First Grid Forum Conference
User Services Work Group

June 16 to June 18, 1999
NASA Ames Research Center
Moffett Field, California


June 17 and June 18, Break Out Sessions
Co-Chairs: John Towns and Rita Williams

SUMMARY MINUTES
Proposed Purpose

As representation from the participating grids was heavily
weighted with NASA staff, only a preliminary statement
of purpose was entertained. Recognizing that a group dealing 
with user support issues within a grid environment will not 
produce standards in the conventional sense of the word, the
proposed purpose focuses on providing an aspect of user
advocacy to the other Grid Forum work groups.

The proposed purpose for this groups is then:

* Recommend and/or provide input to other related 
  work groups:
  - infrastructure
  - wide-area event management
  - end-to-end performance analysis, specifically
    metrics
  - advance reservations
  - wide-area I/O
  - security


Deliverables

Again, generating standards in a traditional context will
not be a product of this work group. However, identifying
required user/support services and developing a set
of "rules of engagement" is a critical component to 
forming a effective grid environment.

In relation to those functions common to all user services 
within and across grids:
  - diagnostics
  - tracking (user and help-desk/consultants)
  - system status
  - documentation (web-based)
  - training
  - consulting services
This working group will provide:
  - a set of guidelines for participation
  - a checklist of requirements based on these
    guidelines
  - an on-going dialogue between user services and
    other related work groups


Short Term Goals

* Identify other representatives from other grids
  - Possible candidates: Jim Ferguson, NCSA
                         Jay Boisseau, SDSC
                         Bill Asbury, ASC
  - Poll presenters from remaining grids attending 
    the forum for interest

* Establish a mail list for User Services Work Group (WG)

* Arrange for BOFs at HPDC-8 Symposium in August
  and at SC99 in Portland; arrange a teleconference  
  for those who cannot attend physically

* What we want to accomplish by:
  - HPDC-8 Symposium, August 4-6, Redondo Beach, CA
    + Possibly have a BOF at the symposium, arrange
      for teleconference capabilities for those who 
      will not be able to attend physically
    + Roll up what we've discussed at this meeting
      and send a summary to current/potential WG 
      members via e-mail or post to the Grid Forum 
      web site
  - October Grid Forum in Chicago, IL
    + Build a WG organization and have charter in place
    + Hold WG meetings to move forward with forming
      short/long term goals
    + Recruit an individual from each of the other WGs 
      who will participate in that WG and also provide
      a user services perspective; formalize the 
      flow of information to/from the other WGs 
      and the User Services WG

* Preliminary Guideline (Grid and inter-Grid)
  - Provide directory of support services and define
    the required minimum
  - Define single point of contact which would 
    "funnel" support issues to other sites
  - Define hours of support coverage
  - Publish "resources" to be provided in MDS;
    agree upon a "profile" based on individual
    site, user & grid needs/availability


Participants

See also the PowerPoint page with participants. 

Evans Craig, Albuquerque HPC Center
Sridhar Gullapalli, Globus
Mary Hultquist, NASA ARC/MRJ
George Myers, NASA ARC/Sterling
Chuck Niggley, NASA ARC/MRJ
Judith Utley, NASA ARC/MRJ-ERDC MSRC
Rita Williams, NASA ARC/MRJ
Bill Zilliox, DoD MSRC/ASC

Please send edits or updates for this working group to virginia@ncsa.uiuc.edu.

posted 13 December 1999