Volume 8, Number 5     September/October 2000

Software System Manages Computer Workload

Most companies face a similar computer-related problem. Hundreds of users and thousands of jobs require computation. The companies own vast amounts of computing power in heterogeneous and distributed environments. While demand on some systems exceeds supply, other resources are underutilized. Management finds that establishing enterprise-wide priorities are impossible to dictate and little data can be gathered on actual system usage.

The solution, developed at NASA Ames Research Center at Moffett Field, California, is the Portable Batch System (PBS). PBS is a flexible workload management system that operates on networked, multi-platform UNIX environments, including heterogeneous clusters of workstations, supercomputers and massively parallel systems. PBS provides users with a single coherent interface to all of their computing resources. Users package their work into “containers” while management is able to set enterprise-wide scheduling and use policies. PBS maximizes efficient use of these resources while enforcing policy and provides detailed usage data.

Veridian-MRJ, then MRJ Technology Solutions, developed PBS for the Numerical Aerospace Simulation (NAS) Facility of NASA Ames from 1993 to 1997 to replace NASA's existing batch queuing system. In late 1997, Veridian-MRJ began full PBS development, support and distribution. More recently, PBS became an enabling technology of NASA's Information Power Grid (IPG).

In the four years that NASA was developing PBS, it was distributed to approximately 70 sites around the country. Since 1998, Veridian-MRJ has distributed PBS to more than 2,200 sites around the world. Of these, approximately 820 are actively using PBS. Veridian-MRJ achieved this by creating a Web site dedicated to PBS support and distribution.

The business model was to distribute PBS free and sell support services, including training, support contracts and software customizations. Sites around the world registered at the PBS Web site and, once authorized, freely downloaded PBS software source code. In addition, the Web site hosted an E-mail discussion list for the PBS user community, a frequently asked questions (FAQ) page, a change-request and problem-reporting interface, and both PBS administrator and support documentation.

			Veridian-MRJ’s Portable Batch System solves a problem faced by most companies - too much need for some computers, too little need for others. The system allows management to set enterprise-wide computer scheduling and use policies.

The largest area of market growth for PBS has been from the Linux cluster community, rising from 10 percent of the overall customer base one year ago to more than 60 percent today. PBS is now recognized in the cluster community as the standard batch queuing system for Linux clusters.

In early 2000, the Veridian Corporation announced that it was moving all PBS activities from Veridian-MRJ into the commercial products company Veridian Systems. Veridian Systems committed funding to fully commercialize PBS, created the PBS Products Department, and doubled the staff to work commercialization. The first fruits of this effort are expected to be announced soon. In addition to the free version of PBS (OpenPBS™), Veridian will offer a binary “shrink-wrapped” version of PBS called PBS Pro™.

By proceeding with full commercialization of PBS, Veridian is completing the process of transforming NASA-funded software into a viable commercial product.

Veridian, a privately-held information technology company with 1999 annual revenues of $613 million, operates at more than 50 locations in the U.S. and overseas, and employs almost 5,000 people. The company is known for building strong, long-term relationships with a highly sophisticated customer base.

For more information about PBS, visit www.pbspro.com or contact James Patton Jones at 650/967-4675 sales@pbspro.com Please mention you read about it in Innovation.

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