1. Describe your organization
OAR is a resource management system for high performance computing clusters. It is based upon an original design that emphasizes on low software complexity by using high level components. The global architecture is built upon the scripting language Perl, a relational database engine Mysql/Postgresql and a parallel/scalable remote execution tool for clusters TakTuk? (http://taktuk.gforge.inria.fr/). OAR projects' objective is to prove that it is possible today to build a complex system for resource management using such tools without sacrificing efficiency and scalability.
2. Why is your organization applying to participate in GSOC 2008? What do you hope to gain by participating?
OAR project is an OpenSource? resource management system (RMS) which aims on the one hand to provide a production RMS and on the other hand a tool for research on the specific aspects around resource management and scheduling. The project becomes bigger and the extension needs are increased. Therefore, one of the application reasons is to attract more contributors who will have the opportunity to work in a challenging research project. Furthermore we believe that our organization will gain visibility and consolidate recognition.
3. Did your organization participate in previous GSoC years? If so, please summarize your involvement and the successes and failures of your student projects. (optional)
No it's our first application.
4. If your organization has not previously participated in GSoC, have you applied in the past? If so, for what year(s)? (optional)
We have not applied in the past.
5. What license does your project use?
GNU GENERAL PUBLIC LICENSE
6. URL for your ideas page
http://oar.imag.fr/offers/soc.html
7. What is the main development mailing list for your organization?
oar-devel@lists.gforge.inria.fr
8. Where is the main IRC channel for your organization?
No IRC channel
9. Does your organization have an application template you would like to see students use? If so, please provide it now. (optional)
10. Who will be your backup organization administrator? Please enter their Google Account address. We will email them to confirm, your organization will not become active until they respond. (optional)
Olivier Richard
1. What criteria did you use to select these individuals as mentors? Please be as specific as possible.
Olivier Richard is the project founder and leader he is an Assistant Professor of computer science (UJF / ID-IMAG / Project INRIA Mescal) Joseph Emeras is the main project developer. Yiannis Georgiou is a PHD student responsible for the research aspects of the project.
2. Who will your mentors be? Please enter their Google Account address separated by commas. If your organization is accepted we will email each mentor to invite them to take part. (optional)
Backup mentors
1. What is your plan for dealing with disappearing students?
First of all we will try to minimize this risk through a thorough student selection, upon each specific project. During the program, meetings will be planned, to provide a detailed guidance to the student and follow its progress. For the unexpected happening we will use a backup replacement student list, to complete the work.
2. What is your plan for dealing with disappearing mentors?
The possibility is very limited for something like this to happen, but in case it does, one of the backup mentors will immediately take the place of the disappearing one.
3. What steps will you take to encourage students to interact with your projects community before, during and after the program?
One of our organizations bigger user and partner is the Grid5000 (https://www.grid5000.fr) experimental grid platform. There is a constant interaction with this community.
During the program the student will have an SVN, wiki and mailing list account. Distant or even face-to-face meetings will be organized once a week between the student and its mentor. Furthermore, as an OAR contributor, students will get the opportunity to have a Grid5000 account, use Grid5000 infrastructure and interact with the Grid5000 community.
4. What will you do to ensure that your accepted students stick with the project after GSoC concludes?
OAR project has always been working with students and it is the organization willingness to keep students as contributors, after their studies. Students that presented a good work and positively interacted within the community may get the funds to continue their work in the project.