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Accomplishments:
Storage:
2013/06/14: The Scientific Computing Services storage team contacted NERSC and Vanderbilt University to gather information about their General Parallel File System (GPFS) deployments. This allows us to learn from their experiences as we look at beginning our own deployment for SLAC scientific customers.
2013/06/07: Following an unexpected power outage on Thursday, May 30th, Scientific Computing Services restored services within 4 hours of the return of power and chilled water to Building 50. SCS also responded to the failure of a controller in the PCDS/LCLS Lustre storage system, returning it to service by Friday evening. The restoration of services enabled the Scientific Computing community to continue with their experiments and programs.
2013/05/31: Scientific Computing Services revised documentation for UNIX tape backup policies, procedures and scheduling in response to a request for information for the IG Audit. This supports the Cyber Safety program at SLAC.
2013/05/24: LCLS users reported that they were unable to access various files stored on a 1PB Lustre filesystem. Scientific Computing Services diagnosed the problem and ran utilities to repair file system inconsistencies, restoring the access to user's files.
Cyber Safety: (critical to keep all Lab computing services in operation)
2013/06/14: The Scientific Computing Services storage team contacted NERSC and Vanderbilt University to gather information about their General Parallel File System (GPFS) deployments. This allows us to learn from their experiences as we look at beginning our own deployment for SLAC scientific customers.
2013/06/07: Scientific Computing Services responded to requests from the visiting KPMG team related to Unix accounts, elevated privileges, security, system management, logging, monitoring and the process for handling changes. This provided the IG Audit review team with information and substantiation of how SLAC handles the centrally-managed systems and services.
2013/05/24: Scientific Computing Services applied a mitigation for a very serious security vulnerability which affected 1,042 managed Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 hosts. SCS applied this mitigation using central configuration management within hours of learning of the vulnerability, thereby preventing a published exploit, which was actively compromising systems on the internet, from affecting the SLAC network and impacting scientific computing resources.
2013/05/17: Scientific Computing Services provided responses, documentation and artifacts for the IG audit questions regarding Unix infrastructure for Configuration Management, Identity and Access Management, and Remote Access Management. This is in support of our Cyber Safety program at SLAC and prepares us for the audit that will occur at the end of May.
Infrasructure Services:
2013/06/07: Scientific Computing Services worked with Datacenter Technical Coordinators to modernize the server management infrastructure in Building 50. New server installations no longer require obsolete serial communications hardware. This will reduce cost overheads and shorten the amount of time required for initial system setup and deployment.
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