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alicecrunchwip

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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.


             .------------------------------------------.
             |              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                                |[_|||||||_°]
                          '------------------------------------------------'

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.

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

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
  • Configure maintenance interface: DONE
  • Configure monitoring server: DONE
  • Install system: DONE
  • Create RAID6: ongoing
    • Find best settings, discuss with users
  • Configure system: ongoing
    • Configure firewall
    • Configure config management system. Maybe chance to test ansible
    • Create admin users
    • Format and connect RAID6 disk

Logbook

20206**

  • new entry

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.

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
alicecrunchwip.1591199070.txt.gz · Last modified: 2020/06/03 15:44 by florido

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