R ight now you're probably asking, if
they can put a man on the moon, why can't they design a seamless
interface to SCD computing resources? As a matter of fact, SCD's
brightest and best have done exactly that, and currently need
volunteers to test the beta version of the Distributed Computing
Services (DCS) Mass Storage System (MSS) metadata interface.
DCS is an intuitive,
platform-independent, standards-based user interface to the NCAR MSS,
SCD computational platforms, and the Text and Graphics system (TAGS).
DCS will eventually replace the set of homegrown interfaces that
developed piecemeal at NCAR long before open systems and distributed
computing environments evolved.
"Until DCS there had never been a consolidated effort to provide a
unified interface to the MSS and SCD computational resources," says SCD
software engineer John Clyne. "Things grew up ad hoc-ly. DCS
effectively is an attempt to do it from the bottom up and do it
right."
Say good-bye to the inconsistent, difficult-to-master interfaces of old
and hello to streamlined software with expanded capabilities and--if
you know UNIX--a short learning curve.
SCD wants feedback on the MSS portion of the DCS
environment, specifically, the metadata interface. "Essentially there
are two types of operations done on the MSS: metadata functions and
moving files between a workstation or supercomputer and the MSS," Clyne
says. "What we'd like users to try out are the new metadata functions.
Feedback is essential, since this interface will be replacing the
MASnet interface people have been using for years."
Metadata functions allow you to list files, manipulate or browse file
attributes, change settings, and check on file modes, ownership, times,
and size. "The new metadata interface is extremely UNIX-like," Clyne
says. "For instance, the command names are almost the same: the UNIX
file listing command is ls, while the new MSS equivalent is
msls. Additionally, command-line options and output are
virtually identical to options and output in UNIX. If you're a UNIX
user, you'll have no problem at all. "
The powerful, easy-to-use new commands are available for friendly user
testing on all the SCD Crays as well as meeker (the SCD front end),
huron, and niwot.