GridPP PMB Minutes 3 - 17th September 2001 =========================================== Present: Roger Barlow (RB), Tony Doyle(TD), Neil Geddes(NG), Robin Middleton(RPM), Les Robertson (LR). Future Meetings --------------- 1st October should be an extended video conference, reviewing everything so far. The November meeting at RAL will definitely be a physical meeting. Review of Actions ----------------- 1.1 Robin had enquired of group leaders the status of the awarded datagrid posts. He had had 8 replies Bristol: Interviewing Cambridge: pending while finance of other .5 arranged CLRC: preparing advert Glasgow: one in post, one starting soon IC: one in post, one starting soon Oxford: advertising RHUL: advertising UCL: in post Replies are still awaited from QMW, Liverpool and Manchester 1.3 Existing spend. Robin had obtained from Dave Morell figures for the past FY. A total of about 160K has been spent, 43K on travel, 70K on effort and 45K on equipment. Some travel may be reclaimed from EU Datagrid. The 70K is the cost of PPD effort (Robin, Paul Jeffries, and Dave Kelsey) and is reasonable. The 45K bought 2 Tbyte of disk and some networking, and comes off the 900K allocated this year. DONE 1.4 Travel. So far this year we have spent 47K. We should ask for 200K for the whole year in view of the number of forthcoming workshops etc. 1.5 Web page updating (Steve Lloyd) has hit a minor technical glitch (Andrew McNab sorting.) Steve will circulate instructions as to our format and how to produce it. 1.7 John Gordon has set up the desired mailing list griddpp-pmb@jiscmail.ac.uk DONE Weekly WP meeting summary - nothing major to report. Suggestions for items for the Frascati meeting should be sent to Robin. The effect of the US travel situation on GGF3 is unquantified. Nobody has raised the issue yet. 1.13 John Gordon has convened the Hardware Acquisition group and the first meeting is imminent. DONE 1.14 NB to consult EB on feasability of timetable. It looks tough but achievable. DONE The timetable for the next iteration, leading up to the PRSC meeting at CERN on 7th December, is now final. It is given at the end of these minutes. 1.16 Steve has not yet defined the process and timetable to the CB 1.18 Roles were all ready for web publication except that Roger and Nick had not fully talked through the chair/deputy chair roles of the EB. The roles of Robin and Pete are, and will be, provisional. This must be finished for the review next Monday. Although last weeks minutes are approved, those of the first meeting the week before are not (quite). Tony will gather final minutes in one place. Finance ------- Neil reported that the PPARC 'oversight board' had its first meeting provisionally arranged for December. It will have an independent chairman. Dave, Steve and Tony should be there. Neil will keep us informed of the timetable. Now that we have the structure in place (specifically Robin as Budget holder, Dave as resource Manager) we have to get on top of the spending numbers; we need regular reports of how the 17M is being spent. Other Business -------------- The datagrid CS posts would be announced at the end of this week. Everyone seemed happy with the results, in terms of areas funded. There had been few applicants for the CERN EPSRC fellowships. They would be readvertised with more attractive terms. The closing date for the PPARC posts is October. Tony will circulate an email pointing out their availability. A call for eScience studentships has been re-issued. Les underlined Neil's recent email about the benefits of having senior people involved in the CERN LHC grid projects - Tony will add this to the email. Discussion ---------- Tony raised the issue of System manager support, for Tier 1 and 2 centres. Existing university group system managers would probably be stretched to provide the extra support for the Grid. If we could define the requirements of a Tier 2 centre (in terms of capacity and services available) it would be a first step for defining the system support necessary, and then the necesssary FTEs could be put on the displacement budget, and resources made available. Possibly. Rob Henderson (chair of CNAP systems managers) should be kept in the picture on this. Displacement at RAL is to be discussed shortly (Dave Morell+Neil, Tony and Steve). A similar exercise should be done for the universities by the end of the year. Action List ----------- 17/9/1 1.1 RPM to determine status of awarded EDG posts 1.5 SLL to get web page updated 1.11 PC and DB to determine which project management tool to be used 1.16 SLL define process and timetable to the CB 2.3 LR to table a 1-page document on the proposal to spend 300K on hardware 2.4 LR to contact Guy Rickett to confirm financial transfer options 2.5 RPM to put place holder for InterGrid with potential interest from BaBar/CDF/D0 using prototype Tier-1/A at RAL 2.6 RB to track this issue from application point of view 3.1 PC Book VC suite from 1-5 pm on 1st October 3.2 PC, NB, RB + EB: define experimental requirements 3.3 SLL: Ask Andy McNab to circulate instructions for posting standard format web page in the right place 3.4 TD: Gather minutes in one place on the web 3.5 TD: circulate email on CERN eScience fellowshop availability and benefits of involvement by senior UK people 3.6 TD: Consult Rob Henderson about system managers for Tier 2 3.7 LR: reserve room at CERN for 6-7 people for 7 Dec all day (Done) 3.8 NG: provide details of Oversight Board timetable 3.9 RB NB: finalise EB chair/deputy roles 3.10 DB: to assess current financial commitments prior to request for transfer of up to 200k (total) via the RAL SLA for travel this year Timetable --------- 8th October - EB input deadline 19th October - Technical assessment document - first review of CERN posts 23rd October - CB meeting 26th October - PMB definition of tasks 2nd November - Tender document 5-6th November - Collaboration Meeting 30th November- Deadline for submission 7th December - PRSC mtg. 14th December- summary document submitted to PPARC outcomes communicated to groups - second review of CERN posts New is that these dates are finalised, the PRSC mtg. is fixed for CERN (room 14 - 4.002, 9:00-18:00) and David Williams will chair that committee. Other members are NIG, SLL, PC (subject to CB approval), TD, Neville Harnew (ex officio), George Lafferty (ex officio).