Operating Systems: Internals and Design Principles, 6/E William Stallings
Chapter 16 Client/Server Computing
Dave Bremer Otago Polytechnic, N.Z. 2008, Prentice Hall
Roadmap
Distributed Computing Introduction Client/Server Computing Distributed message passing Remote Procedure Calls Clusters Windows Cluster Server Sun Cluster Beowulf and Linux Clusters
Traditional Data Processing
Traditionally data processing was centralised Typically involving centralised
Computers Processing Data
Distributed Data Processing
Distributed Data Processing (DDP) departs from the centralised model in one or multiple ways. Usually smaller computers, are dispersed throughout an organization. May involve central node with satellites, or be a dispersed peer to peer approach
Interconnection is usually required
Advantages of DDP
Responsiveness Availability Resource Sharing Incremental growth Increased user involvement and control End-user productivity
Roadmap
Distributed Computing Introduction Client/Server Computing Distributed message passing Remote Procedure Calls Clusters Windows Cluster Server Sun Cluster Beowulf and Linux Clusters
Client/Server Computing
Client machines are generally single-user workstations providing a user-friendly interface to the end user Each server provides a set of shared services to the clients
enables many clients to share access to the same database enables the use of a high-performance computer system to manage the database
Client/Server Terminology
Generic Client/Server Environment
Client/Server Applications
The key feature of a client/server architecture is the allocation of applicationlevel tasks between clients and servers. Hardware and the operating systems of client and server may differ
These lower-level differences are irrelevant as long as a client and server share the same communications protocols and support the same applications
Generic Client/Server Architecture
Client/Server Applications
Bulk of applications software executes on the server Application logic is located at the client Presentation services in the client
Database Applications
The server is a database server
Most common family of client/server applications
Interaction is in the form of transactions
the client makes a database request and receives a database response from server
Server is responsible for maintaining the database
Architecture for Database Applications
Client/Server Database Usage
Client/Server Database Usage
Classes of Client/Server Architecture
A spectrum of implementations exist. Four general classes are:
Host-based processing Server-based processing Cooperative processing Client-based processing
Host-based processing
Not true client/server computing
Traditional mainframe environment all or virtually all of the processing is done on a central host.
Server-based processing
Server does all the processing Client provides a graphical user interface
Client-based processing
All application processing done at the client Data validation routines and other database logic functions are done at the server
Cooperative processing
Application processing is performed in an optimized fashion Complex to set up and maintain Offers greater productivity and efficiency
Three-tier Client/Server Architecture
Application software distributed among three types of machines
User machine
Thin client
Middle-tier server
Gateway Convert protocols Merge/integrate results from different data sources
Backend server
Three-tier Client/Server Architecture
File Cache Consistency
File caches hold recently accessed file records Caches are consistent when they contain exact copies for remote data File-locking prevents simultaneous access to a file
Distributed File Caching in Sprite
Middleware
Set of tools that provide a uniform means and style of access to system resources across all platforms Enable programmers to build applications that look and feel the same Enable programmers to use the same method to access data
Role of Middleware in Client/Server Architecture
Logical View of Middleware
Roadmap
Distributed Computing Introduction Client/Server Computing Distributed message passing Remote Procedure Calls Clusters Windows Cluster Server Sun Cluster Beowulf and Linux Clusters
Interprocess Communication (IPC)
Usually computers involved in DDP do not share a main memory
They are isolated computers
IPC techniques relying on filters cannot work
Must rely on message passing
Distributed Message Passing
Basic Message-Passing Primitives
Reliability vs.. Unreliability
Reliable message-passing guarantees delivery if possible
Not necessary to let the sending process know that the message was delivered (but useful)
Send the message out into the communication network without reporting success or failure
Reduces complexity and overhead
Blocking vs.. Nonblocking
Nonblocking
Process is not suspended as a result of issuing a Send or Receive Efficient and flexible Difficult to debug
Blocking vs.. Nonblocking
Blocking
Send does not return control to the sending process until the message has been transmitted OR does not return control until an acknowledgment is received Receive does not return until a message has been placed in the allocated buffer
Roadmap
Distributed Computing Introduction Client/Server Computing Distributed message passing Remote Procedure Calls Clusters Windows Cluster Server Sun Cluster Beowulf and Linux Clusters
Remote Procedure Calls
Allow programs on different machines to interact using simple procedure call/return semantics Widely accepted Standardized
Client and server modules can be moved among computers and operating systems easily
RPC Architecture
Remote Procedure Call Mechanism
Parameters
Passing a parameter by value is easy with RPC Passing by reference is more difficult
A unique system wide pointer is necessary
The representation/format of the parameter and message may be the difficult if the programming languages differ between client and server.
Client/Server Binding
Binding specifies the relationship between remote procedure and calling program Nonpersistent binding
Logical connection established during remote procedure call
Persistent binding
Connection is sustained after the procedure returns
Synchronous versus Asynchronous
Synchronous RPC
Behaves much like a subroutine call
Asynchronous RPC
Does not block the caller Enable a client execution to proceed locally in parallel with server invocation
Object-Oriented Mechanisms
Clients and servers ship messages back and forth between objects A client sends a request to an object broker The broker calls the appropriate object and passes along any relevant data Examples include Microsofts COM and CORBA
Object Request Broker
Roadmap
Distributed Computing Introduction Client/Server Computing Distributed message passing Remote Procedure Calls Clusters Windows Cluster Server Sun Cluster Beowulf and Linux Clusters
Clusters
Alternative to symmetric multiprocessing (SMP) Group of interconnected, whole computers working together as a unified computing resource
Illusion is one machine System can run on its own
Benefits of Clusters
Absolute Scalability
Larger than any single device is possible
Incremental scalability
System can grow by adding new nodes
High availability
Failure of one node is not critical to system
Superior price/performance
Using commodity equipment
Cluster Classification
Numerous approaches to classification.
Simplest is based on shared disk access
Clustering Methods: Benefits and Limitations
Clustering Methods: Benefits and Limitations
Operating System Design Issues
Clusters require some enhancements to a single-system OS.
Failure Management Load Balancing Parallelizing Computation
Failure Management
Highly available cluster offers a high probability that all resources will be in service
No guarantee about the state of partially executed transactions if failure occurs
Fault-tolerant cluster ensures that all resources are always available Failover vs. FailBack
Load Balancing
When new computer added to the cluster, the load-balancing facility should automatically include this computer in scheduling applications Middleware must recognize that services can appear on many different members of the cluster
Parallelizing Computation
Parallelizing compiler
determines, at compile time, which parts of an application can be executed in parallel.
Parallelized application
application written to run on a cluster and uses message passing to move data,
Parametric computing
Algorithm must run many times with different parameters
Cluster Computer Architecture
Middleware Services and Functions
Single entry point
User logs onto cluster, not individual server
Single file hierarchy Single control point Single virtual networking Single memory space
Distributed shared memory enables programs to share variables.
Middleware Services and Functions (cont.)
Single job-management system Single user interface Single I/O space Single process space Checkpointing
Allowing rollback and recovery
Process migration
Enables load balancing
Clusters Compared to SMP
SMP is easier to manage and configure, take up less space and draw less power SMP products are well established and stable Clusters are better for incremental and absolute scalability Clusters are superior in terms of availability
Roadmap
Distributed Computing Introduction Client/Server Computing Distributed message passing Remote Procedure Calls Clusters Windows Cluster Server Sun Cluster Beowulf and Linux Clusters
Windows Cluster Server
A shared nothing cluster
Resources owned by single systems at a time
Windows Cluster Server
Cluster Service
Manages cluster activity
Resource
Item managed by the cluster
Online
Resource is online when providing a service
Group
Set of elements needed to run an application
Group
Combines resources into larger units that are easily managed Operations performed on a group affect all resources in that group. Resources are implemented as DLLs
Managed by resource monitor
Resource Monitor uses RPC to interact with Cluster Service.
Windows Cluster Server Block Diagram
Major Components
Configuration database manager
Manages the database with information about resources, groups and node ownership of groups
Resource Manager/Failover Manager
makes all decisions regarding resource groups and initiates appropriate actions
Event processor
Connects components
Roadmap
Distributed Computing Introduction Client/Server Computing Distributed message passing Remote Procedure Calls Clusters Windows Cluster Server Sun Cluster Beowulf and Linux Clusters
Sun Cluster
Distributed OS built as a set of extensions to Solaris UNIX system Provides a cluster with a single-system image
The cluster is transparent to the user who sees a single computer system running Solaris
Major Components
Major components
Object and communication support Process management Networking Global distributed file system
Sun Cluster Structure
Object and Communication Support
Sun Cluster is object orientated CORBA object model defines used to define objects and RPC mechanism CORBA Interface Definition Language specifies interfaces between components in different nodes Uses Solaris kernel with virtually no changes.
Process Management
Process management extends globally
The location of a process is transparent to a user
Process IDs are unique across the cluster
Each node can learn location and status of each process
Process migration is possible
But all threads of a process must be on the same node
Networking
Uses a packet filter to rout packets to the proper node Externally, the cluster appears as a single server with a single IP address. Incoming connections (client requests) are load balanced among the available nodes of the cluster.
Sun Cluster File System Extensions
Roadmap
Distributed Computing Introduction Client/Server Computing Distributed message passing Remote Procedure Calls Clusters Windows Cluster Server Sun Cluster Beowulf and Linux Clusters
Beowulf and Linux Clusters
Initiated in 1994 by NASAs High Performance Computing and Communications project To investigate the potential for clustered PCs to perform computational tasks beyond the capacity of typical workstations at minimal cost The project was a success!
Beowulf and Linux Clusters
Key features
Mass market commodity components Dedicated processors (rather than scavenging cycles from idle workstations) A dedicated, private network (LAN or WAN or internetted combination) No custom components Easy replication from multiple vendors
Beowulf Features
Mass market commodity items Dedicated processors and network Scalable I/O A freely available software base Use freely available distribution computing tools with minimal changes Return of the design and improvements to the community
Generic Beowulf Configuration
Beowulf Software
Each node runs its own copy of the Linux Kernel and functions as an autonomous system Extensions to the kernel allow nodes to participate in a number of global namespaces
System Software
Beowulf distributed process space (BPROC)
Allows process ID to span multiple nodes
Beowulf Ethernet Channel Bonding Pvmsync
Synchronises shared objects
EnFuzion
set of tools for doing parametric computing.
