Documentations

This web site is the Web visible part of an XtremWeb installation.

This page is not intended to explain and detail the XtremWeb platform, but to present how to use this current Global Computing platform installation.

For further informations, please refer to the XtremWeb Web site.

Table of contents

Introduction

Registering

Logging in and out

Downloads

Client usage

Table of contents

Next : Registering

Introduction

XtremWeb is a research project belonging to light weight systems. Its a Free Open Source and non-profit software platform to explore scientific issues and applications of Global Computing, Peer to Peer distributed systems.

Global Computing and Peer-to Peer systems are the enabling concepts/technologies toward Global Operating Systems also called Internet Scale Operating Systems. Like the other Distributed System Platforms, an XW platform uses a) remote resources (PCs, workstations, servers) connected to Internet or b) a pool of resources (PCs, workstations, servers) inside a LAN. Participants of an XW platform cooperate by providing their CPU idle time.

The XtremWeb software platform allows to setup and run Distributed System projects. Such projects must be based on a community of participants. For example, XtremWeb platforms allow a High School, a University, ... or a Company to setup and run a Global Computing or Peer to Peer distributed system for either a specific application or a range of applications.

This Web site has been installed by any authorized party from the XtremWeb package to take benefits of Global Computing ; it is intended to allow jobs management in the platform and, more generally, to get involved with the system.

Previous : Introduction Table of contents Next : Logging in and out
Registering

For security reason, any user of an installed XtremWeb platform must be registered.

To do so, a dedicated page is available in each site, where you could provide some informations that are sent to the webmaster.

It is up to that last to validate your request and send you the password you will need to go further.

Previous : Registering Table of contents Next : Downloads
Logging in and out

As soon as your registration has been validated, you can log in with your own password and start working.

You will not forget to log out, as you finish your work.

Note : a login is only valid for one hour ; after this delay, you will have to re-login.

Previous : Logging in and out Table of contents Next : Downloading the worker
Downloads

XtremWeb is a three tier Desktop Grid platform :
1. the worker is the computing part, spread among the network, installed on volunteer PCs. As so, you can download the worker ;
2. the client is the user interface part, spread among the network, installed on authorized PCs. As so, you can download the client.
3. in order to connect to the server, you need to download your config file. It should be stored into the directory <$HOME/.xtremweb/> and named "xwrc".
  Its full pathname should then be <$HOME/.xtremweb/xwrc>.
Up : Downloads Previous : Downloading Table of contents Next : Downloading the client
1. Downloading the worker
  
  The worker part of the platform is the computing one.
  You are invited to download and install this component in order to improve this platform power.
  To do so, please, download the worker. To download the client, you must log in first.
  
  Up : Downloads Previous : Downloading the worker Table of contents Next : Downloading the client configuration file
2. Downloading the client
  
  The client part of the platform aims to help jobs management.
  You are invited to download and use this component to submit jobs, get their status, retrieve their results etc.
  To do so, please, download the client. To download the client, you must log in first.
  
  Up : Downloads Previous : Downloading the client Table of contents Next : Using the client
3. Downloading the client configuration file
  
  The client needs some parameters provided by a configuration file. Please refer to the XtremWeb documentation.
  
  But this server knows the configuration you need to connect to itself.
  It then provides it and you just have to download your configuration file. To download your configuration file, you must log in first.
Previous : Downloading the client configuration file Table of contents Next : Commons parameters

Using the client

The client can fully manage the platform.
Some actions require XtremWeb administrator privileges and are not detailed here (please refer to the XtremWeb documentation) :

add/edit/remove applications to the platform ;
add/edit/remove users.

Next sections detail non privileged actions to :

provide common parameters to the client

retrieve installed applications

retrieve workers list

submit jobs

retrieve jobs status

retrieve jobs results

cancel jobs

Up : client usage

Previous : Using the client

Table of contents

Next : Installed applications

Providing common parameters to the client

This section describes common parameters that apply to all client actions :
- --xwconfig <configFile> to provide a config file.
  Default is $HOME/.xtremweb/xwrc. If such a file exists, this --xwconfig option is not necessary.
- --xwhelp to display the client helps ;
- --xwformat [ html | csv | xml ] to specify the output format (default is raw text).
Example :

xwclient --xwconfig <myConfigFile>

Up : client usage Previous : Common parameters Table of contents Next : Workers list
Retrieving installed applications

Any application to must be installed on the server before jobs can be dispatch through the platform. This can only be done by XtremWeb users with enough privileges (please refer to the XtremWeb documentation).
- Using the client application :
  
  The client expects the parameter --xwapps to list installed applications on server side.
  
  Examples :
  
  xwclient --xwapps xwclient --xwconfig <configFile> --xwapps
- Using the xwapps script :
  
  The xwapps encapsulates the needed arguments for you.
  
  Examples :
  
  xwapps xwapps --xwconfig <configFile>
- Using the web site :
  
  You can see the installed application on the submission page. To list installed applications, you must log in first.
Up : client usage Previous : Installed applications Table of contents Next : Submitting jobs
Retrieving workers list

Any worker that has at least been connected once is registered on server side.
The client can retrieve informations relative to workers.
- Using the client application :
  
  The client expects the parameter --xwworkers to retrieve known workers.
  
  Examples :
  
  xwclient --xwworkers xwclient --xwconfig <configFile> --xwworkers
- Using the xwworkers script :
  
  The xwworkers encapsulates the needed arguments for you.
  
  Examples :
  
  xwworkers xwworkers --xwconfig <configFile>
- Using the web site :
  
  You can retrieve the known workers on the workers stats page.
Up : client usage Previous : Workers list Table of contents Next : Jobs status

Submitting jobs

Using the client application :

Job submission can only refer to installed applications (i.e. you can only run a job for applications that are already installed on server).

The client expects the parameters --xwsubmit appName to submit a new job for the installed application which is registered on server side with its name as appName.

Three kinds of information can be provided to jobs (let suppose the application "ls"is installed on server side) :

The server keeps jobs until the user explicitly remove them.
It is then the user responsability to ensure its jobs don't fill full the server.

#	information types	using a shell	purpose
a	arguments	`ls -l`	command line arguments interpreted by the applications
b	standard input	`ls < txtFile`	standard input replaces the keyboard and is interpreted by the application
c	environment	`( cd aDirectory && ls` )	the environment is the directory structure from which the application is run
d	all together	`( cd aDirectory && ls -l < txtFile` )
	information types	using the XtremWeb client	purpose
a	arguments	`xwclient --xwsubmit ls -l`	command line arguments interpreted by the applications
b	standard input	`xwclient --xwsubmit ls < txtFile`	standard input replaces the keyboard and is interpreted by the application
c	environment	`xwclient --xwsubmit ls --xwenv aDirectory`	the environment is the directory structure from which the application is run
d	all together	`xwclient --xwsubmit ls -l --xwenv aDirectory < txtFile`

Using the xwsubmit script :

The xwsubmit encapsulates the needed arguments for you.

Examples :

xwsubmit etc. xwsubmit --xwconfig <configFile> etc.
Writing a dedicated script :

Here is a shell script example to encapsulate job submission.
(right click to save as this file)
Using the web site :

A dedicated page helps to submit job.
You first see the list of installed application in this server among which you have to choose the one you want to execute.
Accordingly to your needs, you have to fill the form shown in the next page ; please, read the provided examples carefully.

Click the Submit button to finally submit your job. To submit jobs, you must log in first.

Up : client usage

Previous : Submitting jobs

Table of contents

Next : Jobs results

Retrieving jobs status
- Using the client application :
  
  The XtremWeb platform gives every object an unique identifier (UID).
  Every submitted job has then an UID which is expected for any job manipulation.
  
  The client expects the parameters --xwstatus [UID UID ...] to retrieve user's jobs status
  
  Provided UIDs determine the jobs to retrieve status for.
  Requesting status with no UID retrieve all user's jobs status.
  
  Examples :
  
  xwclient --xwstatus xwclient --xwconfig <configFile> --xwstatus
- Using the xwstatus script :
  
  The xwstatus encapsulates the needed arguments for you.
  
  Examples :
  
  xwstatus xwstatus --xwconfig <configFile>
- Using the web site :
  
  A dedicated page helps to retrieve job status.
  To retrieve your jobs status , you must log in first.
Up : client usage Previous : Jobs status Table of contents Next : Cancelling jobs
Retrieving jobs results
- Using the client application :
  
  The XtremWeb platform gives every object an unique identifier (UID).
  Every submitted job has then an UID which is expected for any job manipulation.
  
  The client expects the parameters --xwresult [UID UID ...] to retrieve user's jobs results.
  
  Provided UIDs determine the jobs to retrieve results for.
  Requesting results with no UID retrieve all user's jobs results.
  
  Examples :
  
  xwclient --xwresult xwclient --xwconfig <configFile> --xwresult
- Using the xwresult script :
  
  The xwresult encapsulates the needed arguments for you.
  
  Examples :
  
  xwresult xwresult --xwconfig <configFile>
- Using the web site :
  
  A dedicated page helps to retrieve job results.
  To retrieve your jobs results , you must log in first.
Up : client usage Previous : Jobs results Table of contents
Cancelling jobs
- Using the client application :
  
  The XtremWeb platform gives every object an unique identifier (UID).
  Every submitted job has then an UID which is expected for any job manipulation.
  
  The client expects the parameters --xwrm [UID UID ...] to delete user's jobs from the platform.
  
  Provided UIDs determine the jobs to delete.
  Requesting to delete jobs with no UID delete all user's jobs.
  
  Example :
  
  xwclient --xwrm xwclient --xwconfig <configFile> --xwrm
- Using the xwrm script :
  
  The xwrm encapsulates the needed arguments for you.
  
  Examples :
  
  xwrm xwrm --xwconfig <configFile>
- Using the web site :
  
  A dedicated page helps to cancel jobs.
  To cancel your jobs , you must log in first.

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This document was written by Oleg Lodygensky on July, 1st 2004