] and [resource_name].

DEFAULT section

The DEFAULT section provides default values for all other resource sections.

Resource section

Each resource section has to begin with the line [resource_name] followed by key = value entries.

Make sure that each [resource_name] is unique. The DRM4G doesn't recognize duplicates but it won't warn you about it.

The name of a resource cannot include the colon character ":". The DRM4G won't be able to send jobs to a resource with that character in its name.

Configuration keys common to all resources:

• enable: true or false in order to enable or disable a resource.

• communicator or authentication type :
  • local: The resource will be accessed directly.
  • ssh: By default, the resource will be accessed through ssh's protocol via Paramiko's API.
  • pk_ssh: The resource will be accessed through ssh's protocol via Paramiko's API.
  • op_ssh: The resource will be accessed through OpenSSH's CLI.

• username: Name of the user that will be used to log on to the front-end.

• frontend: Hostname or ip address of either the cluster or grid user interface you'll be connected to. The syntax is "host:port" and by default the port used is 22.

• private_key: Path to the identity file needed to log on to the front-end.

• public key: Path to the public identity file needed to log on to the front-end.
  • OPTIONAL: by default the private_key's value will be taken, to which .pub will be added)

• scratch: Directory used to store temporary files for jobs during their execution, by default, it is $HOME/.drm4g/jobs

• lrms or Local Resource Management System :
  • pbs: TORQUE/PBS cluster.
  • sge: Grid Engine cluster.
  • loadleveler: LoadLeveler cluster.
  • lsf: LSF cluster.
  • fork: SHELL.
  • cream: CREAM Compute Elements (CE).
  • slurm: SLURM cluster.
  • slurm_res: ​RES(Red Española de Supercomputación) resources.
  • rocci: ​EGI Federated Cloud resources.

Note that for communicator you have two options when it comes to accessing a resource through the ssh protocol. If you don't know which one you prefer use ssh.

Keys for HPC resources:

• queue: Queue available on the resource. If there are several queues, you have to use a "," as follows "queue = short,medium,long".

• max_jobs_in_queue: Max number of jobs in the queue.

• max_jobs_running: Max number of running jobs in the queue.

• parallel_env: It defines the parallel environments available for Grid Engine cluster.

• project: It specifies the project variable and is for TORQUE/PBS, Grid Engine and LSF clusters.

Keys for grid resources:

• vo: Virtual Organization (VO) name.

• host_filter: A host list for the VO. Each host is separated by a ",". Here is an example: "host_filter = prod-ce-01.pd.infn.it, creamce2.gina.sara.nl".

• bdii: It indicates the BDII host to be used. The syntax is "bdii:port". If you do not specify this variable, the LCG_GFAL_INFOSYS environment variable defined on the grid user interface will be used by default.

• myproxy_server: Server to store grid credentials. If you do not specify this variable, the MYPROXY_SERVER environment variable defined on the grid user interface will be used by default.

Keys for cloud resources:

• vm_communicator: or authentication type for the created Virtual Machines (VMs) :
  • pk_ssh: The resource will be accessed through ssh's protocol via Paramiko's API.
  • op_ssh: The resource will be accessed through OpenSSH's CLI.

• vm_user: Name of the user that will be used to log on to the creates VMs.

• vm_config: Specifies which VM contextualisation file the user will be using, if none is specified "cloud_config.conf" will be used by default.
  • OPTIONAL: Even if this is given by the user, the vm_user and private_key still need to be defined in the configuration file.

• myproxy_server: Server to store cloud credentials. If you do not specify this variable, the MYPROXY_SERVER environment variable defined on the grid user interface will be used by default.

• instances: It indicates how many VMs you wish to create with the specified configuration.

• volume: It's possible to create some extra storage and add it to the VM. With this you can specify how many extra GBs of storage you want.

• max_jobs_in_queue: Max number of jobs in the VM.

• max_jobs_running: Max number of running jobs in the VM.

The values of the next configuration keys can be customized at your discretion. A new cloud configuration file has been added to the DRM4G called "cloudsetup.json" for this reason. This resource keys reference the information saved in this cloud configuration file.

• cloud_provider: Name that describes the site from which the image, that will be used to create the VM, will be acquired.

• virtual_image: It indicates which one of the system images available you will be using.

• flavour: It indicates the hardware template for the VM.

Where and how to get the correct values for your cloud configuration file as well as a more in depth explanation of some of these configuration keys can be found in the section How to configure an EGI FedCloud VM.

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A few extra things to take into consideration:

• If no vm_user is specified, drm4g_admin will be used by default.
• If no vm_communicator is specified, the one in communicator will be used, but if it's set to local, the DRM4G will set it to pk_ssh.
• For the moment, the lrms for all created VMs will be fork.
• The private key used to access the VM will be the same as the one used to access the machine that will create it.
  • So even if you're going to use your local machine to create the VM, you'll have to specify a private_key.

Examples

By default, DRM4G is going to use the local machine as fork lrms:

[localmachine]
enable            = true
communicator      = local
frontend          = localhost
lrms              = fork
max_jobs_running  = 1

TORQUE/PBS cluster, accessed through ssh protocol:

[meteo]
enable            = true
communicator      = ssh
username          = user
frontend          = mar.meteo.unican.es
private_key       = ~/.ssh/id_rsa
lrms              = pbs
queue             = short, medium, long
max_jobs_running  = 2, 10, 20
max_jobs_in_queue = 6, 20, 40

SGE cluster, accessed through ssh protocol:

[blizzard]
enable            = true
communicator      = op_ssh
username          = user
frontend          = blizzard.meteo.unican.es
private_key       = ~/.ssh/id_rsa
parallel_env      = mpi
lrms              = sge
queue             = long
max_jobs_running  = 20
max_jobs_in_queue = 40

ESR virtual organization, accessed through a grid user interface:

[esrVO]
enable            = true
communicator      = local
username          = user
frontend          = ui.meteo.unican.es
lrms              = cream
vo                = esr
bdii              = bdii.grid.sara.nl:2170
myproxy_server    = px.grid.sara.nl

rOCCI virtual organization:

[cesnet_metacloud]
enable            = true
communicator      = pk_ssh
username          = user
vm_communicator   = op_ssh
vm_user           = drm4g_admin
frontend          = ui.meteo.unican.es
private_key       = ~/.ssh/id_rsa
lrms              = rocci
max_jobs_running  = 2
max_jobs_in_queue = 4
cloud_provider    = EGI FedCloud - CESNET-METACLOUD
myproxy_server    = myproxy1.egee.cesnet.cz
flavour           = Small
virtual_image     = Ubuntu-14.04
instances         = 1
volume            = 0