The Network Queuing Environment (NQE) is a framework for distributing work across a network of heterogeneous systems. NQE consists of the following components:
Cray Network Queuing System (NQS).
NQE clients.
Network Load Balancer (NLB), which uses the system load information received from NQE execution servers to offer NQS an ordered list of servers to run a request; NQS uses the list to distribute the request.
NQE database and its scheduler. The NQE database provides an alternate mechanism for distributing work. Requests are submitted and stored centrally. The NQE scheduler examines each request and determines when and where the request is run.
File Transfer Agent (FTA), which provides asynchronous and synchronous file transfer. You can queue your transfers so that they are retried if a network link fails.
NQE does not enforce restrictions on the number of client commands that can be used simultaneously to submit jobs, delete or signal jobs, and obtain status of jobs.
 | Note: Customers with valid NQE 3.1 FLEXlm or newer licenses do not need new licenses for the NQE 3.3 release. |
The following major features are supported with this NQE release:
Support was added for the following operating system release levels: UNICOS/mk 2.0.2, IRIX 6.5, UNICOS 10.0, and HP-UX 10.10. (HP-UX 10.10 was initially supported in the NQE 3.2.2 release.)
Miser integration on Origin systems is supported. NQE will support the submission of jobs that specify Miser resources.
Array services support was added for UNICOS systems.
Support was added for checkpointing and restarting the jobs that run on UNICOS/mk systems. (This feature was initially supported in the NQE 3.2.1 release.)
All nqeinfo file variables are now documented in the new nqeinfo(5) man page.
Distributed Computing Environment (DCE) ticket forwarding and inheritance. This feature lets users submit jobs in a DCE environment without providing passwords. The DCE password model is supported on all NQE 3.3 platforms. IRIX systems now support access to DCE resources.
The NQE database has been enhanced to provide for an increased number of simultaneous connections for clients and execution servers to the NQE database; this feature increases the capability to handle large clusters.
T3E mixed mode scheduling is supported.
Political scheduling support for CRAY T3E systems running the UNICOS/mk operating system.
NQS is now notified when a job fails because applications running on T3E systems are killed when a PE assigned to the application goes down.
The ability to start and stop one or more specific NQE components at a time was added to the nqeinit and nqestop scripts.
Year 2000 support for NQE has been completed.
Overall performance of the Network Load Balancer (NLB) collector under UNICOS was increased; new information is provided.
The capabilities of the NQE database scheduler (LWS) have been extended.
The security enhancements to UNICOS/mk systems are supported with this NQE release.
Several new command options have been added.
For a complete list of NQE 3.3 features, see Chapter 2, “New Features”.
| Note: If you are a UNICOS customer who did not order the NQE 3.1. x or NQE 3.2.x release package, please read “NQE Package Changes for UNICOS Systems As of NQE 3.1 Release” for an explanation of changes that were made to the NQE package beginning with the NQE 3.1 release. |
NQE 3.3 provides support for the following operating systems and release levels:
AIX 4.2
Digital UNIX 4.0
HP-UX 10.10
IRIX 6.2, IRIX 6.3, IRIX 6.4, and IRIX 6.5
Solaris 2.5
UNICOS 9.0.x and UNICOS 10.0
UNICOS/mk 2.0.2
Cray Research encourages customer evaluation of our NQE software. NQE is available for downloading and evaluating free of charge. However, you must accept a software license agreement and complete a customer information sheet before a temporary license key is electronically mailed to you and the product is downloaded. To obtain a evaluation copy of NQE, you can click on the LICENSE AGREEMENT FORM link at the following URL:
http://www.cray.com/products/software/nqe/download.html |
If you have a current NQE license and want to download the latest version of NQE, you can click on the UPGRADE link at the following URL:
http://www.cray.com/products/software/nqe/download.html |
With the NQE 3.1 release, Cray Research made several changes to NQE and its related products. First, the basic package changed. The new package consolidates support for NQS, FTA, and our advanced UNICOS Network Queuing Extensions (NQX).
Beginning with the NQE 3.1 release package, NQE is available for all platforms simultaneously, including UNICOS and UNICOS/mk operating systems along with the leading UNIX operating systems: IRIX, SunOS, Solaris, HP-UX, Digital UNIX, and AIX. You can now upgrade all of your NQE servers and clients at the same time.
For UNICOS customers, the changed NQE package completely replaces NQX, which is no longer offered separately. Prior to the NQE 3.1 release, NQX was the software product that provided NQE capability for UNICOS systems. Because the changed NQE package consolidates support for all platforms, the name NQX has been dropped, and NQX software licenses have been transferred to NQE/UNICOS licenses. A new FLEXlm license is required for NQE 3.3 only if you did not order the NQE 3.x or NQE 3.2.x release.
Also for UNICOS customers, previously, NQS and FTA were bundled with the UNICOS system and licensed under the UNICOS license agreement. As of the NQE 3.1 release, NQE is the mechanism for providing NQS and FTA for UNICOS systems. A subset of NQE containing NQS and FTA is available to all UNICOS customers for use on Cray PVP systems. NQS and FTA will continue to be licensed as part of UNICOS with no additional cost. Cray PVP systems running UNICOS do not need a FLEXlm license to run only the NQE subset.
For additional licensing information, see Chapter 5, “Release Package”.
For UNICOS and UNICOS/mk systems, to simplify your NQE ordering process, your NQE 3.3 release package also includes an NQE 3.3 release CD-ROM for IRIX, AIX, Digital UNIX, HP-UX, and Solaris platforms. If your installation is not running NQE on these other platforms, this is an opportunity to try NQE at no cost or risk. You can get a temporary evaluation license for NQE 3.3 to test NQE in your environment.
If your site already has an NQE license for these other platforms, and if you have not already ordered your license.dat file for these platforms, you can order your permanent license by contacting the order desk at the Cray Research Distribution Center through email ([email protected] ), by telephone (1-800-284-2729, extension 35907), or by fax (+1-612-452-0141). (Customers with valid NQE 3.1 or newer FLEXlm licenses do not need new licenses for the NQE 3.3 release.) If you would like information about evaluation or permanent licensing of NQE for these other platforms, see “To Order NQE or to Add NQE Servers” in Chapter 5, for ways to contact us.
This NQE release overview describes the following:
New features of NQE
Compatibilities and differences that users should be aware of for this release
Customer services, including information about NQE documentation, training, customer support, and how to subscribe to the NQE mailing list
NQE release package, including information about the release package content, licensing, and ordering
All publications referenced in this document are Cray Research publications, unless otherwise noted.
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