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====== ALICE crunch server WIP ======

This page contains an overview of the machine and an everyday log of what is being done. Later there will be more accurate documentation.

===== Overview =====

The machine has 3 disks. 

  * One M.2 (SSD) for boot and system in raid 1 with the one below (3 copies of the system, but we will see if of any use)
  * Two U.2 (SSD) in RAID1 for user homes
  * a large capacity RAID6 for data, ~60TB

See description in this graph below.

<code>


             .------------------------------------------.
             |              M.2 Disk 250GB              |
             |------------------------------------------|
  .----------| Main system disk - boot /                |                              SW RAID1
  |          | operating system                         |-------------------------------------------------------------.
  |          | /swap                                    |                                                             |
  |          | /ahome (admin home separated from users) |                                                             |
  |          '------------------------------------------'                                                             |
  |                                                                                                                   |
  |   SW RAID1                                                                                                        |
  |         .----------------------------------------.                  .----------------------------------------.    |
  |         |            U.2 disk 1 960GB            |                  |            U.2 disk 2 960GB            |    |
  |         |----------------------------------------|                  |----------------------------------------|    |
  |         | - User folders /home 700GB             |<---------------->| - User folders /home 700GB             |    |
  |         | -------------------------------------- |     SW RAID1     | -------------------------------------- |    |
  --------->| - copy of boot disk (bootable) / 100GB |                  | - copy of boot disk (bootable) / 100GB |<---'
            |   copy of /ahome 100GB260GB            |<---------------->|   copy of /ahome 100GB                 |
            '----------------------------------------'                  '----------------------------------------'



                          .------------------------------------------------.
               __________ |      RAID6 storage - 8x 12TB disks /disk       | __________ 
              [_|||||||_°]|------------------------------------------------|[_|||||||_°]
              [_|||||||_°]| - 7x 12TB in RAID6 -> 60TB (50-55 usable)      |[_|||||||_°]
              [_|||||||_°]| - 1x 12TB spare                                |[_|||||||_°]
                          '------------------------------------------------'
</code>

One can login to the machine as it does with aurora. 

Additionally admins can login to a separate monitor machine to check the status of hardware components. This machine will also send warnings in case of issues.

<code>

                                       ____   __             
                                      |    | |==|            
                  .------Admins------>|____| |  |  HW Monitor
                  |                   /::::/ |__|            
                  |                              |
              __  _                              |<monitoring>
     o       [__]|=|                             v
    /|\      /::/|_|                ________                    
    / \                            |==|=====|                   
         Own laptop / teddi        |  |     |                   
                  |                |  |     |                   
                  |                |  |     |  ALICE new machine
                  '--Researchers-->|  |     |                   
                                   |  |====°|                   
                                   |__|_____|                   
                                                                
                                                                

</code>

Florido will take care of OS installation and hardware maintenance/monitoring. This info will be shared with ALICE admins.
ALICE admins will have access as root and control any parameter they want.

===== TODO =====

  * Configure networking: DONE :-D
  * Configure maintenance interface: DONE :-D
  * Configure monitoring server: ongoing FIXME
    * Configure machine os and services DONE :-D
    * Configure hardware monitoring FIXME
    * Configure user access to monitor FIXME
  * Install system: DONE :-D
  * Create RAID6: DONE :-D
    * Find best settings, discuss with users DONE :-D

  * Configure system: ongoing FIXME
    * Configure firewall DONE :-D
    * Test fallback operating system in case of failure FIXME
    * Configure config management system. Testing **ansible** DONE :-D
    * Create admin users ongoing FIXME
      * generic alice user DONE :-D
      * give admin permissions to relevant alice users FIXME
    * Format and connect RAID6 disk DONE :-D
    * Configure RAID monitoring FIXME
  * User services (tasks mainly to be done by admin users): :?:
    * Create users :?:
    * Create folders :?:
    * Share folders across servers (requires installing new services) :?:
    * Install ALICE software :?:
      * More details here :?:
    * Move data :?:
  * Documentation
    * Write a page on how to manage the system :?:
      * Must be only accessible by admins
      * Must include system description above here
      * Must describe common procedures
      * Ask if users want remote X11
===== Logbook =====


==== 20206** ====
  * new entry

==== 2020616 ====
  * Configured system to be managed remotely via ansible
    * Changed sshd_config
    * Added management keys to root user
    * Management currently done via my workstation, may change in the future.
  * Installed basic software
  * Created alice admin user
  * Installed basic build software

==== 2020612 ====
  * Formatted RAID volume as xfs <code bash>mkfs.xfs -f -d su=1m,sw=5 -L alicedisk /dev/sda</code>
    * Shows a warning but should be harmless

^ su=1m        | 1MB strip size |
^ sw=5         | 5 RAID disks (+2 parity) |
^ -L alicedisk | xfs label |
^ /dev/sda     | the raid shown as a device to the kernel |

  * created folder ''/disk''
  * created entry in fstab for disk based on UUID:<code ini># RAID disk
UUID=0d4a40e5-084e-404f-9219-6c3645929ec2 /disk                   xfs     rw,seclabel,relatime,attr2,inode64,sunit=2048,swidth=10240,noquota 0 0</code>
==== 2020609 ====
  * configured server network and hostname: beast
  * Installed storcli RAID management tool from Vendor website
    * https://www.broadcom.com/products/storage/raid-controllers/megaraid-9460-8i 
    * https://docs.broadcom.com/docs/007.1316.0000.0000_Unified_StorCLI_PUL.zip
    * Sw installed in ''/opt/MegaRAID/storcli/''
    * For brevity added alias ''storcli'' in root .bashrc
  * Created array volume with 1024k strip size for very large files <code bash>storcli /c0 add vd r6 name=alicedisk drives=133:0-6 Strip=1024</code>
    * Note: initialization takes 13h
    * Raid volume name in storcli:''/c0/v0''
  * Created hotspare (disk that kicks in if one breaks)<code bash>storcli /c0/e133/s7 add hotsparedrive</code>
  * Written few notes on storcli in [[it_tips:storcliqr|MegaRAID storcli QR]]

==== 2020603 ====
  * Configured server network. Current hostname: alice
  * Configured remote access to monitor using X2GO client-server technology. Works nicely.
  * Reset maintenance interface. Tested ok. Custom tools not working but web browser interface ok.
  * Installed system. Configured RAID1 on system disks. Upgraded system.
  * Configured basic firewall.

==== 2020602 ====
  * Created monitor machine
  * Placed monitor machine in C165
  * Connected monitor machine to server
  * Configured RAID6. Experimental. More info needed from users. Disks working but disk lights not blinking, contacted Compliq.
  * Configured remote access to monitor. Not working, better solution required
  * Configured remote access to server maintenance interface. Not working, requires reset. First attempt failed due to network config missing.

==== 20200529 ====
  * Server arrived. Placed in C165.
  * Inspected hardware and disk bays
  * Provided electric connectivity
  * Provided network connectivity
  * First boot successfull
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